Yartsevo, Smolensk Oblast

Yartsevo (Я́рцево) is a town and the administrative center of Yartsevsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vop River, 63 km northeast of Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast. Population:

History
It was founded on the spot of a village of Yartsevo-Perevoz (Я́рцево-Перево́з), known since 1859. It grew due to the construction of a cotton mill in 1873. Later on, a soap factory, a brickworks, a sawmill, and a foundry were built in the area. Yartsevo was granted town status in 1926.

Administrative and municipal status
Within the framework of administrative divisions, Yartsevo serves as the administrative center of Yartsevsky District. As an administrative division, it is, together with three rural localities, incorporated within Yartsevsky District as Yartsevskoye Urban Settlement. As a municipal division, this administrative unit also has urban settlement status and is a part of Yartsevsky Municipal District.

Politics
In 1991, Viktor Vasilyevich Vuymin became the first "democratic" mayor (head of the Yartsevo district). In 1997, after his term of office expired, the district council of deputies elected a new head - representative of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Yuri Viktorovich Romanovsky. Romanovsky served almost the full term - until 2000 when he left "of his own free will." Yuri Mikhailovich Mochalov became mayor. He remained in this post for a little over a year - on 16 November 2001, he died in a car accident.

In 2002, the city was led by Viktor Nikolayevich Shchyogolev. In the same year, after the election of a new governor of the Smolensk Oblast, Shchegolev left his post. Yuri Vasilyevich Pankov, already the fifth head of administration in the recent history of Yartsev, became the mayor. Two years later, he also left "of his own free will." On 23 June 2004, the city was headed by Vladimir Aleksandrovich Galkin, who was also elected by the deputy corps.

However, in 2004, changes were made to the Charter, according to which the head is elected in popular elections. Thus, on 24 December 2004, elections were held, and Galkin won. However, in connection with the reform of local government and the division of a single municipality - Yartsevo district - into 13 separate ones (Yartsevo district, the city of Yartsevo, and 11 rural settlements), in 2005, elections were held for the head of the city of Yartsevo and the heads of all 11 rural settlements. Galkin nominated himself for them and won. Thus, until 2011, Galkin was both the mayor of the city and the head of the Yartsevo district.

In 2010, amendments to the city charter were adopted. Now, the head of the city is elected by deputies from among its members, and the head of the administration is appointed by contract. From 2 June 2010 to 28 January 2013, the head of the district administration was Alexander Petrakov.

In 2013, the city administration was liquidated, and its powers were delegated to the district administration. During the existence of the city administration (2006-2013), three heads of the city administration were replaced: Vladimir Galkin (2006-2011), Maxim Serkov (2012), and Yuri Pankov (2012-2013).

From 21 March 2013 to 20 February 2015, the head of the district administration (merged with the city) was Yuri Pankov (for the second time since 2002–2004).

Since 3 April 2015, the head of the Yartsevo district administration is Vladimir Makarov.

Heads of administration
Heads of the administration of the Yartsevo district (in 2006-2013 there was also an administration of the city of Yartsevo):

City council
On 19 September 2021, the 2021 regional elections took place. As a result, two factions were formed in the City Council: the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (13 people) and United Russia (7 people). Of the 20 deputies who entered the city council of the fourth convocation, a new city council chairman was chosen. Since September 2021, Nikolai Novoselov has been the head of the city and chairman of the city council of deputies.

Chairmen of the City Council:

District council
Chairmen of the District Council:

Notable people

 * Aleksandr Gennadievich Kurosh — mathematician.
 * Svetlana Shkolina — high jumper.
 * Noize MC - singer.