The Information passport of the Oryol Region

 

Geographical position, landscape and climate.

The Oryol region is located in the heart of Central Russia, in the south of the Central Economic Region. The region is bordered by the Bryansk region to the west, Tula and Kaluga regions to the north, Lipetsk region to the east, and Kursk region to the south. The city of Oryol is located 382 km south of Moscow, 398 km from Kharkov, 141 km from Bryansk, 426 km from Voronezh, 387 km from Smolensk, 1,034 km from St. Petersburg, 944 km from Brest, 1,009 km from Riga. The area of the Oryol region is 24.7 thousand km2 (67th place in Russia).  The length from south to north is over 150 km, from west to east – more than 200 km.

The Oryol region is located in the central part of the Central Russian Upland, within the steppe and forest-steppe zones. The climate is temperate continental.

The average monthly temperature in January is 9 degrees below zero. November, December, and January are the cloudiest months of the year. The average number of snowy days per month is 126. The average temperature of the hottest month of July is 18 to 20 degrees above zero.

The average annual precipitation in the area ranges from 490 to 590 millimeters, and twice as much in summer as in winter, and more in autumn than in spring. The amount of precipitation is sufficient for the normal growth and development of crops.

The land is hilly. Most of the land is used for farming (2,051.2 km2), 1,570.1 km2 (76.5 %) of it is good for growing crops.

There are different kinds of soil in this area. In the west, there is light gray forest soil. In the east and south-east, there are leached and normal black earth. About 43 % of the area is leached and podzolic black earth, 24,0 % is dark gray forest soil. The rest is gray forest, podzolic soil and light gray forest. There are more than 240 kinds of soil on arable land.

The diversity of terrain, the composition of the soil, and economic activities have contributed to the widespread occurrence of water erosion. More than half of the cultivated land is classified as eroded and in need of liming.

 

Administrative and territorial division.

The administrative center is the city of Oryol (as of January 1, 2024, there are 292.4 thousand residents, the date of foundation − 1566). The largest cities in the region are Livny (the population – 42.7 thousand people) and Mtsensk (the population – 35.6 thousand people). In total, there are 1 municipal district, 23 rural municipal areas, 3 urban districts, 16 urban settlements and 207 rural settlements in the region. The population of the Oryol region (as of January 1, 2025) is 685.7 thousand people.

 

Water resources.

There are more than 2,000 rivers and streams in the region with a total length of 9,100 km.

The Oka, which is the longest and most powerful river in the area, originates in the south of the region. It is about 190 km long in that part of the area, and  the average annual flow at the border with Tula is 2,058 billion m3. The Zusha River  is a tributary of the Oka and has an average flow of 988.6 m³ per year. The Sosna River is also a tributary, but of the Don river, and it has an average flow of about 687 m³ at the border with Lipetsk. Both the Zusha and Sosna have fast currents because of their steep slopes. There are also some smaller rivers that have fast flows because of the same reason.

The main reservoirs of the Oryol region are Neruchanskoye in the Sverdlovsk region (6.8 million m3), Lubna feeding pond in Khotynets district (4.5 million m3), Oryol reservoir (4 million m3). 18 reservoirs with a capacity of 1 to 10 million m3 each and about 140 ponds with a capacity of up to 1 million m3 each operate mainly on the principle of seasonal passive regulation of runoff, are used for fish farming, irrigation and recreational purposes.

The Oryol region has many groundwater resources that are used for drinking water, household needs, and partly for technical purposes. Surface water is used by enterprises exclusively for production needs. In general, the Oryol region belongs to the category of reliably provided with drinking water.

 

Natural resources.

The area of the forest fund of the Oryol region (as of January 1, 2025) is 173.2 thousand hectares. All forests of the region belong to the forests of the first group (protective forests). The forested area is 111.2 thousand, of which: coniferous forests make up 13.2 thousand hectares, hardwoods – 42.7 thousand hectares,  soft-leaved – 55.3 thousand hectares.

The total reserve of forest stands is 22.11 million m3 with coniferous –  2.99 million m3, hard-leaved – 8.8 million m3, soft-leaved – 10.32 million m3. The predominant species in the region are oak petiolate (33.1 thousand hectares), birch (28.2 thousand hectares) and pine (10.5 thousand hectares). The forest cover of the region is 8,0 %.

There is a federal-level protected area known as the «Orlovskoye Polesye National Park» on the territory of the region with a total area of 33 thousand hectares. The park’s forests are the largest forest area in the region, dominated by pine  and mixed forests. The flora of the park is extremely diverse. Currently, the flora of the park includes 925 species of vascular plants, of which more than a quarter  are rare. 272 species of vertebrates, including 50 species of mammals, 177 species of birds (of which 136 are nesting), 7 species of reptiles, 12 species of amphibians and 26 fish species.

The defense and security lands (military forestry, Mtsensk district) amount to 482 hectares. Urban forests amount to 690 hectares, these are the forest parks «Luzhki» and «Andriabuzh», which are currently urban forestry districts.

The Oryol region has reserves of iron ore, building materials (limestone, sand, clay, etc.), hard and brown coal, peat, and phosphorites. Limestone, chalk, crushed stone, gravel, construction sand, and clay are being mined. The rich Novoyaltinskoye iron ore deposit with an iron content of 56–60 % and an occurrence at a depth of 182–260 meters has been identified in the region. The deposit is of industrial importance, but is not currently being developed.

The total area of forests of all categories is 209 thousand hectares.

 

Economic development.

All types of economic activities, the leading of which are agriculture, manufacturing, construction, transport and communications, and trade, represent the economy of the Oryol region. The region has sufficient agricultural and industrial production and economic potential to solve intra-regional problems, as well  as for normal interaction at the interregional level in accordance with the established division of labor.

The socio-economic situation in the Oryol region is influenced by the overall macroeconomic situation in the country, but it remains relatively stable.

The consumer market in the area saw a rise in retail sales by 7.2 % compared to last year, and paid services for the public increased by 11.5 %.

The total investment volume by the end of 2023 amounted to 58.7 billion rubles.

Taking into account the dynamics of the main types of economic activity in 2022, the gross regional product (further – GRP) amounted to 369.9 billion rubles, or 97.1 %.

 

The structure of the GRP reflects the contribution of individual types of economic activity to the total volume of the regional product. A big part is made by industrial production – 18.7 %, then agricultural sector – 17.8 %, trade  and catering – 16.8 %, transport and communications – 11 %, construction – 6.8 %.

 

Investment sector.

The best way to make the regional economy grow is to invest more. Investments help to change the economy and make it better. It drives the restructuring of the economy, helps overcome scientific and technological backwardness, creates new production facilities, and forms modern organizational and economic structures and market infrastructure.

According to the Orelstat, by the end of 2023, the total investment amounted to 58.7 billion rubles. In total, around 337 billion rubles of investment in fixed assets was invested in the regional economy from 2018 to 2023.

The volume of investments in fixed assets per capita in 2023 amounted to 84.3 thousand rubles.

Large and medium-sized organizations in the region spent 38.8 billion rubles in investments in fixed assets in 2023, or 94.1 %.

 

 

The largest increase in investments in fixed assets in 2023 was recorded in the following sectors: agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishing and fish farming  (10.3 billion rubles) and manufacturing (7.8 billion rubles).

Most of the investment in fixed assets came from the company’s own funds, accounting for 55.5 % of the total, with the rest coming from outside sources.

The main growth in the volume of investments in 2024 was ensured  by the implementation of the following investment projects:

Miratorg-Kursk LLC is investing in the development of agriculture (3.01 million rubles in 2024);

JSC HMS Livgidromash is making an investment to make pumps  for transporting oil, managing water and making heat;

OREL LLC has successfully completed the investment project to reconstruct and modernize its dairy production facility in the city of Oryol. Now, the company is working on another investment project – the modernization of its existing production, including the cheese line for semi-hard cheeses, up to 50 tons per day;

JSC «Orelmaslo» makes oil and oil cakes from seeds. The company has an investment project to make a workshop to take out oil and make grains;

Oryol Grain Terminal LLC is building a new grain terminal with more than 45 thousand tons storage. It will be at Luzhki-Orlovskiy railway station.

The following investment projects are being successfully done in the territory of the Oryol Special Economic Zone (further – SEZ):

RK Premix LLC has a «Construction of a production and warehouse complex for the production of feed additives for livestock farming» project. The capacity of the complex is 4.8 thousand tons per year. The project is being done in the animal feed production industry. The land plot has been purchased. The official grand opening took place on May 10, 2023. At the moment, the enterprise is operating at full capacity. The commissioning of the second stage of construction –  a warehouse complex – is scheduled for the second quarter of 2025. As of January 1, 2025, the actual investment volume for the project amounted  to 457.11 million rubles (exceeding the plan by 71.8 %)

Tri Tochki Manufacturing LLC has an investment project called «A plant for the production of telematics equipment for cars». The factory will have a capacity of 492 thousand units per year. The project is in the field of instrument engineering and electronics. As of January 1, 2025, the actual investment volume under  the project amounted to 211.6 million rubles.

In 2024, construction of a plant for deep processing of potatoes and production of French fries and potato pancakes with a capacity of up to 120 thousand tons was started on the territory of SEZ «Oryol», construction and installation works of buildings and structures are currently actively underway, in 2025, Grand Fries LLC will begin the commissioning stage of production. The investment volume has been increased to 17.5 billion rubles. According to the results of 2024,  the investment volume amounted to 6848 million rubles.

This year, the company MEZ UNECO got the status of resident with a project to build a plant for producing vegetable oils, with an investment of around 4 billion rubles. Now the company is doing design and survey work. It will start building in 2025 (1,326.6 million rubles).

11 residents are investing in the Mtsensk advanced development zone. The most significant companies are:

AURORA Science and Production LLC is working on an investment project to set up an innovative facility for processing used electronics’ circuit boards into high-quality recycled metals in Mtsensk advanced economic zone (2.12 billion rubles spent by the end of 2024).

Industrial Equipment Plant LLC has been successfully implementing the «Organization of production of new window and door fittings in Mtsensk» investment project (230 million rubles spent by the end of 2024).

 

Investment potential.

The main things that make the Oryol region good for investments are:

1. The region is in the south of Central Russia. It is close to Moscow and other big regions of the Central Federal District (further – CFD).

2. There is good transport and energy.

3. There are industrial parks with modern equipment.

4. There is help for businesses and projects.

5. There are new laws about taxes.

6. There are good specialists and education.

The main factors that make the Oryol region attractive for investment are:

1. Edible chicken egg production.
2. Dairy farming.
3. Duck farming.
4. Greenhouse cultivation of berries.
5. Berries farming.
6. Electric stove manufacturing.
7. Plaster production.
8. Traction motor manufacturing.
9. Heating element production.
10.  Industrial electric motor production.
11.  LED manufacturing.
12.  Beer production;
13.  Industrial housing panel production.
14.  Refractory brick manufacturing.
15.  Logistics controllers and switchgear manufacturing.
16.  Craft lemonade and cider production.
17.  Red brick production.
18.  Animal feed manufacturing.
19.  Clinker tile production.
20.  Ceramic sanitary ware production.
21.  Children's fruit puree production.
22.  Organization of baby cereal production.
23.  Mushroom production.
24.  Household appliance production.
25.  Ceramic refractory product production.

The Government of the Oryol region offers a range of support measures for investment projects in its territory. If an organization wants to do an investment project that is on the list of projects in the Oryol region, it can get some benefits, which include:

1. Organizations can be free from paying taxes for 3-7 years if their capital investment is more than 100 million rubles in the first 3 years.

2. There are subsidies to help pay interest on loans for investment projects.

3. The Oryol government gives guarantees for investment projects from the regional budget.

4. There are subsidies from the regional budget to help make production sites in the Oryol have good infrastructure.

5. There are industrial parks for investment projects made in the region.

6. Signing of a contract with an investor.

7. Giving land to an investor without a tender for a big project.

8. Help with information, organization and law for investment projects on one place.

The Government of the Oryol region is actively trying to attract investors to the area, as well as implementing economic and organizational measures to create conditions for businesses to invest.

To create the positive investment environment in the area, the Government of the Oryol region is focusing on formation of a framework that would provide  all possible regional government support.

Many new laws have been made in the last few years. They make it easier to help companies that invest money.

In addition, there is many help for small and medium-sized enterprises (further – SMEs). The government of Oryol region helps entrepreneurs. It is important to make infrastructure for SMEs better.

There is an infrastructure in the regional program to help SMEs. There is also a fund to give guarantees, a fund for small loans, a place to help with ideas, a place for clusters and new ideas, a place to help export, and a place for all businesses.

The regional guarantee fund helps people get loans and leases. It gives guarantees for money from banks. One person can get up to 35 million rubles.

Today, the guarantee fund cooperates with 17 financial organizations.

The Regional Microfinance Fund (the Fund) gives SMEs loans to pay for working capital and investments. It also helps to pay back bank loans up to 5 million rubles for up to 3 years. The Fund has different ways to give loans. The interest starts from 3 % and depends on what the business is and how the money is used.

The Center for business helps to organize training events. It also helps with questions about starting a business, how to register, what taxes to pay, and how to keep records. The center also helps with legal support questions.

The Center for Cluster Development helps to find cluster ideas. It helps SMEs to work together to make their area better. It also helps to make new businesses.

There are 6 clusters in the Oryol region: the GLONASS cluster, the tourism cluster, the IT cluster, the food industry cluster, the light industry cluster  and the creative industries cluster for social entrepreneurs.

The Oryol Regional Export Support Center helps SMEs with foreign trade. It also helps companies that want to sell their products abroad.

To make it easier for SMEs to get their hands on government and municipal services, there is a multifunctional center for business. This center is made to provide a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs, so they can get all their government needs taken care of in one place.

There is an event to help with property through collaboration between the Government of the Oryol region and the municipalities of the region with SMEs.

At the same time, the government is trying to get SMEs to buy things, do work, and get services from some companies. The department of economic development and investment in the Oryol region is checking and watching plans for buying things, doing work, and getting services that involve SMEs. This is for special customers chosen by the government.

There is a website called «State support for business in Oryol» (http://www.msb-orel.ru). It helps SMEs to be more efficient.

Industrial sector.

The industrial sector is the most important part of the economy in the Oryol region. The Industry makes up about 19 % of the total value of all goods and services in the region and more than one third of all taxes.

Now, the main areas of industrial sector in the Oryol region include mechanical engineering, the electronics industry, metallurgy, and the production  of metal goods, as well as the production of building materials.

Today, the Oryol region produces:

1. 25,0 % of all Russian ceramic tiles.

2. 14,0 % of all centrifugal pumps in Russia.

3. 30,0 % of all refrigerators in Russia.

4. 11,0 % of all city machines in Russia.

5. 40,0 % of filling and emptying equipment for cars and trains in Russia;

6. 80,0 % of filters for all kinds of equipment in Russia.

Due to the lack of large mineral deposits in the Oryol region, which  has no national or international significance, the industry there is characterized by high levels of inter-industry and interregional cooperation. A significant portion  of raw materials, materials, and components are imported into the region from outside.

There are about a 1,000 industrial companies operating in the Oryol industrial complex, with more than 100 being large and medium sized. Around 47,000 people work in industry, which is about a quarter of all the people in Oryol economy sector.

The industrial production index for 2024 was 106.1 %. The volume of shipped goods of own production reached 289.7 billion rubles, which is 21.2 % higher than the previous year.

The main part of the industry in the region is centered around three cities – Oryol, Mtsensk and Livny. Oryol has a wide range of industries, with the biggest share going to food production, other non-metal products, machinery and equipment, computers and electronics, electrical goods, and rubber and plastic items. Livny is home to machine-making companies that focus on pumps, oil loading equipment, and auto parts. Mtsensk specializes in iron and non-iron casting, as well as municipal and specialized equipment.

Mechanical engineering is very important in the industry of Oryol region. It makes pumps, machines to load oil and to distribute fuel, machines for cities, roads, special and agriculture, coolers and compressors, filters for different machines, and equipment for food industry.

The sphere of metal making and metal products is one of the main industries in the Oryol region. The main things they make are hardware, things made from iron, things from other metals, things that are half-done from other metals and their mixes, big metal things, and things to weld.

The electronics industry is the most innovative branch of manufacturing in the area. It produces a wide range of products, including semiconductors, optoelectronics, lighting, electrical installations, cables, meters, sensors, and circuit boards.

The building material industry in the Oryol region is home to some well-known names in tile and porcelain tile production, faucet and toilet fixtures, and PVC flooring, as well as concrete products.

Competitive advantages of the Oryol region industry:

There is a high level of technology and benefit created.

There is presence of in-house design departments at leading enterprises.

There is presence of a significant share of machine-building and instrument-making enterprises with universal metalworking equipment, which allows  for the production of a wide range of products.

There is a well-developed logistics base.

There is a convenient geographic location of enterprises in relation  to transport routes and large consumers of products.

There is an integration of large industrial enterprises into Russian vertically integrated holdings.

There are many small businesses in the manufacturing industry with a lot of growth potential.

 

Agricultural sector.

The agricultural sector in the Oryol region is one of the key points of economic growth in the region.

There are 157 agriculture organizations in the area, 201 food and processing companies with 25,500 people employed, as well as 1,369 farmer’s (peasant) farms, 28 agriculture consumer cooperatives, and 132,500 private farms.

The region plays a big part in making sure the Russian Federation has enough food. Agriculture makes up 24.3 % of the region's total economy.

The index of agriculture in all types of farms in prices for 2024 is 102.7 % more than in 2023.

The volume of agriculture in the Oryol region is 154.4 billion rubles. It is 11.3 % more than last year.

The Orel region ranks 6th in the CFD in terms of agricultural production.

On average, agriculture in the region generated 223 thousand rubles  per person, while the total production in Russia was 60.9 thousand rubles,  and in the CFD – 58.2 thousand rubles.

The land for farming in the Oryol area is 83,0 % of all the land.  It is 2035 million hectares. The land that can be planted is 1.5 million hectares.

In 2024, agricultural producers in the region received state support funds in the following areas:

1. To support priority areas of the agricultural complex and the development of small farms, including:

– support for milk production;

– support for the production of fruit and berry plantations;

– grants for the development of family farms;

– grants for the development of the material and technical base;

– subsidies to help cover part of the cost of agro-tech work, making agriculture more environmentally friendly, and improving soil fertility and quality;

– subsidies to support livestock breeding;

– elite seed production support;

– beef cattle breeding support;

– agricultural insurance support;

– grants in the form of subsidies to support livestock breeding.

2. To help cover some of the production and sales costs for grain crops.

3. To encourage an increase in potato and vegetable production.

4. To assist with part of the interest on investment loans for the agricultural industry.

5. To implement measures to reclaim agricultural land.

6. To carry out activities under the «Developing dairy farming in Oryol» project.

7. To carry out initiatives to support farmers and develop rural cooperation.

 

Housing and utilities sector.

Housing and utilities sector is the most important branch of the economy, which includes a set of industries that ensure the operation of the engineering infrastructure of buildings and settlements. Housing and communal services include housing – major and current repairs of buildings, heat supply, water supply, electricity supply, repair of utilities, as well as landscaping.

The importance of housing and utilities in the socio-economic system  is reflected in the fulfillment of important tasks for the region and the management of the housing and utilities sector. These include:

– creating favorable conditions for citizen self-governance through organizational, economic, and legal measures;

• establishing a competitive environment within the housing and utilities industry;
• developing a strategy and plan for reforming this sector;
• Planning and implementing measures to ensure standards for housing and utility services.

There are 225 housing and utility companies in the Oryol region, all providing public services within the region. 193 of those are small to medium businesses in the form of LLCs (limited liability companies), which is about 86 % of the total.

The industry employs about 6,000 people, including many honored housing and community workers who have received badges and awards from the Russian Ministry of Regional Development, the Oryol regional Government, and local organizations of the Lifeworkers Union.

The federal and regional governments are working together to make sure people have a good quality of life and a comfortable place to live and work.

The project for the improvement of the old houses, unsuitable for habitation, was successfully implemented. The region has prematurely completed the program of resettlement of people from the emergency homes in the Orel region for 2019-2024. They moved 60,200 m2 (133,0 %) of old houses. All houses that were in bad condition before January 1, 2017, were moved.

Based on the inventory results, more than 67,000 m2 of housing that became emergency after January 2017 need to be relocated. The Oryol regional government will continue to support local authorities with this relocation. As before, most of the emergency housing will be relocated as part of a new regional program with federal funding. In addition, a big part of the housing in Oryol city will be relocated through integrated territorial development projects using extra-budget funds.

More than 6,000 people have been resettled from emergency houses  and provided with social housing – these are orphans, veterans, and large families.

Events as part of a major renovation of apartments are held every year. Currently, 4,365 apartments in the Oryol region are included in the regional program for major repairs of common areas. These apartments have a total area of 15.5 million m2.

The regional capital repair scheme is backed by the fact that people are paying their capital repair fees on time.

The number of citizens who are ready to independently organize major repairs of their apartment building and have chosen to form a capital repair fund on a special account is increasing.

The implementation of the «Modern urban environment in the Oryol region» state program as part of the «Housing and urban environment» national project has led to the landscaping of 251 public areas and 803 yards.

Among the public areas are such large objects as the Children’s Park, Komsomol Square, and Pobeda Park.

In addition, 16 projects of the winners of the Russian competition for the best projects for creating a comfortable urban environment in small towns and historical settlements have been completed.

Three gas pipelines were built as part of the state program in the Oryol region, «Comprehensive development of rural areas of the Oryol region».

The Gazprom and the Oryol region government have approved the plan to develop gas supply and distribution in the area over a five-year period (2021–2025). This plan calls for the construction of about 41 kilometers of inter-village gas pipelines to bring gas to 16 different villages, and over 1,500 houses  have already been connected to the gas grid thanks to the program.

Modernizing the public utility infrastructure in the Oryol region is a top priority right now, because it is essential for keeping the water supply running smoothly and reliably for the residents.

In 2023–2024, as part of the regional «Modernization of Utilities» program, 30 water, heating, and sewage facilities were successfully renovated, with 138.9 million rubles coming from various funding sources. This allowed for the replacement of up to 26.6 kilometers of water, heating, and sewerage networks in the Oryol region, improving services for 61,900 people.

As part of the federal project «Clean Water» in the period 2019–2021, 2 large water pipelines were built in the city of Oryol. The share of the population of the Oryol region provided with high-quality drinking water amounted to 683 thousand people.

In addition, the Orel government has been working hard to get funding  for a special loan. The region managed to get a billion-ruble loan from the treasury  for the construction of a big water supply project.

In 2023 and 2024, the loan funds were used to construct a water pipeline stretching over 8 kilometers from Mashinostroitelnaya Street to Karachevsky Highway in Oryol. This project helped to prevent accidents and improve  the reliability and quality of the water supply for 150,000 people.

As part of the investment plans of Oreloblenergo JSC and the Orelenergo branch of Rosseti PJSC, more than 300 kilometers of lines and 74 transformers were repaired and upgraded.

The private business sector in Oryol is working on making the tech process better by improving the city’s infrastructure. They have signed 16 contracts, transferring 185 buildings to private companies. This allows doing two things at once – giving people better services without raising prices, and unlocking the potential of the utilities sector.

 

Construction.

Construction is a major part of the economy in the Oryol region.

As of January 1, 2024, there were 1,199 companies doing construction work. This includes all different types of construction activities. During this time, the average number of people working in construction was 6.6 thousand people, which is around 3.4 % of all the people working in the region.

In 2023, according to updated data from Orelstat, work worth 32.9 billion rubles was completed under the economic activity «Construction».

The volume of work done in the construction industry has been greatly influenced in recent years by national projects and the investment activities of builders.

In the year 2024, the construction of 1,653 residential and commercial structures was completed, covering an area of 628.8 thousand m2.

Housing construction is a major part of what construction companies  in the area do. In 2024, companies and individual builders put up 385 thousand m2 of housing, which is 127 % of what they did in 2019. Individual builders used their own money and loans to build 1,549 houses with 199 m2 each (107 % compared to 2019), which is half of all the new houses that were built in 2024. At the end of 2023, each person had 32.5 m2 of living space.

 

Transport infrastructure.

The Orel region has a transportation system made up of railway, road, and city bus companies.

The average number of its employees is 8.6 thousand people, which is 4.4 % of the total number of people working in the region’s economy.

The total contribution of transportation, storage, information, and communication activities to the GRP in 2023 was estimated to be 7.7 %.

Currently, the public transportation system in the Oryol region has 135 different routes that go between different cities and towns. There are 321 buses and other vehicles that run on these routes. The system connects all the different districts, towns, and cities in the region with the main city.

The movement of buses and other vehicles on routes is monitored using  the global navigation satellite system (GLONASS), which is installed in all vehicles that run on inter-city routes.

There are more than 3.5 thousand individual entrepreneurs providing taxi services in the region.

The city’s public transit system has been preserved and is still running in the regional capital.

The Municipal Unitary Enterprise «Tram and Trolleybus Enterprise»  of the city of Oryol serves 5 trolleybus and 3 tram routes of regular transportation. There are 80 trams and 40 trolleybuses in operation at the tram and trolleybus enterprise.

Rail transport plays a significant role in the life of the Oryol region.  The operational length of public railways in the region is 596.4 km. The density  of public railways per 10 thousand km2 of territory is 241 km.

The Moscow Railway branch of Russian Railways provides rail transportation in the Oryol – Kursk region.

There are two railway stations in the city of Oryol: the railway station of Oryol station is the main railway station of the city, opened in 1868 with the launch  of the Moscow – Oryol railway, Luzhki – Orlovskiy is a transit railway station  for some long-distance latitudinal trains that do not pass through Oryol station.

 

Road infrastructure.

The Oryol region is one of the major transport hubs in the central part of the Russian Federation.

As of January 1, 2024, the length of public roads in the territory of the Oryol region is 17,012.0 km, of which 457.7 km are federal, 3,859.5 km are regional or inter-municipal and 12,694.8 km are local.

The main transport highways in the Oryol region are federal highways M-2 «Crimea» (Moscow – Crimea), R-119 (Oryol – Livny – Yelets – Lipetsk – Tambov), R-120 (Oryol – Bryansk – Smolensk – border with the Republic of Belarus), R-92 (Kaluga – Peremyshl – Belev – Oryol), as well as public roads of regional significance, along which communication is provided between  the regional centers of the Oryol region.

The percentage of public roads in the Oryol region that are in good condition, out of all the roads that are regional or between municipalities, was 51.37 %  on January 1, 2023, and it increased to 52.06 % on January 1, 2024.

The great location and many cars lead to a lot of traffic and higher demands on the roads.

Local roads are about 12,700 kilometers long, and 45.9 % of them are paved. To make sure everyone has access to roads all year round, the Oryol region  is actively working on a rural road-building program. This program has helped provide paved roads for all the areas with more than 100 people living there.

 

Healthcare.

The regional healthcare system has three levels of medical care, and patients are directed to the appropriate level based on the type, severity, and urgency of their condition.

In 2023, 37 hospitals and 131 outpatient clinics provided healthcare services in the region.

According to Orelstat, the total number of hospital beds at the beginning  of 2019 was 6713 units, at the beginning of 2023 – 6047 units. In 2019–2023, their number decreased by 666 units, or 9.9 %.

Measures were taken to reduce the number of round-the-clock inpatient beds, in line with the requirements from the Ministry of Health in Russia and the Federal Mandatory Health Insurance Fund.

As of January 1, 2023, 3148 doctors provided medical care to the population in the Oryol region.

As of January 1, 2023, there were 7,779 medical professionals working at various hospitals and clinics in the Oryol area. This increase in mid-level healthcare workers brought the ratio of healthcare professionals to 111.1 per 10,000 people, thanks to the decrease in the overall population  of the region.

The number of mid-level medical professionals working in state  and municipal healthcare facilities in the Oryol region per 10,000 people  in 2023 was 100 %.

Staffing level of medical organizations providing outpatient medical care includes:

doctors – 82.4 %;

medical workers – 86.0 %.

The region has potential for the development of health tourism, as there are two sanatoriums within the area: SUE NGO «Sanatorium Dubrava» and LLC «Sanatorium-Preventorium Lesnoy». There are also 11 children’s recreation and leisure organizations (including LLC «Sanatorium-Preventorium Lesnoy», which accepts children during the holiday period).

Because of convenient transport and cheaper prices compared to the capital, beauty tourism is a promising field. The most popular spots are for cosmetology, nails, and dentistry.

 

Education.

The Oryol region has an effective multi-level education system based  on the use of modern methods and programs.

The pre-school education system in the Oryol region has 166 local pre-schools, 124 schools with pre-school departments (branches and groups),  1 non-profit organization, and 2 individual entrepreneurs that offer pre-school programs.

The region's general education system is represented by 346 organizations providing training in primary, basic and secondary general education programs.

In the Oryol region, 18 vocational schools and their branches, 2 colleges,  and 4 branch campuses provide secondary vocational education. Currently, there are  17,531 students studying in these schools.

More than 1.2 thousand teaching staff (52.3 % of the total number  of employees) work in the region’s secondary vocational education system, including: 880 teachers and 178 industrial training masters.

The system of higher education in the Oryol region is represented by 5 federal educational organizations of higher education and 6 branches of higher educational institutions. The main activity of universities is training personnel in the field of education, culture, agriculture, construction, industry and healthcare

In total, there are over 30,000 people studying in higher education, doing all sorts of different courses and degrees.

There are 341 different programs on offer, including 177 bachelors, 28 specialists, and 136 masters.

 

Sport.

The city’s sports pride is the Central Lenin Stadium, which was built in 1961 and has been a hub for healthy lifestyles for over 60 years. Recently, the stadium underwent some major changes, with the opening of the Pobeda Multisport Complex in 2021 after a reconstruction. This complex can accommodate 350 athletes at once and offers a variety of sports, including martial arts, tennis, volleyball, badminton, ping pong, mini football, and more. The main hall of Pobeda hosted a stage  of the Russian Volleyball League «A» from October 9 to October 13, making it a major event for the city of Oryol. Since 2019, the city has also hosted stages of the Russian Beach Volley Championship, with the main beach volleyball stadium in the heart of the capital being a source of pride for locals. In 2023, 4 beach volleyball courts were opened at the Lenin Stadium as part of some improvements, especially for the Russian Beach Volley League.

In 2024, the region launched the «Sport is a Way of Life» project as part of the Demography national program. As a result, the first indoor football stadium was opened at the Lenin Stadium. It won the Sports Facilities Award in the «Best Football Stadium of the Year» category. The award ceremony was the part  of the SportB2B EXPO&FORUM.

The ice rink in the Oryol region is available to all residents and visitors all year round at two ice arenas in the city.

The main attraction of the Oryol region is the «GRINN» Tourist Complex, a one-of-a-kind place for sports and recreation events with accommodation. «GRINN» has hosted a lot of Russian and international events, with over  1,000 participants at a time.

All the venues at «GRINN» are super versatile and have incredible potential to transform the space according to the needs of the event. There is everything  to host events of all sizes, from interregional to federal and even international levels. The following events were hosted on the basis of the complex:

International archery competitions;

National Karate Championships and World Karate Championships;

Championship and World Championship in hand-to-hand combat among men and women;

Russian Sumo Championships and Competitions;

Russian Fencing Championships;

Russian National Karate Competitions: The Cup of Oryol;

The Russian Volleyball Championship among veterans and other events.

In October 2023, as part of the Russia – Sports Power forum, the grand opening of an open-air physical culture and health complex took place in the city of Oryol.

Residents and visitors of the city of Oryol and the area will be able to do track and field events, orienteering, volleyball on the beach, soccer on the beach and rugby at this place. The building for physical education and health includes changing rooms, bathrooms, coaches’ rooms, a medical room, as well as rooms for renting skis and sports equipment.

In addition, a sports and fitness center is being built in Oryol. It is located in a busy area with good transport links. The facility will have three gyms: a multipurpose hall, a dance studio, and a gym. There will also be locker rooms, coaches’ rooms, utilities, and technical spaces. The project is set to finish in 2025.

In 2024, there was a bunch of events in the Oryol region. There were 191 local sports events, as well as 48 interregional and national events related to sports and physical education, which were all included in the official calendar  of sports events organized by the Ministry of Sport of Russia. The sports teams from the Oryol region participated in 387 different sports events, both at the regional, national and international level.

In 2024, according to the order of the Russian Ministry of Sports dated June 23, 2022, № 533, these sports have been approved for the Oryol region: boxing, badminton, cycling, judo, karate, track and field, shooting, archery, bobsledding, sports for disabled people with musculoskeletal issues, and sports for deaf people.

The training of athletes for the Russian Olympic and Paralympic teams in basic sports takes place at sports facilities run by government agencies. These include the Oryol Sports Training Center, the Olympic Reserve School, and the Central Lenin Stadium in the city of Oryol.

According to the order of the Governor of the Oryol region dated November 20, 2023, № 763, the scholarship amount has been increased to 10,000 rubles and a fixed scholarship quota:

30 scholarships to athletes who have shown results in sports disciplines of the relevant sports included in the programs of the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games and Deaflympic Games;

15 scholarships to athletes who have shown results in sports disciplines of the relevant sports not included in the programs of the Olympic, Paralympic and Deaflympic Games.

In collaboration with the mayors of the Oryol region, there were opened 29 testing centers for the Russian physical culture and sports complex «Ready for Labour and Defense» (further – GTO), and delivered 23 sets of sports equipment to set up small sports fields that can be used for GTO tests. According to the results of 2024, 16,001 people took part in took part in the GTO tests and 8,255 people successfully passed it. There were 3,222 gold medals, silver – 2,912, bronze – 2,121.

 

Culture.

The Oryol region is considered the literary capital of Russia.

The region is the birthplace of writers Ivan Turgenev, Nikolay Leskov, Afanasy Fet, philosopher Sergei Bulgakov, historian Timofey Granovsky, polar explorer Vladimir Rusanov. The life and work of Fedor Tyutchev, Ivan Bunin, Mikhail Prishvin, composer Mikhail Glinka, Vasily Kalinnikov, historians Mikhail Lemke, Vladimir Sergeev, Leonid Savelov, statesmen and public figures  Mikhail Stakhovich, Pyotr Stolypin, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, military commander Aleksey Ermolov.

There are three state museums in the city of Oryol: the Oryol Museum  of Local History, the Oryol United State Literary Museum of Ivan Turgenev, the Oryol Museum of Fine Arts and their branches.

The Oryol region has a rich cultural scene, with a network of professional theaters and a long history of theatrical traditions. There are the Oryol State Academic Theater named after Ivan Turgenev, the Oryol State Theater for children and young people «Svobodnoye prostranstvo», the Oryol Puppet Theater,  and the Oryol Municipal Drama Theater Russian Style named after Mikhail Bakhtin.

Currently, the concert band, the municipal cultural institution dance ensemble «Slavitsa», is doing concerts in the area as an independent unit. It is based on the ballet troupe from the federal budgetary military arts institution Oryol State Institute of Art and Culture, as well as other choreographic schools in the country. Their repertoire is all about Russian folk dancing. They also have an instrumental group and some solo singers in their lineup.

The Oryol Philharmonic is the main place for concert activities in academic music in Oryol. It is a state-funded cultural institution.

The Philharmonic’s main goal is to display the best of classical  and contemporary music, educate residents of Oryol city and the Oryol region about music, work on the patriotic, musical, and aesthetic education of younger generations, and promote the work of local composers.

Three big musical groups are actively creating at the institution: The Governor’s Symphony Orchestra, the «Lik» Chamber Choir, and the «Karavai» Folk Ensemble. There are a lot of concerts and meetings with Russian  and international music artists on the Philharmonic’s stage.

Some of the biggest annual creative events at the Philharmonic are the «Oryol Music Autumn» festival, which has a series of classical and contemporary music concerts with local and international artists, and «Young Talents from the Oryol Region», which gives young musicians who win regional and national competitions the chance to perform alongside top regional groups and soloists.

There are 1,919 cultural monuments in the territory of the Oryol region, of which 334 are of federal significance.

The Ivan Turgenev State Memorial and Nature Reserve «Spasskoye-Lutovinovo» is a major attraction in the Oryol region – it is the only museum dedicated to the great Russian author in Russia. It all started in 1922 when the estate was taken under state protection and turned into a museum. In 1976, Turgenev’s house was restored and returned the original furniture, creating  a memorial exhibition that recreates the interior as it was when the writer last visited Spasskoye in 1881. Since 1987, it has had the status of a reserve.

Information and library services in the region are provided by 375 public libraries – 3 regional and 372 municipal.

There are 12 museums in the Oryol region:

1 federal – Ivan Turgenev’s Memorial and Nature Museum-Reserve «Spasskoye-Lutovinovo»;

3 regional ones – the Oryol Museum of Local Lore, with 2 branches, the Oryol Museum of Fine Arts, with 2 branches, and the Oryol United State Literary Museum of Ivan Turgenev, with 6 literary museums;

8 municipal museums (in the cities of Livny, Mtsensk, as well as Bolkhov, Dmitrovs, Dolzhansk, Sverdlovsk, Novosil and Khotynets districts of the region).

The main activities of the Oryol region museums are the identification, collection, recording and storage, as well as the study of museum objects and museum collections and providing access to them.

The Oryol region holds a bunch of international, interregional, and regional events every year. The most notable ones are the annual international folk festival «Troitskie Khorovody» and the «Turgenev festival», which is organized by the joint museum and museum-reserve Spasskoe-Lutovinovo in June.

Most major events in the area are accompanied by folk craft exhibitions. About 100 artisans are active participants at these events, displaying their skills in decorative and applied art.

To strengthen the moral and spiritual foundations of Russian society, and to organize systematic work on the patriotic education of citizens, the cultural institutions in the Oryol region are actively working in a variety of ways. The main goal of this work is to educate people about citizenship, patriotism, and respect for each person's rights, freedoms, and responsibilities.

 

Tourism.

The Oryol region has a lot of potential for tourism. There are 9 tour operators, 107 travel agents, more than 60 hotels, 10 sanatoria, a boarding house and a bunch of children’s health centers and tourist bases. Together, they have about 2 360 rooms.

The «Orlovskoye Polesye National Park», covering an area of 77,700 hectares, is dedicated to the development of natural and ecological tourism in the Oryol region. The melting glacier brought the finest sand and a lot of water to these lands. There are dunes and barchans up to 10 meters high here. The largest lakes are Bolshoe, Staroe, Obmezh, Tsentralnoe and Ryasnik. The flora  of the national park has more than 900 species, of which 130 are rare and endangered. The territory of the national park is home to animals listed  in the Red Book: greater and lesser-spotted eagles, short-toed eagle, great grey shrike, European woodpecker, black stork, giant noctule, Russian desman, and European bison. In the forests of the park, you can meet more than  200 free-living bison. An enclosure zoo is open to visitors, which contains more than 30 species of various animals and birds in spacious enclosures.

The «Orlovskoye Polesye» is directly linked with the name of Ivan Turgenev, whose characters from «Hunter’s Notes» resided there. The writer spent weeks wandering in Polesye with a gun and dog through the forest thicket, along the «swampy rivers of Vytebet and Shkovka».

Today, the national park offers its guests two comfortable hotel complexes («Orlovskoye Polesye» and «Dom Lesnika»), which are popular for celebrating weddings and spending secluded holidays.

The rich folk traditions of the Oryol region, such as the Oryol Spis, Chernyshenskaya and Pleshkovsky toys, have been able to survive thanks to its distance from the center of government.

Oryol attracts tourists with its literary museums dedicated to Ivan Turgenev, Ivan Bunin, Nikolay Leskov, and Leonid Andreev. The city also has a popular military history museum and the house museum of polar explorer Vladimir Rusanov.

The main literary attraction of the Oryol region is the State Memorial  and Natural Museum-Reserve of Ivan Turgenev «Spasskoye-Lutovinovo».  In addition to the house-museum, it includes the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior. Next to the church is an old cemetery with a family crypt. In the farmyard, there is a stable, a carriage house, a harness room, a bathhouse and a cellar. Not far from the memorial house is a one-story outbuilding. Here Ivan Turgenev lived during his exile in 1852–1853. Around the manor house on 83 hectares, there is a magnificent park, the dense linden alleys of which descend in steps to the pond. About 2,000 century-old trees have survived since  the foundation of the park.

The museum-reserve is especially crowded on the last Saturday of June, when the traditional Turgenev festival is held. Another important event in the Turgenev calendar is November 9, the writer’s birthday, which is traditionally marked by the opening of a new museum exhibition.

Far from the trains and at the same distance from other tourist spots in the Oryol area, there is an old town called Bolkhov. Because train does not connect it, and it is on the outskirts, it still has the feel of a pre-Revolution merchant city with its traditional urban layout. A lot of churches and a monastery were restored in recent years, and they are open to visitors.

One of the main attractions of Bolkhov is the Trinity Optina Nativity  of the Virgin Mary Monastery – the oldest surviving building in the Oryol region. The main shrine of Bolkhov, the icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God revealed here, enjoys special veneration in the monastery.

Another famous city, Mtsensk, was founded on the site of an old Vyatichi settlement.

About 19 kilometers from Mtsensk (35 km from Oryol), there is the «Mtsensk health resort and sanatorium». It is especially popular  for skiing in winter. It can house 232 guests. Rooms are available in 1-, 2-,  and 3-beds with all the amenities. Meals are served 3 times a day in 2 restaurant halls. There are 10 ski trails (2 are lit up) with a total of 12 km, served by 10 T-bar lifts, at the resort. The elevation difference in the area is up to 80 meters. You can rent sports equipment. The resort has a good medical center for rehab of heart, stomach, respiratory, kidney, and nervous system diseases. There is massage, physio, inhalations, electrotherapy, hydrotherapy and gym rooms. The house has a movie theater and concert hall, a big indoor pool, a steam room, pool table, and a kids’ playroom.

The «Dubrava» sanatorium is located in a forest area near Oryol (7 km),  not far from the lake. It can accommodate 220 people. The sanatorium specializes in the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including diseases of the circulatory system, digestion, musculoskeletal system, nervous system, cerebral palsy, and gynecology. There is a good medical and diagnostic base, a hydrotherapy center,  a mud bath, a therapeutic exercise room; highly qualified specialists conduct the reception. Accommodation is provided in single and double rooms with all amenities and luxury rooms. Vacationers have sports equipment, a video room, a sauna, and a library at their disposal. There is also a kids’ playroom.

The «Lesnoy» and health resort is designed for 120 people and specializes  in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, respiratory organs, digestion, cardiovascular system, kidneys and urinary tract, metabolism, and gynecology. Accommodation is provided in single and double rooms with all amenities. There is a swimming pool, sauna, and a therapeutic exercise room.

The boarding house «Mechta» is a modern 3-star hotel complex located  in a beautiful mixed forest on the shore of a picturesque lake near Oryol. Hospitable staff, comfortable rooms, delicious cuisine and unforgettable nature will create all the conditions for both family and corporate recreation. The guests can enjoy a restaurant with Russian and European cuisine, a banquet hall, a summer restaurant with a view of the pine forest and the lake, Russian and American billiards, a sauna with a mini-pool, a paintball field, a parking lot, a kids’ playroom. In winter, guests of the region can enjoy a skating rink on the lake and ski slopes in the forest,  in summer – a modern beach with comfortable sun loungers and a children’s area, boat and catamaran rental. One of the main activities of the boarding house «Mechta» is the organization and holding of conferences, business meetings, seminars. The boarding house offers a comfortable conference hall equipped with modern multimedia equipment.

The «Orlovchanka» Children’s Sanatorium is designed to have and treat 400 children. It specializes in the treatment of heart disease, cerebral palsy, gastritis, pyelonephritis, and eye diseases. Vacationers are accommodated in the rooms for 3–4 children with shared facilities. Children can spend their free time in the pool, sauna, and therapeutic exercise room. There are also massage and physiotherapy rooms.

 

Information about the Oryol Region

 

Historical background.

The Oryol region is located in the heart of the Central Russian uplands, at the crossroads of three major river systems, and a good distance from major centers of Russian power. This has influenced the history of the region.

The Vyatichi tribe appeared in the Oryol area in the 9th and 10th centuries, and they lived separately from other tribes until the 11th century. They did not submit to Russian rulers and kept their old customs. Their villages were near rivers, and their main activity was farming. They also raised animals, hunted, fished, kept bees, and traded. The Oka river route went through their area, which helped with international trade. In the top part of the Oka, there was a place where they could drag boats from the Oka to the Snova and Svapa rivers, which are tributaries of the Seym. This is shown by many coin finds in the Oka area.

Since 858, the Vyatichi people paid tribute to the Khazars, but they were still independent enough to join in with Oleg's attack on Byzantium in 907. When Prince Svyatoslav defeated the Khazar Khanate in 964 then conquered them in 965 and 966, and imposed tribute in his favor. However, the Vyatichi kept rebelling and refusing to pay. In 981 and 982, Vladimir the Great organized campaigns against them. In the 11th century, Vladimir Monomakh tried twice to conquer their lands, but could not make it happen.

In the 12th century, the Chernigov princes ruled the area that is now the city of Oryol. There were many fortified settlements there. Mtsensk, Novosil, and Kromy were all mentioned in the chronicles for the first time.

In the 13th century, the Mongols and Tatars, led by Khan Batu, destroyed some of the biggest cities in the area. For a few centuries, the Oryol region was  a border area between the Moscow and Lithuanian states, and Tatar troops would pass through it on their way to raid Russian lands.

In the 15th century, Moscow started to take over the area. From the 16th century on, the region’s land finally became part of Russia in 1503.

The Oryol region was still a border area until the mid-17th century, and it was a battleground between Russian and Tatar armies. It got the nickname «Wild Field» because of all the fighting. To protect against attacks from the south, Tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered the construction of a «zasechnaya» (a series of fortifications) along the southern border of Moscow. Some of the cities that were built at that time included Bolkhov, Oryol, and Livny.

In the early 17th century, the region of Oryol region was one of the centers of the popular uprising against the governments of Boris Godunov and Vasili Shuisky.

After the borders shifted to the southeast and political stability returned to the area in the 16th and early 17th centuries, the Oryol region became a center of noble culture. Many «noble families» settled there, and craft production  and commercial grain farming developed. In some years, as much as 300,000 poods of grain were exported from Oryol on boats. Land roads and river wharfs were built to improve transportation.

By decree of Peter the Great on December 18, 1708, the current area  of the region became part of the Kyiv Governorate, and was named the Oryol province. Oryol was made the center of the province, and included the cities  of Bolkhov, Mtsensk, and Novosil. Livny became part of the Yelets province in the Azov governorate.

In 1727, Kyiv province was split up and Oryol became the provincial center of Belgorod province. During the first half of the 18th century, there was an increase in manufacturing in the metallurgy, textile, leather, and glass industries.  Rye, buckwheat, millet, oats, and hemp were the main crops in agriculture.

The increase in Oryol’s administrative-territorial status is linked  to the formation of the Oryol Viceroyalty on February 28, 1778 and, from 1796, a province. It initially included 13 counties, including Arkhangelsk, Bolkhov, Bryansk, Deshkinsk, Yelets, Karachev, Kromy, Livny, Lugansk, Mtsensk, Oryol, Sevsk and Trubchevsk.

In 1798, the territory of the Deshkinsk district was divided between  the Bolkhov and Mtsensk districts, and in 1802, the Dmitrovsk district was created with its center in the city of Dmitrovsk.

During the Patriotic War of 1812, Oryol served as one of the principal rear bases for the Russian army.

In the 19th century, there was made significant progress in agriculture.  Multi-field crop rotations were introduced, and mechanization of production began in advanced farms. The cultivation of potatoes and sugar beets was added to agricultural specialization. Brick factories were built in the province, large foundries were launched, and large capitalist enterprises emerged.

The post-revolutionary period of development of the Oryol region was marked by numerous administrative-territorial transformations.

In July 1919, the Bryansk Governorate was formed, into which the Bryansk, Karachev, Sevsk, and Trubchevsk districts were separated from the Oryol Governorate. On March 7, 1924, the administrative commission of the Russian Central Executive Committee liquidated the Kromy district, and its territory became part of the Oryol and Maloarkhangelsk districts. On May 19, 1924, the Mtsensk district was included in the Oryol district. In 1925, the Novosil district  was transferred from the Tula Governorate to Oryol.

By 1928, the Oryol province included 7 districts: Bolkhov, Yelets, Maloarkhangelsk, Dmitrovsk, Livny, Oryol and Novosil.

Because of a large-scale administrative-territorial reform, a transition  to regional, district and sub-district divisions was made. The Resolution of the Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR of July 16, 1928 formed the Central Chernozem Region (further – CCR) with its center in Voronezh. It included the Voronezh, Tambov, Kursk and Oryol regions.

In the 1930s, the district system was scrapped and the districts in the CCR were put under the direct control of the regional authorities. Then, in 1934, the region was split into the Voronezh and Kursk regions, which also included the area  that is now Oryol region.

On September 27, 1937, the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR formed the Oryol region consisting of 59 districts.

During the Great Patriotic War, the territory of Oryol region was occupied  by Nazi troops. The occupation caused significant damage to the economy  of the city and the region. Most residential buildings, structures, agricultural and industrial enterprises and organizations were damaged or destroyed.

For every resident of Oryol, the summer days of 1943 were especially memorable, because an unprecedented battle took place in the region – the Battle of Kursk. It was a major event in human history.

The Oryol offensive was a military operation that took place between July 12 and August 18, 1943, with troops from the left wing of the Western Front and the Bryansk and Central fronts. The goal of the operation was to liberate the Oryol region and eliminate the «dagger aimed at Russia’s heart», as the Nazis called the Oryol salient because they saw it as a strategic point for attacking Moscow.

The Battle of Oryol is one of the biggest battles in the Great Patriotic War, with an incredible number of troops and weapons all in one place. It was like  no other battle before or after. It took place near Oryol, and many units that became famous in battles near Moscow and Stalingrad were there, too. Other units also earned their glory there.

In the skies above Orel, the French pilots from the first fighter regiment, «Normandie-Niemen», were bravely fighting the enemy. There were thousands of soldiers who showed military courage in the battles around Oryol, including  the famous Heroes of the Soviet Union, like Alexey Maresyev (a fighter pilot)  and Nikolay Marinchenko (a machine gunner). By the summer of 1943, there were 166 partisan groups operating in the area, with more than 60,000 people in them.

The victory at the Battle of Kursk, which was part of the Oryol Offensive, and the Soviet troops’ advance to the Dnieper River, marked a major turning point in the war, leading to the downfall of the Nazi army.

In celebration of the liberation of Oryol and Belgorod, Moscow held the first ever artillery salute during the Great Patriotic War with 12 rounds from 120 cannons. The 5th, 129th, and 380th rifle divisions, as well as other units that distinguished themselves in the battles for Oryol, were awarded the honorific title of «Oryol Rifle Divisions» for their outstanding contributions.

The highest award of the Motherland – the title of Hero of the Soviet Union – was awarded to 167 natives of the Oryol region during the war. The Order of Glory of three degrees was awarded to 29 of fellow citizens.

The heroic struggle of the Oryol region residents against the fascist invaders, their courage and fortitude demonstrated in defending their homeland  were recognized with state awards: in 1967, the Oryol region was awarded the «Order of Lenin». In 1980, the city of Oryol was awarded the «Order  of the Patriotic War», 1st degree, and in 2007, the city of Oryol was awarded the honorary title of the Russian Federation «City of Military Glory».

During the battles on the Oryol-Kursk salient, military leaders G.K. Zhukov, A.M. Vasilevsky, K.K. Rokossovsky, I.S. Konev and A.V. Gorbatov demonstrated their leadership skills. In this giant battle, victory came at the cost of great losses. According to state records provided by the military commissariat of the Oryol region, as of January 1, 2010, 758 military cemeteries were registered in the Oryol region, in which more than 400 thousand soldiers are buried.

Immediately after the liberation of the region, the Oryol residents began to restore the economy destroyed by the war.

The period 1947–1954 was characterized by stability of the administrative-territorial structure of the Oryol region. At that time, the region included 40 districts.

In connection with the formation of the Lipetsk region in January 1954, 9 districts of the Oryol region were transferred to its subordination. 1963 was marked by the consolidation of the administrative-territorial division, because of which 29 districts became part of 10 larger ones. In 1964, the Shablykino rural district was additionally formed. In 1965, 11 rural districts were transformed into 7 single administrative districts: Verkhovye, Glazunovka Dmitrovsk, Dolzhansk, Novosil, Pokrovsk and Khotynets. Subsequent administrative-territorial changes are associated with the formation of the Maloarkhangelsk district in 1966, Znamensky, Krasnozorensk, Soskovo, Trosna districts in 1985 and Korsakov district in 1989.

 

International and Foreign Economic Activity

 

International relations.

Oryol Region is actively developing cooperation with partners from foreign countries. Trade and economic cooperation is realizing with companies from 87 countries of the world.

In 2024, 481 entities were engaged in foreign trade activities, including:  310 – exporters, 278 – importers. Over 80% of the SMEs in Oryol are involved in export and import activities.

The main trading partners of the Oryol region during the period from January to September 2024 included the Republic of Belarus (27.4 %), China (16.1 %), Latvia (11.3 %), Kazakhstan (8.9 %), Turkey (5.0 %), Uzbekistan (2.9 %),  El Salvador (1.7 %), Armenia (1.3 %), Finland (1.2 %), Kyrgyzstan (1.0 %) and others.

The proportion of exports in the foreign trade turnover of the Oryol region amounted to 41.5 %, while imports accounted for 58.5 % of the total foreign trade volume of the region.

The export structure of the region over the first 9 months of 2024 can  be characterized by the following commodity categories:

Food products and raw materials – 55.6 %;

Engineering products – 25.9 %;

Metals and their products – 10.2 %;

Ceramic products – 5.0 %;

Other goods – 1.5 %;

Chemical industry products – 1.2 %;

Textiles and footwear – 0.4 %;

Fuel and energy products and mineral products – 0.04 %.

The commodity structure of imports is comprised of the following categories:

         Engineering products – 44.0 %;

         Chemical industry products – 24.3%;

         Food products and raw materials – 14.5 %;

         Metals and their products – 7.8 %;

         Fuel and energy products and mineral products – 4.8 %;

         Other goods – 2.8 %;

Wood and pulp and paper products – 1.0 %;

Textiles and footwear – 0.8 %.

The exchange of delegations from the Oryol region with foreign countries happens on a regular basis. For example, in March and June of 2024, there were official visits to the Oryol region by representatives of the Embassy of Republic  of Belarus in Russia, during which they discussed promising areas for cooperation in trade, economics, agriculture, and industry.

In March 2024, the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Russian sent a delegation to the Oryol region for a working visit. During the visit, they talked about promising areas for cooperation in trade, economics, tourism, education, and labor migration.

In April 2024, a working trip of the Oryol region’s official delegation, led by the Governor went to the Republic of Belarus to strengthen international ties with Belarusian partners. The trip included visits to Minsk and Gomel, where an action plan for cooperation between our region and the Gomel region Executive Committee was signed for a 2-year period (2024–2026).

In June 2024, the official delegation of the Oryol region took part in the events of the Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia in Vitebsk, within the framework of which agreements on cooperation between the Government of the Oryol region and the Brest and Gomel regional executive committees of the Republic of Belarus were signed

In order to participate in the events dedicated to the Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Republic of Belarus from the Nazi invaders, the Mayor of Oryol visited Gomel in July 2024. During the visit, there was signed an Agreement on establishing sister-city relations between Oryol and Gomel.

In September 2024, the Mayor of Oryol visited the Republic of Belarus to participate in events dedicated to the celebration of Gomel City Day, during which an action plan for cooperation between the city of Oryol and the city of Gomel was signed.

In October 2024, a meeting of the working group on interaction between  the Oryol region and the Republic of Belarus was held in the city of Brest, within the framework of which a «road map» was signed for the development of cooperation between the Oryol region and the Republic of Belarus for 2024–2026.

 

The list of existing cooperative conventions concluded by  the Government of the Oryol region with authorities of foreign countries  and administrative-territorial units of foreign countries.

 

№	The authority	Name of the document	Date of signing	Registration number and date with the Ministry of Justice of Russia
1.	Grodno Regional Executive Committee (Republic of Belarus)	Convention between the Government of the Oryol region (Russian Federation) and the Grodno Regional Executive Committee (Republic of Belarus) on trade, economic, scientific, technical, humanitarian and cultural cooperation	07.09.2011	No. 428 October 7, 2011
2.	Government of Chongqing, People's Republic of China	Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Oryol region of the Russian Federation and the Government of the City of Chongqing of the People's Republic of China on the development of socio-economic cooperation	21.02.2013	No. 476 March 27, 2013
3.	Government of the Republic of Belarus	Convention between the Government of the Oryol region (Russian Federation) and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation	24.03.2016	No. 590 April 25, 2016
4.	Mogilev Regional Executive Committee (Republic of Belarus)	Convention between the Government of the Oryol region (Russian Federation) and the Mogilev Regional Executive Committee (Republic of Belarus) on cooperation in trade, economic, agro-industrial and social spheres	23.12.2016	No. 625 January 30, 2017
5.	South Bač Administrative District (Republic of Serbia)	Convention between the Government of the Oryol region (Russian Federation) and the South Bačka Administrative District (Republic of Serbia) on trade, economic, scientific, educational and cultural cooperation	23.05.2017	No. 633 June 15, 2017
6.	Binh Duong Province (Socialist Republic of Vietnam)	Memorandum of Cooperation between the Government of the Oryol region (Russian Federation) and the People's Committee of Binh Duong Province (Socialist Republic of Vietnam)	07.07.2017	−
7.	Gomel Regional Executive Committee (Republic of Belarus)	Convention between the Government of the Oryol region (Russian Federation) and the Gomel Regional Executive Committee (Republic of Belarus) on trade, economic, scientific, technical, social, cultural and humanitarian cooperation	28.06.2024	No. 924 July 25, 2024
8.	Brest Regional Executive Committee (Republic of Belarus)	Convention between the Government of the Oryol region (Russian Federation) and the Brest Regional Executive Committee (Republic of Belarus) on trade, economic, scientific, technical, cultural, and socio-humanitarian cooperation	28.06.2024	No. 925 July 25, 2024

 

Municipalities of the Oryol region also actively interact with foreign partners. Thus, the city of Oryol, within the framework of signed agreements, cooperates with partner cities: Makassar (Republic of Indonesia), Mary (Turkmenistan), Krichev, Gomel, Oktyabrsky district of Minsk (Republic of Belarus). There is also an agreement to make Livny and Kobrin in Belarus sister cities.

The Department of Economic Development and Investment Activities  of the Oryol Region is realizing the regional project «Systemic measures  for the development of international cooperation and export» of the national project «International cooperation and export».

The object of this regional project is to implement the Regional Export Standard 2.0 (further – the Standart). This standard has 15 tools, and implementing them will create better conditions for exporting.

The Oryol region occupies a leading position in the implementation of the Standard. Thus, according to the results of the rating of JSC Russian Export Center in 2024, the region took 3rd place among the regions of the CFD  and 12th place among the regions of Russia in the implementation of the Standard.

In 2024, state support was provided to 320 SMEs in the region, which created 106 new job places, concluded 117 export contracts worth 6.9 million dollars, and 4 SMEs from the Oryol region entered into export for the first time.

The following activities have been done in 2024:

33 SMEs took part in 15 exhibitions and trade fairs in the Russian Federation (in Moscow) and abroad (the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the People’s Republic of China and the United Arab Emirates);

4 business missions from SMEs companies from the Oryol region went to the People’s Republic of China (Shanghai), the Republic of Belarus (Minsk), the Republic of Azerbaijan (Baku) and the Republic of Kazakhstan (Almaty). There were 25 companies participating, all of them from the region, including manufacturers of medical devices, microelectronics, grain and oil, flour, household appliances, cables and wire, and even dairy products.

In order to promote the products of local businesses in the markets of other countries, there were 8 online meetings with trade reps from the Russian Federation in the following countries: the Kingdom of Morocco, the Republic of Abkhazia, the Republic of Armenia, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of India.  Over 80 companies from the Oryol region were involved in the events.

There were 7 training sessions for export-focused SMEs in the area.  87 companies from Oryol took part in them.