Almost the whole area of the district belongs to the drainage basin of the Western Dvina. Its major left tributary, the Mezha, has its source in the district and crosses the district from north to south. Other tributaries of the Wester Dvina which flow through the district include the Belesa and the Turosna. The northern part of the district belongs to the drainage basins of the Zhukopa and the Tudovka, right tributaries of the Volga. Thus, the district is crossed by the divide between the basins of the Atlantic and of the Caspian Sea.
The northern part of the district belongs to the Central Forest Nature Reserve, a protected area created to preserve conifer forest with the corresponding plants and animals, including the Eurasian brown bear, in the upper course of the Western Dvina.[9]
Forest and bush occupy 75.6% of the area of the district.[10]
On 12 July 1929, governorates and uyezds were abolished, and Nelidovsky District with the administrative center in the settlement of Nelidovo was established. It belonged to Rzhev Okrug of Western Oblast.[12][13] On August 1, 1930 the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were subordinated directly to the oblast. On 29 January 1935 Kalinin Oblast was established, and Nelidovsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast.[12][14] During World War II, in 1941—1943, the district was occupied by German troops. On 22 August 1944, the district was transferred to newly established Velikiye Luki Oblast. On October 2, 1957, Velikiye Luki Oblast was abolished, and Nelidovsky District was transferred back to Kalinin Oblast. On February 1, 1963, during the abortive Khrushchyov administrative reform, Oleninsky and Belsky Districts were merged into Nelidovsky District, and a part of Nelidovsky District was transferred to Zapadnodvinsky District. In 1964-65 Oleninsky and Belsky Districts were re-established. In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.[13]
Economy
Industry
Originally, Nelidovo was built to serve lignite deposits. The lignite mines are still active. Additionally, there are enterprises of timber, textile, and chemical industries in the district.[10][11]
Agriculture
The main agricultural specialization of the district is cattle breeding with meat and milk production.[10]
Transportation
The railway which connects Moscow and Riga via Rzhev, crosses the district from east to west. There is passenger railway traffic. Nelidovo is the biggest railway station in the district. A side railroad connects the station of Zemtsy with Zharkovsky railway station. There is infrequent passenger traffic, two times per week as of 2015. The branch is not electrified.
The M9 highway connecting Moscow with Riga also crosses the district, passing just north of Nelidovo. Another paved road connects Nelidovo with Dukhovshchina via Bely. There are also local roads with bus traffic originating from Nelidovo.
Culture and recreation
The district contains fifty-five cultural heritage monuments of local significance (four of them in Nelidovo). The vast majority of these monuments are graves of soldiers fallen in the World War II, there are also several 18th century churches.[15]
In 2009, the mining museum was opened in Nelidovo.[16]
^ ab"История" (in Russian). Nelidovsky District Administration. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
^ abВоробьёв, М. В. (1993). Г. В. Туфанова (ed.). Административно-территориальное деление Смоленской области (in Russian). Государственный архив Смоленской области. pp. 118–133.
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №4-ЗО от 18 января 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов», в ред. Закона №65-ЗО от 24 июля 2012 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 2 Закона Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов"». Вступил в силу через десять дней после официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №3, 21–27 января 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #4-ZO of January 18, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts, as amended by the Law #65-ZO of July 24, 2012 On Amending Article 2 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts". Effective as of the day which is ten days after the official publication.).
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №38-ЗО от 28 февраля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Нелидовский район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №10, 11–17 марта 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #38-ZO of February 28, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Nelidovsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban, Rural Settlements. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).