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Yelets is the oldest center of the Central Black Earth Region. It was mentioned in historical documents as early as 1146 or 1147, when it was a fort belonging to the princes of Ryazan.[9] The town's position at the very south of the Russian lands made it an easy prey for Turkic conquerors. The Mongols burned it in 1239,[9]Uzbeg Khan ravaged it in 1316, Timur sacked it in 1395,[10] and the Tatars devastated it in 1414.[11]
In 1483, the Principality of Yelets was absorbed by the Grand Duchy of Moscow, while the local Rurikid rulers (last heard of in the 19th century) entered the service of Ivan III. In 1591, Boris Godunov revived the largely deserted town by establishing a fortress there. In 1618, the fortress was captured "by subterfuge" by 20,000 Cossacks under Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny, allied with Władysław IV of Poland. They dismantled a large part of town fortifications.
In the 19th century, Yelets became the largest trade center of the region. Handmade lace has been a notable product of the city since then; other important industries are grain milling and the manufacture of machinery. The town's chief landmark is the vast Ascension Cathedral, built over the years 1845–1889 to a Neo-Muscovite design by Konstantin Thon. The town was occupied by the German Army from December 4 to 9, 1941 and damaged during the brief occupation and Soviet offensive in the region.
Geography
The city is situated on the Bystraya Sosna River, which is a tributary of the Don.
The main industries are limestone quarrying, engineering, food processing, textiles and clothing (Yelets Lace), tobacco processing, and vodka distilling.
Culture and education
The city has a theatre, cinemas, and several sports venues.
The Yelets State University was upgraded from an institute in 2000 and the city has eight secondary schools.
Липецкий областной Совет депутатов. Закон №382-ОЗ от 28 апреля 2010 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Липецкой области и порядке его изменения», в ред. Закона №343-ОЗ от 5 декабря 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в некоторые Законы Липецкой области в связи с объединением сельских поселений Добринский сельсовет и Сафоновский сельсовет Добринского муниципального района Липецкой области». Вступил в силу по истечении 10 дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Липецкая газета", №88, 7 мая 2010 г. (Lipetsk Oblast Council of Deputies. Law #382-OZ of April 28, 2010 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Lipetsk Oblast and on the Procedures for Its Change, as amended by the Law #343-OZ of December 5, 2014 On Amending Various Laws of Lipetsk Oblast Due to the Merger of the Rural Settlements of Dobrinsky Selsoviet and Safonovsky Selsoviet in Dobrinsky Municipal District of Lipetsk Oblast. Effective as of the day which is 10 days after the day of the official publication.).
Липецкий областной Совет депутатов. Закон №114-ОЗ от 2 июля 2004 г. «О наделении муниципальных образований в Липецкой области статусом городского округа, муниципального района, городского и сельского поселения», в ред. Закона №343-ОЗ от 5 декабря 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в некоторые Законы Липецкой области в связи с объединением сельских поселений Добринский сельсовет и Сафоновский сельсовет Добринского муниципального района Липецкой области». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Липецкая газета", №131, 8 июля 2004 г. (Lipetsk Oblast Council of Deputies. Law #536-OZ of August 18, 2011 On Granting Urban Okrug, Municipal District, Urban and Rural Settlement Status to the Municipal Formations of Lipetsk Oblast, as amended by the Law #343-OZ of December 5, 2014 On Amending Various Laws of Lipetsk Oblast Due to the Merger of the Rural Settlements of Dobrinsky Selsoviet and Safonovsky Selsoviet in Dobrinsky Municipal District of Lipetsk Oblast. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).