Bezhanitsky District

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Bezhanitsky District is one of twenty-four districts in Pskov Oblast, Russia. Its administrative center is the urban locality of Bezhanitsy. The district covers an area of 3,535 square kilometers and has a population of 13,264 people (2010 census). About a third of residents live in Bezhanitsy. The district includes 2 urban-type settlements and 466 rural localities, and in municipal terms consists of 1 urban settlement and 8 rural settlements.

Geography
The district runs roughly from southeast to northwest. It lies in the drainage area where waters split between the Narva–Neva basins. The Polist River and its main right tributary, the Porusya, have their sources here and eventually flow toward the Neva basin via the Lovat. The Loknya forms part of the border with Loknyansky District. The western part belongs to the Velikaya River basin. There are many lakes, including Polisto, Alyo, Tsevlo, Kamennoye, and Dubets. Forests cover about 27.6% of the area, while agricultural lands make up about 44%. The Polistovsky Nature Reserve, founded in 1994, lies mainly in the district’s Polist drainage area and protects the raised bog landscapes of the Polist–Lovat swamp system.

History
The area has undergone many administrative changes. Bezhanitsky District was established on August 1, 1927, within Pskov Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. It later moved through Kalinin Oblast and Velikiye Luki/Opochka district alignments, was occupied by German troops from 1941 to 1944, and was transferred to Pskov Oblast in 1957. The settlements of Krasny Luch and Bezhanitsy gained town status in 1958 and 1961, respectively.

Economy
The district’s largest industrial enterprise is the Krasny Luch Glass-Works, located in Krasny Luch. It produces light glass, consumer goods, and decorative glass items. Agriculture is the backbone of the economy, employing over 22% of residents, with dairy farming and flax growing/processing being important.

Transport and culture
A railway linking St. Petersburg and Vitebsk passes north–south through the district. Bezhanitsy is connected by road to Porkhov, Velikiye Luki (via Loknya), and Novorzhev, with additional local bus routes. The district has four federal cultural heritage monuments and 22 local ones, including two churches and two archeological sites.