Yarensk

Yarensk (Russian: Я́ренск) is a rural locality (a selo) and the administrative center of Lensky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the bank of the Vychegda River near its confluence with the Yarenga. Population: 3,660 (2010 Census);^[3] 4,085 (2002 Census);^[4] 4,246 (1989 Soviet census).^[5]

Yarensk Я́ренск
Rural locality
View of the settlement
Coat of arms
Location of Yarensk
Yarensk Location of Yarensk
Coordinates: 62°10′N 49°06′E
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Arkhangelsk Oblast
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK [1])
Postal code(s)[2]	165780
OKTMO ID	11635420101

Coat of arms of Yarensk

History

The town of Yarensk was documented as early as 1384 as a station on the road leading from Novgorod to the Ural Mountains. In the Russian Empire, it was the seat of a huge uyezd within Vologda Governorate. Much of the present-day Komi Republic was administered from Yarensk. The Tsar used the town as a place of exile, most notably for Prince Vasily Galitzine.

In 1924, the town was demoted in status to that of a rural locality.

From 1930 onwards forced settlers who died as they were transported from Kotlas into exile were buried in the Yarensk village graveyard. The burials were uncovered in 1996 by schoolchildren; that year a cross was erected on the burial site.^[6]

Culture

The modern village has a mid-18th century Orthodox cathedral adapted for use as a local history museum.

Yarensk in fiction

Yarensk was one of the Russian towns visited by Robinson Crusoe in Defoe's novel.