1. Sobinka region My Native Place

2. Among the variety of beautiful places in the world my native place is the best. Sobinka is a small quiet region not far from Vladimir. The location of the town is rather convenient: it lies on the way to Moscow in 180 km distance.

3.  Thus, being located between Moscow and Vladimir, Sobinka inhabitants have never thought themselves to be provincial.

5.  Sobinka has become a town since 1939.  The population of it is about 23,000 people.  The town stands on the Klyasma river.  Undol railway station is situated nearby, so the town has a raiway communication.

6. Old and modern Sobinka

7. In the centre of Sobinka

8.  Our native place has wonderful nature. It is surrounded by great forests.  In summer they are rich in berries and mushrooms.

9. Klyasma in spring

10. The History  Our region has rather a long history and is connected with the names of famous people: warriors, poets, writers, scientists, painters.  We are proud to live in the places where the great Russian warrior Alexander Suvorov lived.

11.  Undol settlement was found in the state documents of the 17 th century. In 1611 the settlement became a privacy of the Suvorovs.  Alexander Suvorov lived in Undol in 1784-1786. His house was not far from the church. It is said that Alexander Suvorov was an active parishioner and often sang in the church choir and stroke the church bells.

12. You can see a small wood around the forest. Some trees here were planted by Suvorov himself.

13.  After leaving Undol Alexander Suvorov visited it many times. That was the place to write the famous book “A Science to Win” He was a chief of Vladimir Military Division and the plan of preparing soldiers for the army was realized here in Undol.  Besides his professional duties Suvorov was a kind-hearted man and made a great contribution in improving the life of peasants. He organized a school for children. He cared about them by treating them and helping young girls to find their men to be married.

14. Suvorov’s estate in the village of Fetinino

15. Fetinino Noble, simple and great – these are the main characteristics of estate construction of the 17 th century.

16.  Alexander Suvorov had been married for 8 years but then he left his wife. His son Arkady preferred to stay with his mother and his daughter Nataliya stayed with her father. Suvorov left her Undol to live with her husband Nikolai Zubov.

17. Suvorochka  Natalia Suvorova was born in 1775. At the age of 16 she graduated from Smolny and became a maid of honor of the Russian tsarina. First she lived in the palace but her father worried about her reputation and she lived under the guidance of her relatives in St.Petersburg.

18. Zubova Nataliya Alexandrovna  In spring 1695 Nataliya married Nikolai Zubov.  They didn’t live long together. In 1806 Zubov died. Nataliya had six children.  She was very tender to the memory of her father and she brought his small wooden house to Fetinino estate.  She died in 1844 and was buried in Troitse- Sergieva church near St. Petersburg.

19. 1772-1839  The name of Speransky is known all over the world. A famous state man, a reformer and a lawmaker lived in the time of Alexander the first and Nicolai the first.  Cherkutino Sobinka district is his birthplace.

20. The Land of the great Russian poet and writer – Alepino.  Soloukhin Vladimir Alexeevich (1924-1997) was born in the village of Alepino Sobinka district into a peasant family. He was a mechanic by profession. During the Great Patriotic War he served in the army. After the war he published his poems in Komsomolskaya Pravda. It was a success and Soloukhin entered the Literary Institute in Moscow. He wrote about Russian nature, the inner world and cultural wealth of a man.

21. Alepino

22. Zhukovski  The village of Orekhovo is the native place of Zhukovski Nikolai Yegorovich.  ( 1847-1921), a great Russian scientist a founder of aerodynamic.

23. Orekhovo  Zhukovski's estate in Orekhovo was his mother’s dowry. Nikolai Yegorovich enjoyed to spend summer there.  Now it is a famous museum in Sobinka district.

24. Lakinsk  In 3 km from Sobinka there is a small town Lakinsk by name. It was founded in 1969. Earlier it was known as a trading and manufactory settlement. The population of the town is 17 and a half thousand people. At present the town has weaving - spinning factory, brick-making factory, beer-making plant.

26. 1876 - 1905  Lakin Mikhail was a revolutionary. In 1902 he was killed and the name of a settlement Undol was renamed after Lakin.

27. Stavrovo  In 12 km from Lakinsk there is a small settlement of Stavrovo. It is a working settlement with a large plant of auto-tractor equipment. Now it is divided into several modern enterprises.  The main historical sight is The Assumption church of 1798.

28.  Welcome to Sobinka district to know more about the life of famous Russian people, to follow the historical past and to enjoy our beautiful nature!