Skopin

Skopin ( _ru. Скопин) is a town in Ryazan Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyorda River (Oka's basin) some 109 km southwest of Ryazan. Population: 32,300 (2005 est.); 25,092 (2002 Census).

Skopin is considered to be one of the oldest towns in Ryazan Oblast. A settlement named Likharevskoye Gorodishche near present-day Skopin was founded some time in the 12th century. It was fortified with moats and ramparts for protection against the Polovtsians. In 1663 (or 1597, according to another account), the tsar built a wooden fortress on the spot of today's Skopin, which would become a part of the defense system on the southeast of Muscovy. It had been called Skopinskaya sloboda since the late 17th century. In 1778, the town was renamed Skopin. In the 18th century, the town lost its military significance. In the second half of the 19th century, they began mining for brown coal in the outskirts of Skopin, which would continue until 1989. The town became somewhat famous for its handicraft ceramic items with the discovery of fire clay deposits in the area (see "Skopin ceramics").