Sonkovo

Sonkovo ( _ru. Сонко́во) is an urban-type settlement and a railway station in Sonkovsky District of Tver Oblast. Population: 4,577 (2002 Census); 5,988 (1989 Census).

The village was originally founded by the Russian Greek Orthodox Inkeriköt (Izhoras) in 1600´s called Savelionkylä or Savelankylä later Russificated to Savelino due to its proximity to the village of Savelikha or Karelian Saveliha was formed in 1870 during the construction and expansion of the private Rybinsk - Bologoye Railway. The Rybinsk - Bologoye Railway was merged with the narrow gauge (1067 mm) Novgorod Railway and broad gauge (1829 mm) Tsarskoye Selo Railway in 1895 to form new private railway company Moscow - Vindava - Rybinsk Railway Company. This new company built two branch lines from Savelino. One branch line to Kashin (53 versts), and the second to Krasnyi Kholm (31 versts), in 1898 and 1899 respectively. After the construction in Soviet era of the Mga - Kirishi - Krasnyi Kholm (432 km) railway line, and new section with a railway bridge over Volga from Savelovo through Kalyazin to Kashin (76 km), in addition to some other new railway branch lines in the area, the Sonkovo (railway station) became a major railway junction.

According to the offical Russian Railway Timetable, in summer 1914 Sonkovo was served by daily express train, one passenger train and one mixed train in both directions. The express trains Nr 1/2 carried through sleeping cars between St.Petersburg and Kostroma and as well as direct passenger coaches for 1,2,3 class passengers. The slower all stations passenger trains Nr 3/4 had through passenger coaches between Rybinsk and Pskov and Moscow via Bologoye. The express train from St. Petersburg arrived to Sonkovo at 06:56 and departured to St. Petersburg at 22:13. The Krasnyi Kholm branch line was served by daily mixed train and Kashin branch line by two daily mixed trains. A curiosity was daily butter freight train carrying Siberian butter in cold wagons to Vindava (Ventspils) for export to Germany and Great Britain which departured from Rybinsk at 20.45. This train carried also fourth class passengers with no specific public schedule to Bologoye - Medvedevo where it arrived next day at 13.40. The emptied butter wagons returned daily from Vindava. This train departed from Bologoye - Medvedevo, also carrying fourth class passengers, at 03:00 and arrived to Rybinsk at 20:40. The passengers to and from Sonkovo had to be aware when these trains stopped at Sonkovo for locomotive change. It was usual sight to see local peasants from surrounding villages and monks from nearby monastery arriving to Sonkovo railway station hours ahead of the estimated arrive times. Sonkovo station restaurant become famous of its hot pirozhkas which were served to train passengers. In 1903 the settlement was renamed to Sonkovo to avoid possible confusion. A main locomotive depot "Sonkovo" was constructed near the station. Urban-type settlement status was granted in 1928Fact|date=February 2007. Presently, a railway line east of Sonkovo–Rybinsk–Yaroslavl is part of the Russia´s Northern Railway Administration , and the rest of the railway lines in Tver Oblast are part of the Oktyabrsk (October) Railway Administration.

Before the October Revolution about one third of the Sonkovo´s inhabitants were so called Tver Karelians who spoke their own dialect of Karelian language (Karielan kielt).

The majority of the dwellings in Sonkovo are wooden. However, there are still many two- and three-story brick and concrete structures. There are also many pre-World War II structures. The center of the city is located right next to the train station. The main street, Prospekt Lenina, connects to the highway R-85, connecting the settlement to Bezhetsk. The settlement is divided into two portions by the Rybinsk–Bologoye railway line. There are no significant landmarks in the settlement.

External links

* [http://www.savelrr.nm.ru/towns/sonkovo/brief.htm Information about Sonkovo] ru icon