Clockwise from top: Cathedral of the Transfiguration, Church of the Ascension, Kimry drama and comedy theatre, Kimry Bridge over
Volga, Peasant house(?), Luzhin wooden house
The town was known as Kimra until the beginning of the 20th century; the name is probably of
Finnic or
Baltic origin.[11] It was first mentioned in 1546[2] as a
selo belonging to
Ivan the Terrible. It belonged to Russian Tsars until 1677 and then was given to the Saltykov family.[2] In 1847, the inhabitants bought themselves out,[2] and Kimra quickly developed into a busy
shoemaking and trading village on the left bank of the Volga (a boot appears on the town's
coat of arms).
Théophile Gautier wrote in his Voyage en Russie (1867): "Kimra est célèbre pour ses bottes comme Ronda pour ses guêtres" (Kimra is famous for its shoes as
Ronda for its
gaiters).[12] The district on the right bank of the Volga, known as
Savyolovo, started to develop in 1901, when a railway connected the place to Moscow. Kimry was granted town status in 1917.[2] A number of old churches and other buildings still exist in the town.
In the 18th century, Kimra was included into
Moscow Governorate. In 1775 it was transferred to newly established
Tver Viceroyalty. In 1796, the Viceroyalty was abolished and transformed into
Tver Governorate.[13] On December 30, 1918
Kimrsky Uyezd with the center in Kimry was established.[14] On 12 August 1929, Tver Governorate was abolished, and the area was transferred to
Moscow Oblast.[14] Uyezds were abolished as well, and Kimrsky District, with the administrative center in Kimry, was established within
Kimry Okrug of
Moscow Oblast. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On January 29, 1935
Kalinin Oblast was established, and Kimrsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast. In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.[15]
Kimry is an industrial town, with several enterprises of manufacturing industry (machines and equipment for manufacturing industry), timber industry (furniture), as well as production of shoes, clothing, and food.[16]
The town is served by the
Kimry Airport. There are no passenger flights.
A railway connecting Moscow with
Kashin and further with
Sonkovo and Saint-Petersburg passes Kimry. There is a regular suburban passenger traffic between Moscow and
Savyolovo, and a regular infrequent traffic between Savyolovo and Kashin. Savyolovo railway station is the northern terminus of the
Savyolovsky suburban railway line.
Paved roads connect Kimry with Tver,
Taldom, Kashin, and
Kalyazin.
The Volga is navigable, but there is no passenger navigation.
Culture and recreation
Kimry contains one cultural heritage monuments of federal significance and additionally eighty-three objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance. The federal monument is the
Ascension Church, built in 1813. Kimry preserved many of the pre-1917 buildings, many of which are protected.[17]
There is a local museum in Kimry. It has expositions on local history, shoe industry, as well as has a memorial room of the aircraft designer
Andrei Tupolev, born in a village near Kimry.[18]
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №34-ЗО от 17 апреля 2006 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тверской области», в ред. Закона №66-ЗО от 1 октября 2014 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 18 Закона Тверской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тверской области"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №17 (специальный выпуск), 19 апреля 2006 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #34-ZO of April 17, 2006 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tver Oblast, as amended by the Law #66-ZO of October 1, 2014 On Amending Article 18 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tver Oblast". Effective as of the official publication date.).
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №4-ЗО от 18 января 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов», в ред. Закона №65-ЗО от 24 июля 2012 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 2 Закона Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов"». Вступил в силу через десять дней после официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №3, 21–27 января 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #4-ZO of January 18, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts, as amended by the Law #65-ZO of July 24, 2012 On Amending Article 2 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts". Effective as of the day which is ten days after the official publication.).