Townapedia
Yelnya railway station 2
Yelnya railway station 2 · Kastey, CC BY-SA 3.0

Yel’nya, Russia

Ельня

Yel’nya is a town of 10,050 people in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, founded in 1150.

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Population10,050 GeoNames
Local nameЕльня
Elevation230 m 755 ft
Founded1150
Time zoneEurope/Moscow
Land area15.0 km²
Nearest airportSmolensk South Tikhvinka Airport (LNX) 74 km

Why visit Yel’nya

Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail and 1 place to eat in and around town.

About Yel’nya

Yelnya (Russian: Е́льня) is a town and the administrative center of Yelninsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Desna River, 82 kilometers (51 mi) from Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast. The population was 10,095 (2010 census); 10,798 (2002 census); 9,868 (1989 Soviet census).

From the Wikipedia article Yelnya, Yelninsky District, Smolensk Oblast (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Museums and landmarks7

Воинам 9-й Кировской Дивизии Народного ополчения

Monument and historic site · 2.1 km

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Глинке М.И.

Monument and historic site

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Мемориал «Ельня — город воинской славы»

Monument and historic site

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Памятник "Танк"

Monument and historic site · 2.3 km

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Памятник погибшим воинам

Monument and historic site · 2.4 km

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Стела "Ельня -- город воинской славы"

Monument and historic site

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Стелла "Ельня"

Monument and historic site · 2.3 km

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Parks, trails and playgrounds1

Сквер боевой славы

Park

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Restaurants and cafes1

Десна

Cafe

Mo-Fr 10:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-15:00

Open in Google Maps · 8(48146)41582

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Shopping1

Магнит

Grocery

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History

It was first mentioned in the historical documents in 1150 when according to the order of knyaz Rostislav of Smolensk it was to pay a tax of four grivnas and a fox skin.

The settlement shared the history of the Smolensk lands—it paid duty to the Golden Horde, then was captured by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was returned to Russia with the rest of the Smolensk Voivodeship at the close of the Russo-Polish War of 1654–1667. In 1776, it was granted town status and became the seat of an uyezd.

In 1812, during the French invasion of Russia, Yelnya became an important center of the partisan movement. During the counter-offensive campaign, Mikhail Kutuzov's headquarters were located here.

In October 1928, Yelninsky Uyezd was abolished and split between Smolensky, Roslavlsky, and Vyazemsky Uyezds. On 12 July 1929, governorates and uyezds were abolished, and Yelninsky District with the administrative center in Yelnya was established. The district belonged to Smolensk Okrug of Western Oblast. On August 1, 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were subordinated directly to the oblast. On 27 September 1937 Western Oblast was abolished and split between Oryol and Smolensk Oblasts. Yelninsky District was transferred to Smolensk Oblast.

From the History section of Yelnya, Yelninsky District, Smolensk Oblast on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Gas and EV charging2

Healthcare3

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Map of Yel’nya

15 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Getting there and nearby towns

Smolensk South Tikhvinka Airport (LNX) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 74 km away.

  • Glinka 21 km west, about 21 min by car
  • Dorogobuzh 38 km north, about 38 min by car
  • Verkhnedneprovskiy 46 km north, about 46 min by car
  • Desnogorsk 48 km south, about 48 min by car
  • Pochinok 52 km west, about 52 min by car
  • Yekimovichi 52 km south, about 52 min by car
  • Shatalovo 55 km southwest, about 55 min by car
  • Safonovo 59 km north, about 59 min by car
  • Yartsevo 63 km northwest, about 1 h by car
  • Smolensk 76 km west, about 1 h 15 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

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Sources and licences

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Page built November 4, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.