Veliski (formerly Velsk, Russ. Вельск) is a mid-sized city in Uralica, which was at one point the smallest city in Uralica. It is also the county seat of the largely forested Woodlands county and one of only two major settlements in that county.
Veliski is also one of the oldest continually-inhabited settlements in Uralica, having first been mentioned as a settlement (a "pogost") in 1137 - it will celebrate its 875th anniversary as an established settlement in 2012. Nowadays, it is a very important stopping-off point and junction for Highway UH-3, as Highway UH-5 western terminus is on it. Highway UH-17 also runs through the city, heading west through the southern Woodlands.
In terms of economy, Veliski has long been a centre of pulp-and-paper production, and, after Viipuri, has the second largest pulp-and-paper sector in Uralica. Also, heavy and light machinery, furniture-making, concrete production, food production, and argentous metallurgy are important. Industrial gas production also has a small sector in Veliski. One of the quirks of Veliski is that it has a large lemon-growing facility, and that these lemons are used to make lemonade and lemonade crystals for sale to all people.
Veliski is the retail centre of the entire Woodlands county, with twice as much made in retail sales in Veliski than in the rest of the county combined (with over half of the rest coming from Nyandoma, the second-largest settlement).
Culture[]
Veliski is another city that, while dominantly Russian for most of its existence, now has a very high population of Finns. Finns are the largest group, however only by two percent of the population - that is, 45% to 43%. The remaining 12% of the population is a mish-mash of different peoples from the area, including Komi-speaking Komi, Mari, Moksha-speaking Mordvins, Karelians, Hungarians, and Veps-speaking Livonians.
The local museum is of particular interest in Veliski given the city's long history (2007 was the city's 870th birthday!) and documents of everything from the heyday of Muscovy to the beginnings of the Russian Empire and the battles with various ethnicities exists. Nearby, there is a memorial to all the people whose lives were lost during World War II. There was a statue of Lenin in the city as well, but that was forcibly removed by the people in May of 2008, about a month before the city was annexed.
Sport[]
Football (Soccer)[]
Kakkonen[]
- Veliski FK
Kolmonen[]
- Veliskin Palloklubi
Nelonen[]
- Spartak Veliski
- Transit Veliski
Other Pro/Semi-Pro[]
- Dynamo Veliski
- Bumazhnik Veliski
- Vel Veliski
- Woodlands Veliski
- Mashinostroitel Veliski
- Torpedo Veliski
- Zvezda Veliski
- Jupiter Veliski
- Metallist Veliski
- Finnski Klub Veliski
- Allianssi Veliski
- Atlantis Veliski
- Veliskin Ketut
Ice Hockey[]
- Dinamo Veliski
Cross-Country Skiing[]
- Veliskin Hiihtokeskus
Bandy[]
- Veliskin KPK (non-League)
Neighbourhoods and Suburbs[]
- Lukinskaya
- Oktyabr'sky
- Lesobaza (form. Vel'skaya Lesobaza)
- Zavodskoy