Yelets is the oldest center of the
Central Black Earth Region. It was mentioned in historical documents as early as 1146 or 1147, when it was a fort belonging to the princes of
Ryazan. The town's position at the very south of the Russian lands made it an easy prey for Turkic conquerors. The
Mongols burned it in 1239, and the
Tatars devastated it in 1414. In 1483, the Principality of Yelets was absorbed by the
Grand Duchy of Moscow, while the local
Rurikid rulers (last heard of in the 19th century) entered the service of
Ivan III. In 1591,
Boris Godunov revived the largely deserted town by establishing a fortress there. In 1618, the fortress was captured "by subterfuge" by 20,000
Cossacks under
Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny, allied with
Władysław IV of
Poland. They dismantled a large part of town fortifications. In the 19th century, Yelets became the largest trade center of the region. Handmade
lace has been a notable product of the city since then; other important industries are grain milling and the manufacture of machinery. The town's chief landmark is the vast Ascension Cathedral, built over the years 1845–1889 to a Neo-Muscovite design by
Konstantin Thon. In the 1930s the city's Kazanskoe cemetery was one site of execution and burial, especially of priests. In 2006, a monument was erected there. The town was occupied by the
German Army from December 4–9, 1941 and damaged during the brief occupation and Soviet offensive in the region. ==Geography==