Safonovo

The city got its name from the village of Safonovo. The name of the village is derived from the calendar name Sophonia, which means: "whom God has blessed.".

The construction of the Moscow-Brest Railway played a decisive role in the development of the area and the city. On September 20 (October 2, New Style), 1870, the first train went from Moscow to Smolensk. On Safonovskaya land a major railway station was founded. The station was named after the nearby town Dorogobuzh - Dorogobuzh Station. Its erection became the basis for the future emergence of Safonov. At the same time with Dorogobuzh station a station settlement arose.

On October 1, 1929 Safonovsky District was formed. It was based on Safonovskaya volost of Dorogobuzh uyezd, which gave its name to the district. The village at Dorogobuzh railway station was made the center of Safonovsky district. The village Safonovo, former parish center, was 10 km from the station. The location of the district center was not related at all to the village Safonovo, which gave its name to the district and the future city. This toponymic paradox lasted until October 7, 1938, when the station settlement was given the status of a workers' settlement and named Safonovo.

In the late 1940s, rapid industrial development of the area began, based on the large-scale development of brown coal deposits. In 1948 the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted a resolution to create a fuel and energy base for the northwestern economic region of the country. It was decided to build mines near Safonovo station. A total of 28 mines were to be built.

On December 25, 1952, miners of mine No. 1, named Smolenskaya, produced the first tons of coal. Thus began a short, but fundamentally important for the city era of big coal in the Smolensk region. By 1957 eight mines were built.

The construction of the mines led to the rapid development of the working village of Safonovo. In a short time it grew into a real town, and on April 8, 1952 Safonovo was officially granted the status of a town of regional subordination. This event was a milestone in the history of the region - the stage of urban civilization began. The birth and rapid growth of the city are associated with the creative work of the trust "Dorogobuzhshakhtstroy", established in 1949 (later "Dorogobuzhkhimstroy"). The builders of the trust erected mines, factories, and apartment buildings in Safonov. In addition, extensive industrial and residential construction was carried out in Dorogobuzh, Verkhnedneprovsky, Vyazma and other towns of the Smolensk region.

By the end of the 1950s it became clear that there had been a miscalculation in the assessment of the prospects for industrial development of the Safonovskoe brown coal deposit. As a result, it was decided to create industrial enterprises on the basis of mines that were being closed down. This was the beginning of the history of the city's leading enterprises.

In 1960, Safonovsky Electric Machine Building Plant, plants "Teplokontrol" and "Gidrometpribor" were founded. The light and food industry also developed in Safonov.

In 1961 the sewing factory "Oryol" opened.

In 1962, the Safonovsky Plastics Plant (now the Avangard Production Association) was founded.

In 1964, the existing Safonovsky meat processing plant (now - JSC "Safonovmyasoprodukt") was put into operation.

In 1971, Safonovsky Bakery was founded (ceased operation in the current year 2022)

In 1980, the Safonovoloko plant continued on a modern industrial basis.

The development of the coal deposit played an outstanding historical role in the fate of not only Safonovsky Krai. The unpromising Safonovsky coal gave a prospect of industrial development of two districts at once - Safonovsky and Dorogobuzhsky. Thanks to coal mining the town of Safonovo grew up, its leading enterprises were built, the Dorogobuzhskaya GRES was built, followed by the Verkhnedneprovsky settlement and the Dorogobuzh plants.