Velsk

The settlement was first mentioned in 1137 in the charter of the Novgorod prince Svyatoslav Olgovich as a point of church tribute collection, in the annals of 1397 it is mentioned as Vel volost.

In 1462, as a result of the persistent struggle between the Novgorod Republic and the Moscow princes, the Velsky pogost as part of the Vazhskaya volost belonged to the Grand Duchy of Moscow, and in 1550 it became the Velsky Posadom.

In 1708 Velsk became a part of the newly formed Arkhangelgorod Province. Later Velsk was located in Verkhovazhskaya half of Vazhsky uyezd (from 1715 to 1719 - Vazhsky share, until 1727 - district) of Vologda region of Vologda vicegerency, separated from Arkhangelogorodskaya province on January 25, 1780 in accordance with the reform of Catherine II. On June 30, 1780 the viceroyalty was officially opened, Velsk received the status of a district town, and Velsk district, formed from Verkhovazhskaya half, became part of the Vologda viceroyalty.

On October 2, 1780 the coat of arms of Velsk was approved by the highest authority: "In the first part the coat of arms of Vologda. In the second part is a barrel filled with tarmac in a golden field, as a sign that the inhabitants of this town make a noble trade in it".

On December 31, 1796 Paul I abolished viceroyalty, and Velsk together with the district became a part of the Vologda Province for a long time. In the XIX century Velsk was the center of linen production, as well as manufacturing of wood products (resin, turpentine, tar, etc.). Velsk fairs became famous.

On June 16, 1858 Emperor Alexander II visited Velsk.

Since the 80s of the XIX century Velsk became a place of political exile. At different times Peter Smidovich (a prominent figure of the revolutionary movement in Russia), Pavel Blyakhin (author of the famous book "Red Devils"), Peter Moiseenko (organizer of the Morozov strike in Orekhovo-Zuev) were exiled in the town. In the 1850s, the writer Alexander Levitov was in exile in Velsk, from 1866 to 1867 - the revolutionary-people's activist Porfiry Voynoralsky (Voynaralsky).

After the Great October Socialist Revolution, Velsk continued to be the center of Velsk County, Vologda Province. For a short time (April-December 1918) the district was a part of the Union of Communes of the Northern Region, until Vologda Province withdrew from this administrative entity.

On January 14, 1929 the Vologda Province was abolished, and Velsky uyezd became a part of the Northern Territory. Six months later, on July 15, 1929, the uyezd was transformed into the Velsky district within the Nyandomsky District of the Northern Territory.

From 1934 to 1937 the famous Soviet restorer Nikolai Pomerantsev, convicted in the "case of the workers of the central restoration workshops", stayed in exile in Velsk. The exile was actively engaged in the cultivation of flowers, arrangement of public gardens and alleys, built the first greenhouse in the town, worked as a musical director of kindergarten No. 2, opened a choral singing circle, collected and recorded folk songs.

On December 5, 1936, when the Northern Region was abolished, Velsk became one of the district centers of the Northern Region.

Since September 23, 1937 it has been the center of Velsky district of Arkhangelsk region.