Pavlovsk (named Osered till 1711) is a Russian town, the administrative center of the Pavlovsk District of the Voronezh Region.

The town is included into the list of the historical towns and cities of Russia.

Pavlovsk is located on the left bank of River Don, at the confluence of the Osered River into it, between the Kalach Upland and the Don Belogorie, 45 km away from the Podgornoye railway station, 234 km to the southeast of Voronezh.

Pavlovsk with the population of 25 123 people (as of 2013) takes the area of 62 sq.km.

History of Pavlovsk

From the mid 17th century there was a settlement of the Ostrogozhsky Cherkassk regiment at the mouth of the Osered River. Under the decree of Peter I a shipyard was moved there from Voronezh in the year of 1709, which marks the foundation of Pavlovsk. A fortress was built there by about 3 thousand Swedes who had been taken prisoners of war near Poltava.

The fortress is located at the confluence of the river Osered (aka Sered or Siret) into River Don.

Two combat vessels, one frigate and ten store carriers were built in Osered shipyard in 1711. In the same 1711 a garrison from St. Paul Fortress (or Pavlovsk Fortress) was shifted from the north of the Azov Sea coast to the town of Osered, which then came to be named Pavlovsk.

In the first half of the 18th century Pavlovsk was a powerful fortress and a prospering town with a two-storeyed imperial palace, an engineering yard, a cannon factory (till 1739) and a powder mill (till 1770).

Gradually Pavlovsk lost its military and economic value. By the end of the 18th century due to fires (in 1751, 1762 and 1793 the town was nearly annihilated by fires) and floods (in 1728 the entire settlement was flooded), caused by inundation of rivers, numerous historical monuments were lost. Just a few trees planted by Peter I, a ground redoubt of the former Paradise City fortress, and earthworks with 4 bastions, the so-called Admiralty remained undamaged.

In 1719 it was Pavlovsk Fortress in Oserd in the Voronezh District of the Azov Province (Voronezh Province from 1725). In 1779 Pavlovsk became the district town of the Voronezh Province.

In 1856 the district town of Pavlovsk of the Voronezh Province had 4 churches, 577 houses, and 57 shops.

At the end of the 19th century the town dwellers were mostly into agriculture (including cultivating water-melons that Pavlovsk was renowned for) and grain, cattle, fat, and timber trade. 4 fairs were annually held there.

After the revolution of 1917 it was the village of Pavlovsk, and regained the town status in 1931.

Architecture and Sights

Near Pavlovsk there is a nature sanctuary, namely the Shipova ship grove.

At the 2 km distance from Pavlovsk there is the site of ancient settlement Pavlovskoye. The Golden Horde name of the settlement remains unknown; no archeological digging has been carried out. The monument takes the area of about 15 hectares.