Klimovo, Bryansk Oblast


Klimovo is an urban-type settlement in Bryansk Oblast, Russia. Population is 13,565.
The Old Believer church of Saint Demetrius is a sightseeing point.

History

It was founded in 1708 by Klim Ermolaevich. It was granted town status in 1938. From 1929 Klimovo is a center of Klimovo district.
During World War II, Klimovo was occupied by the German Army from 25 August 1941 to 24 September 1943.
The 1939 census recorded that the Jewish population was 224, or 4 percent of the total. During that time a half of Jewish population fled on the East and men joined the army.
On 29 August 1941, 27 Jews accused of being Bolshevist agents were shot. In October, 1941, a ghetto was created and it was liquidated in March, 1942. During the liquidation about 280 Jews were executed by German security forces. They were shot in a peat quarry, about away from Klimovo. Afterwards isolated shootings took place till the German withdrawal in September, 1943.

Ecological problems

As a result of the Chernobyl disaster on April 26, 1986, part of the territory of Bryansk Oblast has been contaminated with radionuclides. In 1999, some 226,000 people lived in areas with the contamination level above 5 Curie/km2, representing approximately 16% of the oblast's population.