Zubtsov was first mentioned in a chronicle in 1216.[3] Due to its location on the Volga, it controlled one of the versions of the Trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks.[12] In the Middle Ages, it was a border fortress of Principality of Tver. Between 1318 and 1460, separate Zubtsov Principality existed with the seat in Zubtsov. It was subordinate to the Tver principality. In 1460, it was abolished and merged back to Principality of Tver. The Grand Duchy of Moscow annexed it with the rest of Principality of Tver in 1485.[13] Subsequently, the town was important chiefly as a flax trade market. Its Neoclassical cathedral was constructed in 1801.
On 12 July 1929, governorates and uyezds were abolished, and Zubtsovsky District with the administrative center in Zubtsov was established. It belonged to Rzhev OkrugofWestern Oblast.[15][16] On August 1, 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were subordinated directly to the oblast. On 29 January 1935 Kalinin Oblast was established, and Zubtsovsky District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast.[14][15]
During World War II, the town was occupied by German troops from October 11, 1941 to August 23, 1942 and almost razed to the ground. It was a place of fierce fighting of the Battle of Rzhev. About 15,000 of Red Army soldiers are buried at the Zubtsov's memorial. The town was revitalized after the Vazuza Reservoir project was started in the 1970s. The reservoir currently provides Moscow with one quarter of its drinking water.
In February 1963, during the abortive administrative reform by Nikita Khrushchev, Zubtsovsky District was merged into Rzhevsky District, but on 12 January 1965 it was re-established.[14] In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.[16]
The railroad which connects Moscow and Riga via Rzhev, runs through Zubtsov.
The M9 highway connecting Moscow with Riga also passes Zobtsov. Another road to Gagarin branches off south. There are also local roads with bus traffic originating from Zubtsov.
The Volga is navigable, however, there is no passenger navigation.
Zubtsov contains four cultural heritage monuments of federal significance and additionally twenty-two objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance. The federal monuments include the Dormition Cathedral, as well as an archeological site and two monuments related to World War II.[18]
The Zubtsov District Museum, open in 1988 and located in Zubtsov, exhibits collections of local interest, including historical and archeological collections.[19]
^ abcdLaw #34-ZO stipulates that the borders of the settlements (administrative-territorial divisions) are identical to the borders of the urban and rural settlements (municipal divisions), and that the borders of the administrative districts are identical to the borders of the municipal districts. Law #25-ZO, which describes the borders and the composition of the municipal formations in Zubtsovsky Municipal District, lists the town of Zubtsov as a part and the administrative center of Zubtsov Urban Settlement of that district.
^ abЭнциклопедия Города России. Moscow: Большая Российская Энциклопедия. 2003. p. 149. ISBN5-7107-7399-9.
^ abВоробьёв, М. В. (1993). Г. В. Туфанова (ed.). Административно-территориальное деление Смоленской области (in Russian). Государственный архив Смоленской области. pp. 118–133.
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №34-ЗО от 17 апреля 2006 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тверской области», в ред. Закона №66-ЗО от 1 октября 2014 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 18 Закона Тверской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тверской области"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №17 (специальный выпуск), 19 апреля 2006 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #34-ZO of April 17, 2006 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tver Oblast, as amended by the Law #66-ZO of October 1, 2014 On Amending Article 18 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tver Oblast". Effective as of the official publication date.).
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №25-ЗО от 28 февраля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Зубцовский район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения», в ред. Закона №7-ЗО от 9 марта 2011 г. «О внесении изменения в Приложение №1 к Закону Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Зубцовский район", и наделении их статусом городского, сельского поселения"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №10, 11–17 марта 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #25-ZO of February 28, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Zubtsovsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban, Rural Settlements, as amended by the Law #7-ZO of March 9, 2011 On Amending Appendix 1 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Zubtsovsky District" and on Granting Them the Status of Urban, Rural Settlements". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №4-ЗО от 18 января 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов», в ред. Закона №65-ЗО от 24 июля 2012 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 2 Закона Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований Тверской области и наделении их статусом городских округов, муниципальных районов"». Вступил в силу через десять дней после официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №3, 21–27 января 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #4-ZO of January 18, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts, as amended by the Law #65-ZO of July 24, 2012 On Amending Article 2 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations of Tver Oblast and on Granting Them the Status of Urban Okrugs, Municipal Districts". Effective as of the day which is ten days after the official publication.).
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