Vyshny Volochyok
The portage between the Tsna and the Tvertsa existed from the medieval times as confirmed by archaeological artifacts found in the area. Vyshny Volochyok as a settlement was mentioned in chronicles in 1471. In 1703-1722, Peter the Great had a canal constructed to link the two rivers (Vyshny Volochyok Waterway). In the 1740, the road connecting Moscow and Saint Petersburg was built. These two events gave a start to the fast economic development of Vyshny Volochyok, which later also became a major center of textile manufacture and glass production. In 1772, the first fair was held, and in the first half of the 19th century the road was rebuilt in stone. In 1851, the railroad construction followed.