Usman

a city and administrative center of Usman’ Raion, Lipetsk Oblast, RSFSR. Situated on the Usman’ River of the Don River basin, 75 km south of Lipetsk. Railroad station on the Griazi-Voronezh line. Population, 20,000 (1974). Usman’ was founded in 1646 as a fortress on the defensive Belgorod line. It became a district seat of Tambov Province in 1796. Soviet power was established Nov. 10 (23), 1917. Usman’ has been part of Voronezh Province (1923–28), Tsentral’no-Chernozemnaia Oblast (1928–34), Voronezh Oblast (1934–54), and Lipetsk Oblast (since 1954).

Industrial enterprises in Usman’ include a plant for the production of foundry equipment, a tobacco-processing plant, a clothing factory, and a furniture factory. The city has a sovkhoz technicum, a boarding technicum for the study of bookkeeping, a pedagogical school, and a museum of local lore.

a river in Lipetsk and Voronezh oblasts, RSFSR; a left tributary of the Voronezh River of the Don River basin. The Usman’ is 151 km long and drains an area of 2,840 sq km. It rises in and flows along the Oka-Don Plain. The river is fed mainly by snow. The mean flow rate 117 km from the mouth is 1.99 cu m per sec. The river freezes over in November or early December, and the ice breaks up in late March or April. The Usman’ is used as a source of water. The city of Usman’ is located on the river, and the Voronezh Preserve is located in the Usman’ River basin.