Oryol or
Orel (, lit.
eagle) is a
city and the
administrative center of
Oryol Oblast,
Russia, located on the
Oka River, approximately south-southwest of
Moscow. Population:
History
While there are no historical records, archaeological evidence shows that a fortress settlement existed between the Oka and Orlik Rivers as early as the 12th century, when the land was a part of the
Principality of Chernigov. The name of the fortress is unknown; it may not have been called Oryol at the time. In the 13th century the fortress became a part of the
Zvenigorod district of the
Karachev Principality. In the early 15th century, the territory was conquered by the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The city was soon abandoned by its population, after being sacked either by Lithuanians or the
Golden Horde. The territory became a part of the
Tsardom of Russia in the 16th century.
