The name of the town, which means "island" in Russian, originates from the island on the Velikaya, on which the Ostrov fortress was originally built.
History
It was founded as a fortress in the end of the 13th century and first mentioned in 1342. It had been an important military outpost throughout the 15th-16th centuries. The only time it was conquered was in 1501, by the Livonian Order after the Battle of the Siritsa River. In the course of the administrative reform carried out in 1708 by Peter the Great, it was included into Ingermanland Governorate. Ostrov is specifically mentioned as one of the towns making the governorate. In 1727, separate Novgorod Governorate was split off and in 1772, Pskov Governorate was established. Catherine the Great incorporated it as a town in 1777. On August 1, 1927, the uyezds and governorates were abolished and Ostrovsky District, with the administrative center in Ostrov, was established as a part of Pskov Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. It included parts of former Ostrovsky, Opochetsky, and Pskovsky Uyezds. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were also abolished and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. Between March 22, 1935 and September 19, 1940, Ostrovsky District was a part of the restored Pskov Okrug of Leningrad Oblast, one of the okrugs abutting the state boundaries of the Soviet Union. Between July 6, 1941 and July 21, 1944, Ostrov was occupied by German troops. An underground resistance group was active in Ostrov during the war. On August 23, 1944, the district was transferred to newly established Pskov Oblast.
The economy of Ostrov is based on food, electronic, and textile industries.
Transportation
A railway from St. Petersburg via Pskov to Pytalovo and further to Rēzekne in Latvia passes Ostrov. In Latvia, it provides access to Riga and Vilnius. As of 2012, there was passenger traffic on the railway. The M20 Highway, which connects St. Petersburg and Vitebsk via Pskov, passes Ostrov as well. Ostrov is the northern terminus of the European route E262, which proceeds to Kaunas via Rēzekne and Daugavpils. There are also road connections from Ostrov northwest to Pechory via Palkino, northeast to Porkhov, and southeast to Novorzhev, as well as local roads.
The town possesses a Neoclassical cathedral from 1790 and a typical Pskovian church from 1543. Close at hand is a historical suspension bridge, opened in 1853. Ostrov hosts the Ostrov District Museum, the only museum in the district.
