Zapadnaya

Zapadnaya (Russian: Западная) is a rural locality situated in the south‑western part of the Moscow Oblast, roughly 45 kilometres south of the regional capital Moscow and about 10 kilometres east of the larger town of Shchyolkovo. Administratively, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Shchyolkovsky District and is part of the rural settlement of Pirogovskoye. The settlement lies near the banks of the Chugusin River, which flows through the surrounding forested terrain and provides a modest water source for agricultural activity.

The population of Zapadnaya was recorded at 1,237 residents in the 2010 Russian Census, with a slight decline noted in subsequent estimates due to rural-to-urban migration trends common in the Moscow region. Economic activity in the settlement is primarily agrarian, with residents engaged in small‑scale crop cultivation, dairy farming, and seasonal timber logging. A local cooperative, established in the 1990s, processes milk and dairy products for distribution to markets in Shchyolkovo and Moscow.

Historically, Zapadnaya was first mentioned in the 17th‑century land registers as a modest farming hamlet belonging to the Stroganov landowners. During the Soviet era, the settlement was incorporated into the kolkhoz system, and a collective farm specializing in grain and vegetable production was established. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s led to the privatization of land and a shift toward individual farming enterprises.

In terms of culture and infrastructure, Zapadnaya possesses a community centre that hosts local events and a primary school that serves the surrounding area. Road access to the settlement is provided by a regional highway linking Shchyolkovo to the M1 Cherepovets–Tver–Moscow route, facilitating travel to the larger urban centres. The nearest railway station is located approximately 12 kilometres away in the town of Zeleny Yar, offering regional rail connections to Moscow and other parts of the oblast.