Where is it? Smolensk Oblast, or region, is located on the western-most edge of the European side of Russia. It is bordered by Belarus to the west and the oblasts of Pskov, Tver and Moscow to the north. Kaluga oblast is to the east and Bryansk oblast is on its southeastern border. Smolensk is in the Moscow time zone .

What's the biggest city? Smolensk, which accounts for about 325,000 of the region's 1 million people, according to the 2002 census. Desnogorsk is the second-biggest urban area, but the region is mostly comprised of small, very old towns, such as Vyazma and Dorogobuzh. Smolensk is one of the oldest of all, probably dating to the late 800s. And it was in the capital city that Napoleon had his biggest clash with the Russian army: The 1812 Battle of Smolensk became part of Tolstoy's "War and Peace".

Who lives here? Overwhelmingly, ethnic Russians.

What do they do here? Forestry, agriculture and the manufacturing of everything from food to medical equipment. But the profile of the region on Kommersant's Web site notes that while its trade ties are growing, its productivity is not, which is adding to unemployment.

Does it have any English-language news sources? None that I have found.

How do I see what it looks like? A search for Smolensk on Flickr will yield shots of the city's ancient fortifications, but also many shots of Smolensk cemetery in Moscow.

How do I get here? Smolensk is an easy hop by rail or road from Moscow.

Which adoption agencies work here? Adoption Associates, Children's Hope International, Gladney Center for Adoption

Who has been here? Adoption.com member his,mine&ours brought home their son in August. Member PamelaC adopted a daughter in April 2006.

Truly trivia: Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov was born in the village of Petrovichi. It was then part of Smolensk, but now belongs to Belarus. His family, Jewish millers, emigrated to the United States when he was three years old. Another native son: Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. He was born in Klushino, though paradoxically, it was another nearby town that has been renamed Gagarin in his honor.

Need more information? The region's official English-language Web site is here, though it looks as if it hasn't been updated recently. "Way To Russia" hasn't been here yet, which surprises me since there is so much history to be found. But Kommersant has, and it's got its usual thorough file on the region. It's not as chilly in Smolensk in winter as it is in other Russian regions.

Image Credit: A Smolensk orphanage, by Tigr