The district is divided between the drainage basins of the Neva River and the Western Dvina River. The Western Dvina makes the southeastern border of the district, separating it from Tver Oblast. The rivers in the east and in the south of the district flow to the Western Dvina. The biggest of them are the Zhizhitsa River and the Usvyacha River. The two big lakes in the district, Lake Zhizhitskoye and Lake Dvinye-Velinskoye, which are two biggest lakes of Pskov Oblast after Lake Peipus, also belong to the basin of the Western Dvina. The western and the northern parts of the district belong to the Kunya River, a right tributary of the Lovat River, in the Neva river basin.
On August 1, 1927, the uyezds were abolished, and Kunyinsky District was established, with the administrative center in the settlement of Kunya. It included parts of former Velikoluksky and Toropetsky Uyezds. Pskov Governorate was abolished as well, and the district became a part of Velikiye Luki Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. On June 17, 1929, the district was transferred to Western Oblast. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were also abolished and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On January 1, 1932 the district was abolished and split between Toropetsky, Velikoluksky, and Ilyinsky Districts. On February 10, 1935, the district was re-established as a part of Velikiye Luki Okrug of Kalinin Oblast, one of the okrugs abutting the state boundaries of the Soviet Union. On May 4, 1938, the district was subordinated directly to the oblast. Between August 1941 and January 1942, Kunyinsky District was occupied by German troops. On August 22, 1944, the district was transferred to newly established Velikiye Luki Oblast. On October 2, 1957, Velikiye Luki Oblast was abolished, and Kunyinsky District was transferred to Pskov Oblast. On February 1, 1963 the district was abolished and merged into Velikoluksky District; on January 12, 1965 it was re-established. On March 2, 1966 Kunya was granted urban-type settlement status.[10]
The southern part of the area in 1772 was included into newly established Pskov Governorate. In 1777, it was transferred to Polotsk Viceroyalty. In 1796, the viceroyalty was abolished and the area was transferred to Belarus Governorate; since 1802 to Vitebsk Governorate. After 1919, Vitebsk Governorate was a part of Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.[11] In 1924, Vitebsk Governorate was abolished, and Velizhsky Uyezd was transferred to Pskov Governorate.
On August 1, 1927, Usmynsky District with the administrative center in the selo of Usmyn was created on the territories which previously belonged to Nevelsky and Toropetsky Uyezds. It was a part of Velikiye Luki Okrug of Leningrad Oblast. On June 17, 1929, the district was transferred to Western Oblast, and on September 20, 1930, Usmynsky District was abolished and split between Velizhsky and Usvyatsky Districts. On March 10, 1945, it was re-established as Prikhabsky District, with the administrative center in the selo of Prikhaby, a part of Velikiye Luki Oblast, from the areas belonging to Usvyatsky and Kunyinsky Districts. In March 1949 the administrative center of the district was moved to Usmyn, and the district renamed Usmynsky. On October 2, 1957, the district was transferred to Pskov Oblast. On October 3, 1959, Usmynsky District was abolished and merged into Kunyinsky District.[10]
Economy
Industry
Industry in the district is represented by two bakeries located in Kunya.[12]
Agriculture
The main specialization of agriculture in the district is meat and milk production. As of 2009, eight large- and mid-scale farms were operating in the district.[12]
Transportation
Two railroads cross the district. One railway connects Moscow via Velikiye Luki with Riga. Another railway, running to the northwest, connects Velikiye Luki via Toropets and Ostashkov with Bologoye.
The M9 highway which connects Moscow and Riga crosses the district from east to west, bypassing Kunya. Kunya is connected by road with Usvyaty. There are also local roads.
Culture and recreation
The district contains four objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of federal significance and 123 monuments of local significance.[13] The federal monuments are the Chirikov Estate in the selo of Naumovo and an archeological site.
The Chirikov Estate belonged to the grandfather of the composer Modest Mussorgsky, and Mussorgsky often visited the estate. Currently the estate, which consists of the manor and the park with a pond, hosts the Modest Mussorgsky Museum Reserve, the only museum in the district.[14]
^The count of urban-type settlements may include the work settlements, the resort settlements, the suburban (dacha) settlements, as well as urban-type settlements proper.
^"Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
Псковское областное Собрание депутатов. Закон №833-оз от 5 февраля 2009 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Псковской области». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Псковская правда", №20, 10 февраля 2009 г. (Pskov Oblast Council of Deputies. Law #833-oz of February 5, 2009 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Pskov Oblast. Effective as of the official publication date.).
Псковское областное Собрание депутатов. Закон №420-оз от 28 февраля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ и статусе вновь образуемых муниципальных образований на территории Псковской области», в ред. Закона №1542-ОЗ от 5 июня 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Псковской области "Об установлении границ и статусе вновь образуемых муниципальных образований на территории Псковской области"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Псковская правда", №41–43, №44–46, №49–51, 4 марта 2005 г., 5 марта 2005 г., 11 марта 2005 г. (Pskov Oblast Council of Deputies. Law #420-oz of February 28, 2005 On Establishing the Borders and the Status of the Newly Formed Municipal Formations on the Territory of Pskov Oblast, as amended by the Law #1542-OZ of June 5, 2015 On Amending the Law of Pskov Oblast "On Establishing the Borders and the Status of the Newly Formed Municipal Formations on the Territory of Pskov Oblast". Effective as of the official publication date.).