Lesnoye is first mentioned as Smerdyn in a birch bark manuscript found in Veliky Novgorod. The manuscript dates from the end of the 14th century or the beginning of the 15th century and is believed to refer to the same Smerdyn which later became Lesnoye. At the time, it belonged to the Novgorod Republic. In the 15th century, together with Novgorod, the area was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Moscow. It belonged to Bezhetsk Pyatina, one of the five pyatinas into which Novgorod lands were divided.[8]
On July 12, 1929 the governorates and uyezds were abolished. Mikhaylovsky District, with the administrative center in Smerdyn, was established within Bezhetsk Okrug of Moscow Oblast. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished, and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. On December 25, 1930 Smerdyn was renamed Lesnoye, and Mikhaylovsky District was renamed Lesnoy District. On January 29, 1935 Kalinin Oblast was established, and Lesnoy District was transferred to Kalinin Oblast. In February 1963, during the abortive administrative reform by Nikita Khrushchev, Lesnoy District was merged into Maksatikhinsky District, but on December 30, 1966 it was re-established.[9] In 1990, Kalinin Oblast was renamed Tver Oblast.
^Промышленность (in Russian). Администрация муниципального образования Тверской области «Лесной район». Archived from the original on September 20, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №34-ЗО от 17 апреля 2006 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тверской области», в ред. Закона №66-ЗО от 1 октября 2014 г. «О внесении изменения в статью 18 Закона Тверской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тверской области"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №17 (специальный выпуск), 19 апреля 2006 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #34-ZO of April 17, 2006 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tver Oblast, as amended by the Law #66-ZO of October 1, 2014 On Amending Article 18 of the Law of Tver Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tver Oblast". Effective as of the official publication date.).
Законодательное Собрание Тверской области. Закон №34-ЗО от 28 февраля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Лесной район", и наделении их статусом сельского поселения», в ред. Закона №11-ЗО от 3 февраля 2010 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Тверской области "Об установлении границ муниципальных образований, входящих в состав территории муниципального образования Тверской области "Лесной район", и наделении их статусом сельского поселения"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тверские ведомости", №10, 11–17 марта 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of Tver Oblast. Law #34-ZO of February 28, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Lesnoy District" and on Granting Them the Status of Rural Settlements, as amended by the Law #11-ZO of February 3, 2010 On Amending the Law of Tver Oblast "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations Comprised by the Territory of the Municipal Formation of "Lesnoy District" and on Granting Them the Status of Rural Settlements". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).