The earliest settlements found on the territory of the present Shoumilin district (near the village of Krasomaj) are dated to the Mesolite era (IX-V Millennia BC).

Shoumilin district is located in the central part of Vitebsk region. It was formed on July 17, 1924, and was called Sirotinskij. The district was re-organized and re-named several times and finally, on July 30, 1966, it was formed in its present borders.

The area of the District is 1.7 thousand square kilometers; the population is 24.5 thousand people residing in 260 localities; its centre is the borough of Shoumilino.

District's government consists of 8 villages’ Councils of Deputies.

There are 8 industrial enterprises working on the territory of the District: Obol’sk brick and pottery mill, a peat-processing factory, flax factory, cheese factory, a centre for cooperative production, the “Vezha” plant, an agro-service complex and a forestry in Shoumilino. These enterprises produce bricks popular among Russian consumers, peat, flax fiber, pottery, and such food products as several kinds of cheese and other dairy products, bread, confectionary and pastry, alcoholic beverages; there are also service and repair shops for agricultural machines and civil construction companies.

There are 11 agricultural institutions in the District, poultry reproduction farm; agricultural machines are serviced and repaired in the shops of Agro-service in Shoumilino.

Agriculture specializes in dairy and meat cattle breeding, growing crops of potatoes, grains, and flax.

There are 13 secondary schools in the District with 3 day-care schools, 6 basic schools with 3 day-care schools, 5 primary schools with 3 day-care schools, a sanatorium boarding-school, district children educational centre for the out-of-school activities, and a rehabilitation and development centre.

The total number of school staff in the District is 532 people teaching 3456 pupils; the staff of 16 nurseries consists of 76 kindergarten teachers who take care of 764 kids.

78 rivers cross the territory of the District, among them are the Zapadnaya Dvina with Obol' and Sechna. The largest of 72 lakes are Budovest', Dobeevskoje, and Leskovichy.

Mainly the north-western and south-western parts of the District are woodlands that cover 32% of the territory.  

The Vitebsk-Polotsk railroad and Vitebsk-Shoumilino-Polotsk highway with side routes to Lepel', Beshenkovichy, and Gorodok are main transportation routes within the District.

The people of the District treasure their heritage. St Sergij's and St Assumption churches are the monuments of the XIX-XX centuries that are protected by national law.

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