Cherkessk (Russian: Черке́сск; Adyghe: Шэрджэс къалэ; Kabardian: Черкес-къалэ) is the capital city of Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia, as well as its political, economic, and cultural center. Population: 129,069 (2010 Census).[2] 112,782 (2024).[8]
Cherkessk
Черкесск | |
|---|---|
From the top to bottom-right, Aerial view of the City, Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Friendship Monument, Central Mosque, Soviet-Era Cinema Building | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Cherkessk  | |
  Cherkessk Location of Cherkessk  Cherkessk Cherkessk (Karachay-Cherkessia) | |
| Coordinates: 44°13′N 42°03′E / 44.217°N 42.050°E | |
| Country | Russia |
| Federal subject | Karachay-Cherkessia |
| Founded | 1825 |
| City status since | 1931 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Alexey Baskaev[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 69.8 km2 (26.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 530 m (1,740 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 129,069 |
• Estimate (2018)[3] | 122,395 (−5.2%) |
| • Rank | 127th in 2010 |
| • Density | 1,849.12/km2 (4,789.2/sq mi) |
| • Subordinated to | city of republic significance of Cherkessk[4] |
| • Capital of | Karachay-Cherkess Republic[4] |
| • Capital of | city of republic significance of Cherkessk[4] |
| • Urban okrug | Cherkessk Urban Okrug[5] |
| • Capital of | Cherkessk Urban Okrug[5] |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (MSK  [6]) |
| Postal code(s)[7] | 3690XX |
| Dialing code(s) | +7 8782 |
| OKTMO ID | 91701000001 |
| Website | cherkessk09 |
It was previously known as Batalpashinskaya (until 1931), Batalpashinsk (until 1934), Sulimov (until 1937), Yezhovo-Cherkessk (until 1939).
Names
editIn Russian, the city is called Черке́сск (Čerkessk)[9] and has similar names in the languages of the city's other major ethnic groups. In Karachay, it is Черкесск (Çerkessk)[9] or Черкесск шахар (Çerkessk şahar); in Kabardian, it is Шэрджэс къалэ (Şărdjăs qală) or Черке́сск (Čerkessk);[9] in Abaza, it is Черкес къала (Čerkes q̇ala) or Черкесск (Čerkessk);[9] in Nogai, it is Шеркеш шахар (Şerkeş şahar) and in Chechen, it is Черкесск (Čerkessk).
For its first century of existence, Cherkessk was a stanitsa, a village inside a Cossack host, which from 1825 to 1931 was named Batalpashinskaya stanitsa (Russian: Баталпашинская станица Batalpašinskaja stanica)[9] and nicknamed Pashinka (Пашинка Pašinka) In 1931, it was renamed Batalpashinsk (Баталпашинск Batałpašinsk),[10][9] and then in quick succession Sulimov (Сулимов Sulimov) in 1934[10][9] for Daniil Sulimov, Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian SFSR, and following Sulimov's execution in the Great Purge, Yezhovo-Cherkessk (Ежово-Черкесск Ježovo-Čerkessk) in 1937[10][9] for Nikolai Yezhov, head of the NKVD. With Yezhov's arrest, the initial "Yezhovo-" was dropped, and the city received its present name in 1939.[10][9]
History
edit
What is now Cherkessk was established in 1804 as a Russian military fort on the Kuban River, what was then the border with Circassia, on the spot where in 1790 Russian troops under the command of General Johann Hermann von Fersen (Ivan Ivanovich Herman fon Fersen) defeated the Ottoman Batal Pasha.[10] In honor of the victory over Batal Pasha, the fort was named Batalpashinskaya; it was a redoubt surrounded by an earthen rampart and ditch.[10] (That the fort was named for an enemy leader may have led villagers to prefer the nickname Pashinka.)
The settlement itself was founded as the Cossack stanitsa of Batalpashinskaya near the Russian Army outpost. The officially recognized year of founding of Batalpashinskaya and modern Cherkessk is 1825. However, the Cossack settlers from the Khopyour and Kuban regiments began arriving in the newly organized stanitsa not earlier than spring of 1826.[11] In 1860, the village was designated as the administrative center of the Batalpashinsky Otdel of the Kuban Oblast.[10] A decree of 30 December 1869 by Tsar Alexander II transformed the village into a city of Batalpashinsk but the decree was never implemented,[12] and Batalpashinskaya remained a stanitsa until the Soviet times. In 1888, the village became a seat of one of Kuban's seven departments.
In 1922, the village became the seat of the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Oblast of the RSFSR,[10] and in 1926, the Cherkess National Okrug. In 1931, it was granted town status and renamed Batalpashinsk. It received its current name of Cherkessk in 1939.[9] The city was occupied by the Nazi German Wehrmacht during World War II (the Eastern Front) from 11 August 1942 to 17 January 1943[10] as part of the Case Blue offensive. In 1957, it became the capital of the reformed Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Oblast which became the Karachay–Cherkess Republic in 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union.
Administrative and municipal status
editCherkessk is the capital of the republic.[4] Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as the city of republic significance of Cherkessk—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.[4] As a municipal division, the city of republic significance of Cherkessk is incorporated as Cherkessk Urban Okrug.[5]
Population
edit
The population of Cherkessk was 129,069 in the 2010 Census,[2] 116,244 in the 2002 Census[13] and 113,060 in the 1989 Soviet Census.[14]
Ethnic groups
editThe city is inhabited by Russians, native Cherkess (Circassians), Karachays, Abaza, Nogays and minorities of Ukrainians, Greeks and Armenians.
1926
editAccording to the First All-Union Census of the Soviet Union of 1926, inhabitants of Batalpashinsk (present-day Cherkessk) included:[15]
- Russians (82.7%)
- Ukrainians (9.0%)
- Karachays (0.8%)
- Greeks (Pontic Greeks) (0.2%)
1939
editThe 1937 census results were suppressed and destroyed but the Soviet census of 1939 recorded:[15]
- Russians (87.6%)
- Ukrainians (3.6%)
- Abazin (1.5%)
- Adyghes (i.e. Circassian) (1.4%)
- Karachays (0.8%)
- Ossetians (0.5%)
- Nogais (0.5%)
- Greeks (0.5%)
1959
editThe Soviet census of 1959 recorded:[15]
- Russians (87.7%)
- Ukrainians (2.8%)
- Circassian (2.1%)
- Abazins (1.8%)
- Karachays (1.6%)
- Nogais (0.4%)
- Greeks (0.4%)
- Ossetians (0.4%)
1970
editThe Soviet census of 1970 recorded:[15]
- Russians (74.5%)
- Circassian (6.4%)
- Karachays (6.2%)
- Abazins (5.0%)
- Ukrainians (2.1%)
- Nogais (1.0%)
- Greeks (0.5%)
- Ossetians (0.5%)
1989
editAccording to the 1989 data from the final Soviet census, the population of the city included:[15]
- Russians (67.8%)
- Circassian (9.0%)
- Karachays (7.8%)
- Abazins (6.5%)
- Ukrainians (2.2%)
- Nogais (1.2%)
- Ossetians (0.5%)
- Greeks (0.5%)
2002
editIn 2002, the Russian census reported the population including:[16]
- Russians (55.5%)
- Karachays (13.8%)
- Circassian (12.6%)
- Abazins (8.1%)
- Nogais (1.5%)
- Ukrainians (1.3%)
- Ossetians (0.6%)
- Greeks (Pontic Greeks) (0.4%)
- Other (6.1%)
2010
editIn 2010, the population included:[citation needed]
- Russians (54.7%)
- Karachays (16.4%)
- Circassian (13.2%)
- Abazins (8.2%)
- Nogais (1.5%)
- Other (6.0%)
2021
editIn 2021, the population included:[16]
- Russians (44.71%)
- Karachays (23.8%)
- Circassians (16%)
- Abazins (9.5%)
- Nogais (1.5%)
- Other (4.49%)
Climate
edit| Climate data for Cherkessk | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 2.1 (35.8) |
3.9 (39.0) |
8.2 (46.8) |
14.0 (57.2) |
18.7 (65.7) |
22.6 (72.7) |
25.6 (78.1) |
26.1 (79.0) |
20.9 (69.6) |
14.9 (58.8) |
8.8 (47.8) |
3.8 (38.8) |
14.1 (57.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.0 (26.6) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
2.9 (37.2) |
8.7 (47.7) |
13.9 (57.0) |
18.1 (64.6) |
20.9 (69.6) |
21.0 (69.8) |
15.9 (60.6) |
9.7 (49.5) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
9.1 (48.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −7.4 (18.7) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
2.7 (36.9) |
8.1 (46.6) |
12.3 (54.1) |
15.1 (59.2) |
15.4 (59.7) |
10.7 (51.3) |
5.1 (41.2) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
4.0 (39.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 38.3 (1.51) |
29.5 (1.16) |
62.5 (2.46) |
57.8 (2.28) |
120.4 (4.74) |
95.7 (3.77) |
58.7 (2.31) |
46 (1.8) |
60 (2.4) |
50.9 (2.00) |
37.1 (1.46) |
35.9 (1.41) |
692.8 (27.3) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 15.6 (6.1) |
6.2 (2.4) |
11.2 (4.4) |
3.4 (1.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.9 (0.7) |
7.7 (3.0) |
14.3 (5.6) |
60.3 (23.5) |
| Average rainy days | 9 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 93 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 83 | 79 | 75 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 64 | 66 | 67 | 74 | 78 | 82 | 72 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 6.2 | 7.8 | 9.1 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 7.7 | 5.9 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 6.2 |
| Average ultraviolet index | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Source: Climate data(Temperatures 1991-2021[17])Weather2visit,[18] World weather online (rainfall-snowfall-UV 2009-2023)[19] | |||||||||||||
Education
edit
Cherkessk is home to the following education institutions:
- North Caucasian State Academy: civil engineering, mechanical engineering, energy engineering, business management, accounting, finance, medical school. www.kchgta.ru[20]
- Moscow Social Open University (branch)
- Moscow Modern Arts Institute (branch)
- Rostov State Economic University (branch)
- Karachay-Cherkess State College
- Daurov Art College: art, interior design, music, choreography divisions
- Republican Children Art School: music, art, choreography divisions
Culture
edit
- Drama Theater: ethnic, modern and classical plays
- State Philharmonic: classical and ethnic orchestra performances
- Elbrus State Ensemble: ethnic North Caucasian dances, dance studio
- Ensemble of Cossack Dance and Song: ethnic performances
Sport
edit- The association football team FC Inter Cherkessk play at the Stadium Nart. FC Nart Cherkessk previously played there, until they were dissolved in 2004.
- The demolished Dombay Stadium or Motodrom was a motorcycle speedway stadium located south of the Stadium Nart and Green Island off Ulitsa Michurina (44°13′09″N 42°02′09″E / 44.21917°N 42.03583°E). The stadium hosted important events including the Continental Speedway final round of the Speedway World Championship in 1972[21][22] and a semi final of the 1991 Speedway Under-21 World Championship.
- The Cherkessk speedway team (under various nicknames) regularly participated in the Soviet Union Championship from 1972 through to 1992[23] and then during 1993, in the Russian Championship, winning the bronze medal in 1993.[24][25]
Notable people
edit- David Safaryan, World champion in freestyle wrestling representing Armenia
References
editNotes
edit- ^ "Главой Черкесска избран бывший заммэра города Алексей Баскаев". June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1 [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года [2010 All-Russia Population Census] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
- ^ "26. Численность постоянного населения Российской Федерации по муниципальным образованиям на 1 января 2018 года". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Law #84-RZ
- ^ a b c Law #41-RZ
- ^ "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- ^ Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (in Russian)
- ^ "Rosstat2024".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "KNAB, the Place Names Database of EKI". Eki.ee. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Города России: Черкесск. Энциклопедия — М.: Большая Российская Энциклопедия. И. Кондратьева, 1994. (in Russian)
- ^ В. А. Колесников. Былое Невинного Мыса. К 185-летию переселения Хопёрского казачьего полка на Кубань и основания станицы Невиномысской. Ставрополь. «ЮРКИТ» 2011. (in Russian)
- ^ Филиппов Е. В. Город Баталпашинск: проекты и реалии. (in Russian)
- ^ Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек [Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian).
- ^ Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров [All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года [All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. 1989 – via Demoscope Weekly.
- ^ a b c d e Этнокавказ. Национальный состав КЧР по переписям 1926—2002 (in Russian)
- ^ a b "Население по национальной принадлежности, владению русским языком и его использованию по городским и муниципальным округам КЧР". Rosstat. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
- ^ "Cherkessk Climate". Climate data. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "Cherkessk monthly weather averages". weather2visit. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "Annual weather averages - Cherkessk, Karachay-Cherkess, RU". World Weather Online. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "Северо-Кавказская государственная гуманитарно-технологическая академия | СевКавГГТА". Kchgta.ru. September 30, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
- ^ "World Championship". Metal Speedway. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "World Championship". Speedway.org. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "Soviet Union Team Championship". Speedway History. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "Russian Team Championship". Speedway History. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "Soviet Union & Russian Team Championship". Speedway Fansite. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
Sources
edit- Народное Собрание (Парламент) Карачаево-Черкесской Республики. Закон №84-РЗ от 24 февраля 2004 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Карачаево-Черкесской Республики», в ред. Закона №34-РЗ от 5 июля 2011 г «О внесении изменений в некоторые законодательные акты Карачаево-Черкесской Республики в связи с изменением наименования должности высшего должностного лица Карачаево-Черкесской Республики». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "День Республики", №36-37 (16431), 28 февраля 2004 г. (People's Assembly (Parliament) of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic. Law #84-RZ of February 24, 2004 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic, as amended by the Law #34-RZ of July 5, 2011 On Amending Various Legislative Acts of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic Due to the Change of the Title of the Top Executive Position of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic. Effective as of the official publication date.).
- Народное Собрание (Парламент) Карачаево-Черкесской Республики. Закон №41-РЗ от 7 декабря 2004 г. «Об установлении границ муниципального образования города Черкесска и наделении его статусом городского округа», в ред. Закона №35-РЗ от 23 июня 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Карачаево-Черкесской Республики "Об установлении границ муниципального образования города Черкесска и наделении его статусом городского округа"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "День Республики", №207–208 (16602), 14 декабря 2004 г. (People's Assembly (Parliament) of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic. Law #41-RZ of December 7, 2004 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formation of the Town of Cherkessk and on Granting It Urban Okrug Status, as amended by the Law #35-RZ of June 23, 2014 On Amending the Law of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formation of the Town of Cherkessk and on Granting It Urban Okrug Status". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
External links
edit- Official website of Cherkessk (in Russian)
- Cherkessk Business Directory (in Russian)