Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky (russian: Алекса́ндровск-Сахали́нский, Japanese: ''Otchishi'') is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an o ...
in
Sakhalin Oblast
Sakhalin Oblast ( rus, Сахали́нская о́бласть, r=Sakhalínskaya óblast', p=səxɐˈlʲinskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) comprising the island of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands in the Russian ...
, Russia, located near the
Strait of Tartary on the western shores of northern
Sakhalin
Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, r=Sakhalín, p=səxɐˈlʲin; ja, 樺太 ''Karafuto''; zh, c=, p=Kùyèdǎo, s=库页岛, t=庫頁島; Manchu: ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ, ''Sahaliyan''; Orok: Бугата на̄, ''Bugata nā''; Nivkh ...
Island at the foot of the western Sakhalin mountains. Population: 21,000 (1968).
History
A settlement called Alexandrovskaya on the present site of the town was first recorded in 1862.
In 1869, an agricultural farm was established there, which later grew into the village of Alexandrovka. At the time, it was known as among Japanese.
In 1881, a military post was established and became known as Alexandrovsky. The outpost served as the administrative center for managing ''
katorga
Katorga ( rus, ка́торга, p=ˈkatərɡə; from medieval and modern Greek: ''katergon, κάτεργον'', " galley") was a system of penal labor in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union (see Katorga labor in the Soviet Union). Pris ...
'', prisons,
exile settlements, and the whole island until the
October Revolution
The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mom ...
.
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
lived here in 1890 while gathering material for his book ''The Sakhalin Island''.
Town status was granted to Alexandrovsky in 1917. During the
Russian Civil War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Russian Civil War
, partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I
, image =
, caption = Clockwise from top left:
{{flatlist,
*Soldiers ...
, the town was under the control of Admiral
Alexander Kolchak
Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak (russian: link=no, Александр Васильевич Колчак; – 7 February 1920) was an Imperial Russian admiral, military leader and polar explorer who served in the Imperial Russian Navy and fought ...
in 1918–1920, before being occupied by the Japanese until 1925. It was known as "Street of Port Alexander" during Japanese occupation between 1918 and 1925.
In 1926, the town was renamed Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky to distinguish it from other places of the same name.
Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky was the administrative center of Sakhalin Oblast between 1932 and 1947. It was also known as the coal mining center of the island during Soviet times.
Administrative and municipal status
Within the
framework of administrative divisions, Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky serves as the
administrative center
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located.
In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...
of
Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky District
Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky District (russian: Алекса́ндровск-Сахали́нский райо́н) is an administrative district (raion) of Sakhalin Oblast, Russia, one of the seventeen in the oblast.Law #25-ZO As a municipal divisio ...
and is subordinated to it.
[Law #25-ZO] As a
municipal division, the town of Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky and thirteen rural localities of Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky District are incorporated as Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky Urban Okrug.
[Law No. 524]
Economy and infrastructure
The economy of Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky is mainly reliant on its harbor, the oldest and previously most important on Sakhalin, and the mining of
black coal in the local area.
Climate
Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
''Dfb'')
with short mild to warm summers and long, cold winters.
Gallery
File:Anton Chekhov museum Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky file 3.jpg, Anton Chekhov museum in Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky. It is the house where he stayed in Sakhalin during 1890
File:Anton Chekhov monument Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky file 1.jpg, Anton Chekhov monument in Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky
File:"Три брата" DSCN.JPG, "Three Brothers" rocks in Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky
File:V.M. Doroshevich-Sakhalin. Part I. Settlers Way of Life. Near Cathedral at Holiday.png, Settler's way of life. Near church at holiday. 1903
File:V.M. Doroshevich-Sakhalin. Part I. Aleksandrovskaya Prison.png, Aleksandrovskaya Prison in Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky in 1903
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
External links
*
*
Official website of Alexandrovsk-SakhalinskyDirectory of organizations in Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Sakhalin Oblast