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 ori ...
in
Amur Oblast
Amur Oblast ( rus, Аму́рская о́бласть, r=Amurskaya oblast, p=ɐˈmurskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located on the banks of the Amur and Zeya Rivers in the Russian Far East. The administrative ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the Zeya. Population: 53,000 (1969); 34,000 (1939).
The town was included in a list of towns at risk of social problems, including poverty and corruption. It was previously known as ''Alexandrovskoye'' (until 1926), ''Alexandrovsk'' (until 1931), ''Krasnopartizansk'' (until 1935), ''Kuybyshevka Vostochnaya'' (until 1957).
History
The '' selo'' of Alexandrovskoye () was founded in 1860 by the settlersPospelov, p. 25 from the European part of Russia. In 1893, the ''selo'' of Bochkaryovka () appeared nearby. The two localities grew with the construction of a station on the
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR; , , ) connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over , it is the longest railway line in the world. It runs from the city of Moscow in the west to the city of Vladivostok in the ea ...
in 1913, and by 1923 Alexandrovskoye and Bochkarevka merged and were transformed into Alexandrovsk (). Town status was granted to Alexandrovsk in 1926. In 1931, it was renamed Krasnopartizansk (), then, in 1935, Kuybyshevka-Vostochnaya (), to commemorate the Soviet statesman
Valerian Kuybyshev
Valerian Vladimirovich Kuybyshev (russian: Валериа́н Влади́мирович Ку́йбышев; – 25 January 1935) was a Russian revolutionary, Red Army officer, and prominent Soviet politician.
Biography
Early years
Bo ...
. In 1957, possibly to reduce the number of localities named after Kuybyshev, the town was given its present name. While the literal meaning of the name is ''white mountains'', the reasons for renaming are unclear, as the town stands on a
plain
In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...
with no "white mountains" anywhere in the vicinity. It is possible, however, that the name was due to the whitish color of the quartz sands of the bluffs on the
Tom River
The Tom ( rus, Томь, p=tomʲ, cjs, Том) is a river in Russia, a right tributary of the Ob in Central Siberia. Its watershed lies within the Republic of Khakassia, Kemerovo Oblast, and Tomsk Oblast.
Climate
Belogorsk saw a record high temperature for Asian Russia at on 25 June 2010. This record was beaten two days later in Ust-Karsk.
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
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or ...
of Belogorsky District,Law #419-OZ even though it is not a part of it. As an administrative division, it is, together with one
rural locality
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...
(the '' selo'' of Nizinnoye), incorporated separately as Belogorsk Urban Okrug—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
.Law #127-OZ As a municipal division, this administrative unit also has urban okrug status.Law #423-OZ
Economy
Belogorsk is a center for food production, as well as construction products.
Sergei Chukhray
Sergei Chukhray (russian: Чухра́й Серге́й Алексе́евич, born May 31, 1955, in Belogorsk, Amur Oblast) is a Soviet sprint canoeist who competed from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. Competing in two Summ ...
(born 1955), Soviet sprint canoer
* Svetlana Klyuka (born 1978), Russian middle distance runner
*
Victor Nechayev
Victor Nechayev (born January 28, 1955) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played three games for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League. He was the first player from the Soviet Union to play in the NHL, as well as ...
(born 1955), professional ice hockey player
*
Valeriy Priyomykhov
Valeriy Mikhaylovich Priyomykhov (russian: Валерий Михайлович Приёмыхов; 27 December 1943 25 August 2000) was a Soviet and Russian actor, film director, screenwriter and author.
Awards
*Winner of USSR State Prize:
** ...
(1943–2000), Soviet and Russian actor, film director, screenwriter and author
*
Andrey Shary
Andrey Shary (russian: Андре́й Ша́рый; born June 17, 1965) is a Russian journalist, historical author and media manager.
He studied journalism at the State Institute of International Relations in Moscow, graduating in 1987. Shary wor ...
(born 1965), Russian journalist and author
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
*
*Е. М. Поспелов (Ye. M. Pospelov). "Имена городов: вчера и сегодня (1917–1992). Топонимический словарь." (City Names: Yesterday and Today (1917–1992). Toponymic Dictionary." Москва, "Русские словари", 1993.