Baksan (; ) is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in the

Kabardino-Balkarian Republic Kabardino-Balkaria (), officially the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 904,200. Its capital is Nalchik. The area contains the highest mountain in ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, located northwest of

Nalchik Nalchik (, ; ; ) is the capital city of Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, situated at an altitude of in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains; about northwest of Beslan (Beslan is in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania). It covers an area of ...

on the left bank of the

Baksan River The Baksan () is a river in Kabardino-Balkaria in Russia. It flows east northeast and joins the Malka just before that river joins the northwest bend of the Terek. The Baksan is long, with a drainage basin of . Course The Baksan River is a 169 ...

( Terek's basin). Population:

History

It was founded in 1822 as a Russian military settlement. In the 1860s, the Kabarda settlement of Kuchmazukino was founded to the east of Baksan; it was renamed Staraya Krepost in 1920. In 1891, to the west of the settlement, the '' selo'' of Baksan was founded. Baksan and Staraya Krepost were merged in 1960.

Urban-type settlement Urban-type settlement, abbreviated: ; , abbreviated: ; ; ; ; . is an official designation for lesser urbanized settlements, used in several Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern European countries. The term was primarily used in the So ...

status was granted to it in 1965; town status was granted in 1967.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Baksan serves as the

administrative center An administrative centre 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 the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

Baksansky District Baksansky District (; ; , ''Baxsan rayon'') is an administrativeLaw #12-RZ and a municipalLaw #13-RZ district (raion), one of the ten in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Russia. It is located in the north of the republic. The area of the district ...

, 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 are typically describ ...

(the '' selo'' of

Dygulybgey Dygulybgey (; ) is a rural locality (a '' selo'') under the administrative jurisdiction of the town of republic significance of Baksan in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Russia. It is located along the northern border of Georgia. Population: In ...

), incorporated separately as the town of republic significance of Baksan—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 ...

.Law #12-RZ As a municipal division, the town of republic significance of Baksan is incorporated as Baksan Urban Okrug.Law #13-RZ

Demographics

In 2021, population included: *

Kabardians The Kabardians (Kabardian language, Kabardian: Къэбэрдей адыгэхэр; Adyghe language, Adyghe: Къэбэртай адыгэхэр; ) or Kabardinians are one of the twelve major Circassians, Circassian tribes, representing one ...

(93.4%) *

Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...

(3.7%) *

Cherkess The Circassians or Circassian people, also called Cherkess or Adyghe ( Adyghe and ), are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation who originated in Circassia, a region and former country in the North Caucasus. As a consequence of the C ...

(2.2%) *Others (0.7%)

Notable people

Sultan Sosnaliyev Sultan Aslambekovich Sosnaliyev (; 23 April 1942 – 23 November 2008) was a Soviet Army officer of Circassian ethnicity who served as a commander of Abkhaz and North Caucasian forces during the War in Abkhazia and as the defence minister of Abk ...

, ethnic Kabardian who served as a general for

Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...

References

Notes

Sources

* *

External links

Official website of Baksan

Directory of organizations in Baksan
{{Use mdy dates, date=October 2012 Cities and towns in Kabardino-Balkaria Cities and towns built in the Soviet Union Circassian communities