Gusinoozersk (; , ''Galuuta Nuur''; , ''Galuutnuur'') 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 ...

and 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 ...

of Selenginsky District of the

Republic of Buryatia Buryatia, officially the Republic of Buryatia, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia located in the Russian Far East. Formerly part of the Siberian Federal District, it has been administered as part of the Far Eastern Federal District sin ...

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 ...

. Population: 13,800 (1970). It was previously known as ''Shakhty'' (until 1953).

Geography

The town is located in the area of the

Selenga Highlands The Selenga Highlands () are a mountainous area in Buryatia and the southwestern end of Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia. The Highlands are named after the Selenga River. Protected areas in the Highlands include the Baikal Nature Reserve and the Altach ...

, on the northeastern shore of Lake Gusinoye, southwest of

Ulan-Ude Ulan-Ude (; , ; , ) is the capital city of Buryatia, Russia, located about southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River, Buryatia, Uda River at its confluence with the Selenga River, Selenga. According to the Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census, 43 ...

History

It was founded in 1939 under the name ''Shakhty'' (), in connection with the commencement of exploitation of

brown coal Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, Combustion, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered ...

deposits in the area. In 1953, it was granted town status and given its present name, derived from ''Gusinoye Ozero'' (lit. "goose lake"), the

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

name for the lake on which the town stands. Goose Lake Buryatia

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Gusinoozersk serves as the

of Selenginsky District.Resolution #43 As an administrative division, it is, together with two rural localities, incorporated within Selenginsky District as the

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 ...

of Gusinoozersk. As a municipal division, the Town of Gusinoozyorsk is incorporated within Selenginsky Municipal District as Gusinoozersk Urban Settlement.Law #985-III

Economy

The main focus of the town's economy remains brown coal production and the associated power station, although mining activities on the nearby deposits slowed during the economic crisis of the 1990s.

Transportation

Zagustay railway station on the

Trans-Mongolian Railway The Trans-Mongolian Railway (, ) connects Ulan-Ude on the Trans-Siberian Railway in Buryatia, Russia, with Ulanqab in Inner Mongolia, China, via Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. It was completed in 1956, and runs from northwest to south ...

is located north-west of the town.

Military

The 245th Motor Rifle Division of the

Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

was located in the town until it was reduced to a Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment in 2006.

References

Notes

Sources

* *

External links

Official website of Gusinoozyorsk

Gusinoozyorsk Business Directory
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Buryatia Populated places in Selenginsky District Cities and towns built in the Soviet Union Populated places established in 1939 1939 establishments in the Soviet Union