Kingisepp
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Kingisepp ( or ), formerly Yamburg (), Yam (), and Yama (; Votic: Jaama), 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
Kingiseppsky District Kingiseppsky District (, ) is an administrativeOblast Law #32-oz and municipalLaw #81-oz district (raion), one of the administrative divisions of Leningrad Oblast, seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the southwest of the oblast ...
of
Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast (, ; ; ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). The oblast has an area of and a population of 2,000,997 (2021 Russian census, 2021 Census); up from 1,716,868 recorded in the 2010 Russian census ...
,
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 along the
Luga River The Luga () is a river in Novgorodsky and Batetsky Districts of Novgorod Oblast and Luzhsky, Volosovsky, Slantsevsky, and Kingiseppsky Districts of Leningrad Oblast of Russia. The river flows into the Luga Bay of the Gulf of Finland. It free ...
southwest of St. Petersburg, east of
Narva Narva is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in the Ida-Viru County, at the Extreme points of Estonia, eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva (river), Narva river which forms the Estonia–Russia border, E ...
, and south of the
Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland (; ; ; ) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and Estonia to the south, to Saint Petersburg—the second largest city of Russia—to the east, where the river Neva drains into it. ...
. Population:


History


14th century

The town was first documented in 1384, when the Novgorodians under Patrikas built there a
fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...
against the Swedes. It was called Yama or Yamsky Gorodok, after the Izhorian (ethnic Finnic group) name Jaama. The environs of the town are still cited as the main location of speakers of the nearly extinct Izhorian language. The citadel withstood sieges by the Swedes in 1395 and by the
Teutonic Knights The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to t ...
during the 1444–1448 war.


15-16th century

The town became the most important economic center of the of the Novgorod Republic. There were 201 homesteads in the 15th century in the town; its total population can only be evaluated roughly based on the estimates of three to five persons per homestead. At the end of the
Livonian War The Livonian War (1558–1583) concerned control of Terra Mariana, Old Livonia (in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia). The Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of the Denmark–Norway, Dano-Norwegian Realm, the Kingdom ...
, it was ceded to
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
, only to be returned twelve years later, in 1595.


17th century

Following the
Treaty of Stolbovo The Treaty of Stolbovo (; ) was a peace treaty that ended the Ingrian War (), which had been fought between the Swedish Empire and the Russian Tsardom between 1610 and 1617. History After nearly two months of negotiations, representatives from ...
, it again passed to the Swedes, who kept the name which in Swedish orthography became ''Jama'' or ''Jamo''. The town was completely destroyed by Russian armies during the war of 1656–1658, after which only the citadel remained intact. The Swedes demolished the citadel in 1681. It is questionable whether the town, with its exclusively Russian population, ever recovered.


18th century

First held by the Russians for a month in late 1700, what was left of the citadel was finally taken by the Russians in the course of the
Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...
in 1703. On May 14, 1703, Yam was renamed Yamburg (a German version of the name). Five years later,
Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
granted the town to Alexander Menshikov in his capacity of the Duke of
Izhora The Izhora (, ), also known as the Inger, is a left tributary of the Neva on its run through Ingria in northwestern Russia from Lake Ladoga to the Gulf of Finland. The Izhora flows through Gatchinsky and Tosnensky Districts of Leningrad Oblast ...
. In the course of the administrative reform, Yamburg was included into Ingermanland Governorate (known since 1710 as
Saint Petersburg Governorate Saint Petersburg Governorate was a province (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Saint Petersburg. The governorate was composed of of area and 2,112,033 inhabitants. It was bordered by Governorate of Estonia, Estonian and G ...
). In 1780,
Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...
re-approved with some changes a previously existing coat of arms. Uyezd town status was granted to it in 1784.


20th century


Russian Civil War

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...
reportedly stayed in Yamburg in January 1919, when he ordered the
Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...
troops to retake the town of
Narva Narva is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in the Ida-Viru County, at the Extreme points of Estonia, eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva (river), Narva river which forms the Estonia–Russia border, E ...
from Estonian forces. In October 1919, the anti-Bolshevist commander, General
Nikolai Yudenich Nikolai Nikolayevich Yudenich ( Russian: Николай Николаевич Юденич; – 5 October 1933) was a commander of the Russian Imperial Army during World War I. He was a leader of the anti-communist White movement in northweste ...
captured Yamburg, which marked the beginning of the push by the Northwestern White Army towards
Petrograd Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...
. However, the Bolsheviks subsequently re-captured Yamburg on November 14, 1919. On November 16, 1919, the forces of General Yudenich were "crowded together in a small space near Yamburg" "in a serious state of disorganization", reported ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. The German form of the town name was retained until 1922, when the Bolsheviks renamed it in honor of the exiled Estonian Communist leader
Viktor Kingissepp Viktor Eduard Kingissepp (; – 4 May 1922) was an Estonian communist politician, the leader of the Estonian Communist Party. The son of a factory worker, he joined a Marxist circle as a schoolboy in Arensburg (now ) (which was renamed Kingi ...
.


Kingisepp–Gdov Offensive

During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Kingisepp was occupied by
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
troops from August 16, 1941 until February 1, 1944, when the 109th Rifle Corps captured the town, forcing the
German 18th Army The 18th Army (German: ''18. Armee'') was a World War II field army in the German ''Wehrmacht''. Formed in November 1939 in Military Region (''Wehrkreis'') VI, the 18th Army was part of the offensive into the Netherlands (Battle of the Netherlan ...
into new positions on the eastern bank of Narva.


Administrative changes

In the beginning of the 20th century, Yamburg was the seat of Yamburgsky Uyezd of St. Petersburg Governorate (later known as Petrograd and Leningrad Governorate). On May 17, 1922, Yamburgsky Uyezd was renamed Kingiseppsky, simultaneously with the town. On August 1, 1927, the uyezds were abolished and Kingiseppsky District, with 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 ...
in Kingisepp, was established. The governorates were also abolished, and the district became a part of Leningrad Okrug of
Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast (, ; ; ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). The oblast has an area of and a population of 2,000,997 (2021 Russian census, 2021 Census); up from 1,716,868 recorded in the 2010 Russian census ...
. On July 23, 1930, the okrugs were abolished as well and the districts were directly subordinated to the oblast. Between March 22, 1935 and September 19, 1940, Kingisepp was the administrative center of Kingisepp Okrug of Leningrad Oblast, one of the okrugs abutting the state boundaries of the Soviet Union. After Kingisepp Okrug was abolished on September 19, 1940, Kingisepp became a town of oblast significance on December 17, 1940. In 2010, the administrative structure of Leningrad Oblast was harmonized with the municipal structure and Kingisepp became a town of district significance.


Geography


Climate


Administrative and municipal divisions

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Kingisepp 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 ...
of
Kingiseppsky District Kingiseppsky District (, ) is an administrativeOblast Law #32-oz and municipalLaw #81-oz district (raion), one of the administrative divisions of Leningrad Oblast, seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the southwest of the oblast ...
.Oblast Law #32-oz As an administrative division, it is, together with the
village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
of Porkhovo, incorporated within Kingiseppsky District as Kingiseppskoye Settlement Municipal Formation. As a municipal division, Kingiseppskoye Settlement Municipal Formation is incorporated within Kingiseppsky Municipal District as Kingiseppskoye Urban Settlement.Law #81-oz


Economy


Industry

The economy of Kingisepp is based on chemical, glass, and food industries. It is the location for the
EuroChem EuroChem Group AG is a Swiss fertilizer producer. It is a fertilizer manufacturer with its own capacity in all three primary nutrients – nitrogen, phosphates and potash. It is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. It manufactures and markets agri ...
Northwest ammonia plant which has the largest single-train production capacity in Europe, at 1 million tpy.


Transportation

The railway connecting St. Petersburg with
Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...
passes through Kingisepp and has a
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
in it. There is infrequent suburban service to the Baltiysky railway station in St. Petersburg and to Ivangorod. The A180 Highway, connecting St. Petersburg and Ivangorod, passes Kingisepp as well. It coincides with the
European route E20 European route E20 is a part of the United Nations International E-road network. It runs roughly west–east through Ireland, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, and Russia. Its length is but it is not continuous; at three points, a ...
connecting St. Petersburg via Tallinn. Kingisepp is also connected by road with Volosovo and Slantsy.


Culture

Kingisepp contains thirteen cultural heritage monuments of federal significance and additionally seventeen objects classified as cultural and historical heritage of local significance. The federal monuments include the
Yam Fortress Yam (Yama, Yamgorod, ) is a fortification, fortress and heritage site located on the eastern bank of the Luga (river), Luga river in Kingisepp, Leningrad Oblast, Russia. The fortress was built in 1384 by Ivan Fyodorovich, a boyar (noble) of th ...
, the (by Antonio Rinaldi), and the complex of military barracks of the 19th century. Kingisepp has a local history museum. It was open in 1960 and is located in the buildings of the St. Catherine Cathedral. In 1990, the cathedral was transferred to
Russian Orthodox Church The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...
and the museum was closed until 1999, when it re-opened in the former building of the commercial school, an architecture monument.


Twin towns – sister cities

Kingisepp is twinned with: *
Bielsk Podlaski Bielsk Podlaski (, , ) is a town in eastern Poland, within Bielsk County in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 24,883. Geography Bielsk Podlaski is located in the geographical region of Europe known as ...
, Poland *
Jõhvi Jõhvi ( ; ; ) is a town in northeastern Estonia, and the administrative seat of Ida-Viru County and Jõhvi Parish. The town is located about 50 km west of the Estonia–Russia international border. History Jõhvi was first mentioned as ...
, Estonia *
Narvik () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
, Norway *
Pitsunda Pitsunda or Bichvinta ( ka, ბიჭვინთა, ; ; ) is a resort town in the Gagra District of Abkhazia/Georgia. Founded by Greek colonists in the 5th century BC, Pitsunda became an important political and religious centre of the region i ...
, Georgia * Raisio, Finland *
Renhuai Renhuai () is a county-level city located in the north of Guizhou province, China, bordering Sichuan province to the west. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Zunyi. The city is served by Zunyi Maotai Airport. Administr ...
, China *
Sassnitz Sassnitz (, before 1993 in ) is a town on the Jasmund peninsula, Rügen Island, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The population as of 2012 was 9,498. Sassnitz is a well-known seaside resort and port town, and is a gateway to th ...
, Germany * Svietlahorsk, Belarus


Notable people

* Aleksei Ionov (1989), association football player * Vera Karelina (1870–1931), labor activist and revolutionary *
Aleksandr Kerzhakov Aleksandr Anatolyevich Kerzhakov ( ; born 27 November 1982) is a Russian professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. He used ...
(1982), association football player * Mikhail Kerzhakov (1987), association football player * Pavel Mogilevets (1993), association football player *
Grigory Spiridonovich Petrov Grigory Spiridonovich Petrov (; 6 February 1866 – 1925) was a priest, public figure, and publicist. Petrov was born in Yamburg (now Kingisepp, Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast (, ; ; ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal su ...
(1868–1925), politician * Ivan Shpakov (1986), association football player * Gustav Heinrich Johann Apollon Tammann (1861–1938), scientist


References


Notes


Sources

* *


External links

* *
Pictures of Kingisepp
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Leningrad Oblast Kingiseppsky District Yamburgsky Uyezd