Irkutsk Oblast

Irkutsk Oblast (English)
Иркутская область (Russian)
-  Oblast  -
Map of Russia - Irkutsk Oblast (2008-03).svg
Coordinates:
Coat of arms of Irkutsk Oblast.png
Coat of arms of Irkutsk Oblast		 Flag of Irkutsk Oblast.svg
Flag of Irkutsk Oblast
Anthem None
Political status
Country Russia
Political status Oblast
Federal district Siberian[1]
Economic region East Siberian[2]
Administrative center Irkutsk
Official language Russian[3]
Statistics
Population (2002 Census)[4] 2,581,705 inhabitants
- Rank within Russia 20th
- Urban[4] 79.3%
- Rural[4] 20.7%
- Density 3.36 /km2 (8.7 /sq mi)[5]
Area (as of the 2002 Census)[6] 767,900 km2 (296,487.8 sq mi)
- Rank within Russia 5th
Established September 26, 1937
License plates 38
ISO 3166-2:RU RU-IRK
Time zone IRKT/IRKST (UTC+8/+9)
Government (as of August 2009)
Governor[7] Dmitry Mezentsev[8]
Legislature Legislative Assembly[9]
Charter Charter of Irkutsk Oblast
Official website
http://www.govirk.ru/

Irkutsk Oblast (Russian: Ирку́тская о́бласть, Irkutskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in south-eastern Siberia in the basins of Angara River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is Irkutsk.

Contents

History

By the end of the 17th century Irkutsk was a small town, the monasteries were being built, the suburbs and agricultural settlements were being formed.

Since the 18th century in Irkutsk the trades and crafts began to develop, the golden and silver craftsmen, smiths appeared. In relation with the expansion of Russian state to the East from Irkutsk, the city became a capital of enormous territories from the Enisey to the Pacific, it played an important role in the exploration and securing vast Eastern-Siberian and Far-Eastern territories to Russia. Gradually Irkutsk gained more meaning as the main transportation and trade center of Eastern Siberia, it became a center of trade routes from Kamchatka, Chukotka to Yakutia, Mongolia, and China. The administrative meaning of the city increased: it became a center of one fifth of the provinces of Siberia; in 1764 it became a center of independent province.

The 18th century, in the history of Irkutsk, was a century of the research expeditions. In Irkutsk first and second expeditions of Vitus Bering to the shores of Kamchatka were organized.

The merchant class formed in a city. In the second half of the 18th century Irkutsk industrial and merchant companies of Golikov, Trapeznikov, Bechevin, Milinikov, Sibirakov began to explore the Aleutian Islands and later Alaska. In 1799 the merchant companies were united in Russian- American company “for the trades on the territory of the Aleutian and Kuril islands and the rest part of North-Eastern sea, belonging to Russia by the right of discovery.” Grigorii Ivanovich Shelikhov, an outstanding seafarer, played an important role in mastering enormous spaces of northern part of Pacific ocean. He founded first colonies of Russian America.

In 1727 the Irkutsk Eparchy was founded.

During the 18th century educational school, professional-technical education, science, museums, library, theater, book-printing were developed in Irkutsk. Educational and cultural organizations were opened. In 1725 first school in Eastern Siberia, attached to Voznesenskii monastery, was opened, in 1754 – sea (navigation) school and secondary schools were opened. The 1780s were marked by the opening of the second public library among province towns in Russia, regional museum and an amateur theater. In Irkutsk outstanding representatives appeared, still remembered by the people. These were an architect, geographer, historian A.I.Losev, a writer I.T.Kalashnikov, a teacher S.S.Schukin. Siberian science was created. A.G.Laxman, Lomonosov’s apprentice, one of the first Siberian mineralogist, worked in Irkutsk.

The city landscape was changing. The Spassky church, the oldest stone building of Eastern Siberia, unique Krestovozdvizhenskaya church, “Prikaznaya izba” (order house), first stone construction, and the Triumph gate were built.

In the late 18th century – the early 19th century Irkutsk was gradually increasing its meaning as a trade, craft, cultural city. It became the center of trade with China and since 1830-ths – a gold-manufacturing center of Eastern Siberia and. In 1803 Irkutsk became a center of Siberian general-governor unit, and in 1822 it became a center of Eastern Siberian general – governor unit. General- governors of Eastern Siberia influenced on the city fate greatly.

Irkutsk merchants explored the Eniseisky and Leno-Vitimskii golden regions, they substantially increased their capitals, they became the richest merchants in Siberia. Irkutsk merchant class began to play remarkable role in a city development. Intensive city construction was being undertaken. Private residences, hospitals, orphanages, educational schools were built, significant funds were spent on education and the development of science.

An architectural look of the city was being changed. The White House, done in Russian classic style, Moscow Triumphal Gates – outstanding monument of the 19th century, were built in the honor of the 10th anniversary since the day of the beginning of Alexander I rule.

In the second half of the 19th century the book printing appeared in Irkutsk, first newspapers “Irkutsk province news”, “Amur” were released. The names of A.P.Schapov, M.B.Zagoskin, V.I.Vagin were connected with the newspaper “Siberia”. In 1851 first scientific organization of Eastern Siberia – the Siberian branch of Russian geographical society, was opened. In 1877 it was called Eastern-Siberian branch. V.I.Dybovskii, A.L.Chekanovskii, I.D.Cherskii, V.A.Obruchev, a geologist, geographer and researcher of Siberia, worked in Irkutsk on exploring Baikal and Lena.

The 1879 summer could be considered to be a dramatic period in city history. In the 22–24 July fire of the almost all central part of the city was burnt, more than the two thirds of city constructions and 75 city districts were destroyed.The city began to revive, getting a new look. Stone and wooden constructions built after the fire have been preserved up to present days.

The arrival of the first train via the Trans Siberian main line to Irkutsk in 1898 could be marked as the most remarkable event in the late 19th century. The construction of Great Siberian main line contributed to the further city development.

The lives of the politically exiled were connected with Irkutsk city. First exiled, who lived in Irkutsk for more than 3 months, was A.N. Radischev. Since the 1830s the Decembrists lived in settlements and in the colonies near Irkutsk. Volkonskii and Trubetskoy’ houses became house-museums at the present time. N.A.Panov, I.V.Podzhio, A.Z.Muraviev, P.A.Muhanov, A.P.Yushnevsky, V.A.Bechasnov, the wife of Trubetskoy and their children stayed in Irkutsk land forever. In the late 1850s the Petrashevtzy appeared in Irkutsk. The exiled historian-democrat, A.P.Schapov, lived here till his last days, the Polish rebels and revolutionaries (including “narodniki”) lived here as well.

A well-known Russian publicist of the 19th century, N. Shelgunov, wrote about Irkutsk: “Irkutsk is the only Siberian city, which has the city character. ...As England created London, France - Paris, Siberia – created Irkutsk. Siberia is proud of Irkutsk, “not see this city” means “not to see Siberia”.

In the early 19th century the city was considerably changed, especially its center. Large building were being built, mason streets were being made, cab drivers and night light appeared. The water-supply and first electrification stations began to work. The Irkutsk Regional museum with stamped last names of famous researches of Siberia on its walls (1883), the building of the first public community, city theater (1897), Kazan' cathedral, made in new Byzantine style(1893), and the Roman Catholic cathedral (1895) completed an architectural style of the city. In 1908 a monument to Alexander III was opened on a picturesque place of Angara embankment.

The city was damaged and influenced by the political events of the 20th century – the Russian revolution, the 1917 October revolution, the Civil war and the Great Patriotic War.

Since the 1930s industrial construction of the city has begun. Mechanical engineering plants, the air plant, brick and concrete plants, tea fabric, plants of food industry were being built. Economic development of the city contributed to scientific, educational and cultural development. The first-born of the Higher education in Eastern Siberia, Irkutsk State University was founded in 1918. Its departments were developing as independent institutes: medical, pedagogical, finance-economical. In 1930 the metallurgic institute was opened, in 1934 agricultural institute was organized.

Since the 1950s a fast development of Irkutsk city began after the Great Patriotic War, modern industrious look of a city was being built up. In 1947 streetcar routes were opened in the city, trolleybus routes in 1972. In 1958 a TV center was established. The city large district and micro regions construction period began. New districts such as Baikalskii, Solnechnii, Ubileinii, Primorskii, Akademgorodok and others were growing up.[10]

Geography

The Circum-Baikal Railway skirts the southwestern tip of Lake Baikal

Irkutsk Oblast borders with the Buryat and Tuva Republics in the south and south-west, with Krasnoyarsk Krai in the west, with the Sakha Republic in the north-east, and with Zabaykalsky Krai in the east.

The unique and world-famous Lake Baikal is located in the southeast of the region. It is drained by the Angara, which flows north across the province; the outflow rate is controlled by the Irkutsk Dam. The two other major dams on the Irkutsk Oblast's section of the Angara are at Bratsk and Ust-Ilimsk; both forming large reservoirs. The Lena has its source in Irkutsk Oblast as well, and flows north-east into the neighboring Sakha Republic.

Irkutsk Oblast consists mostly of the hills and broad valleys of the Central Siberian Plateau and of its eastern extension, the Patom Plateau.

Climate

The climate varies from warm summer continental in the south to continental-subarctic in the northern part (Köppen climate classification: Dwc). For almost half the year, from mid-October until the beginning of April, the average temperature is below 0 °C (32 °F).[11] Winters are very cold, with average high temperatures in Irkutsk of −14.9 °C (5.2 °F) and average lows of −25.3 °C (−13.5 °F) in January. Summers are warm but short: the average high in July is 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) and the average low is 11.2 °C (52.2 °F). However, by September, the weather cools down significantly to an average daily maximum of 15.3 °C (59.5 °F) and an average daily minimum of 2.5 °C (36.5 °F).[12][13] More than half of all precipitation falls in the summer months, with the wettest month being July, with 96.2 mm (3.79 in) of rain. January is the driest month, with only 11 mm (0.4 in) of precipitation. Annual precipitation averages 419.8 mm (16.53 in).[14]

Economy

The Ust-Ilimsk Dam

The main industries of Irkutsk Oblast are metals, energy, logging, oil and fuels, machine-building, chemicals, food industry, and hydroelectricity. The average wages in Irkutsk Oblast are 10% higher than in Russia overall.

Administrative divisions

Demographics

The population of the oblast is 2.77 million, of whom 79.6% live in urban areas, and 20.4% in rural areas. The oblast is very thinly populated, with a population density of 3.5 people per square kilometer, compared to a national average of 8.7. Irkutsk is the administrative center and largest city, with 594,500 residents. Other large cities are Angarsk (267,000 people), Bratsk (253,600 people), Usolye-Sibirskoye (104,300 people), and Ust-Ilimsk (107,200 people).

Most of the population are ethnic Russians. A minority group, the Buryats, have a special Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug inside the oblast. Russians and other Slavic/Germanic groups make up 93.38% of the population, according to the 2002 Census, while Buryats are 3.1%. Tofalars number 837, an increase from 722 in 1989.

One small ethnic group, concentrated in three villages (Pikhtinsk, Sredne-Pikhtinsk, and Dagnik) in Zalarinsky District is the so-called "Bug Hollanders": descendants of Polish-speaking Lutheran farmers who had moved to Siberia from the then Russian Volhynia in 1911-1912 in search of affordable land. Although they had long lost German (or Dutch) language of their ancestors (even in the early 20th century they spoke Ukrainian and read Polish), they were still considered ethnic Germans, and during World War II were usually drafted for work in labor camps, instead of front-line military service.[15]

Irkutsk Oblast registered natural population growth in 2008, first time after 1993.[16] But still the future prospects for population growth in Irkutsk seems bleak. In 2007, women in Irkutsk were having an average of 1.602 children each. Fertility rate was extremely low in urban areas, where women were having just 1.477 children each. In Rural areas however, the Fertility rate was slightly above replaceable levels. In rural areas of Irkutsk Oblast, women were having an average of 2.165 children each. (Figures are not available for 2008, although for Russia as a whole Fertility rates for 2008 were approx. 6% higher than that in 2007, and for Irkutsk 9% higher).[17]

Vital Statistics for 2008

District in 2007 Type Birth Rate[19] Death Rate NGR
Irkutsk Oblast Obl 13.8 14.0 -0.02%
Bratsk Urb 11.8 13.0 -0.12%
Zima Urb 17.4 17.2 0.02%
Irkutsk Urb 13.5 12.6 0.09%
Sayansk Urb 12.9 11.8 0.11%
Svirsk Urb 14.3 21.7 -0.74%
Tulun Urb 13.9 15.3 -0.14%
Usolye-Sibirskoye Urb 13.1 16.3 -0.32%
Ust-Ilimsk Urb 10.5 9.4 0.11%
Cheremkhovo Urb 15.1 20.6 -0.55%
Angarsky Rur 11.0 13.5 -0.25%
Balagansky Rur 15.9 14.1 0.18%
Bodaybinsky Rur 13.6 13.9 -0.03%
Bratsky Rur 13.5 14.7 -0.12%
Zhigalovsky Rur 18.8 16.7 0.21%
Zalarinsky Rur 16.0 15.9 0.01%
Ziminsky Rur 14.7 16.4 -0.17%
Irkutsky Rur 16.1 13.1 0.30%
Kazachinsko-Lensky Rur 15.3 11.8 0.35%
Katangsky Rur 12.8 14.6 -0.18%
Kachugsky Rur 17.3 15.4 0.19%
Kirensky Rur 13.6 14.7 -0.11%
Kuytunsky Rur 16.0 17.0 -0.10%
Mamsko-Chuysky Rur 9.9 19.3 -0.94%
Nizhneilimsky Rur 14.3 15.0 -0.07%
Nizhneudinsky Rur 14.2 19.9 -0.57%
Olkhonsky Rur 18.6 13.0 0.56%
Slyudyansky Rur 16.4 15.6 0.08%
Tayshetsky Rur 13.6 16.4 -0.28%
Tulunsky Rur 15.8 15.9 -0.01%
Usolsky Rur 14.1 14.0 0.01%
Ust-Ilimsky Rur 14.4 12.3 0.21%
Ust-Kutsky Rur 16.5 14.5 0.20%
Ust-Udinsky Rur 19.0 15.4 0.36%
Cheremkhovsky Rur 18.1 16.1 0.20%
Chunsky Rur 14.4 16.4 -0.20%
Shelekhovsky Rur 13.7 12.3 0.14%
Alarsky OAO 15.5 11.7 0.38%
Bayandayevsky OAO 18.2 14.0 0.42%
Bokhansky OAO 16.1 12.9 0.32%
Nukutsky OAO 21.2 12.6 0.86%
Osinsky OAO 17.9 12.3 0.56%
Ekhirit-Bulagatsky OAO 20.8 11.5 0.93%

Health

Despite its remoteness, Irkutsk was reported in 2004 to have the highest HIV infection rate in Russia.[20] Tens of thousands of drug addicts, mostly ethnic Russians in their mid to late teens are infected. The number of reported AIDS cases increased by more than 10,000% during the 1999-2000 period. Although the epidemic, which started in 1999, is reported to have slowed down, Irkutsk will lose tens of thousands of its working age population from 2010 onwards. This is one of the reasons Irkutsk's male life expectancy, at 53 years, is one of the lowest in all of Russia. Preventive measures are in place to prevent the spread of the epidemic to the generation which was born after the breakup of the USSR.[21][22][23][24][25][26]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Президент Российской Федерации. Указ №849 от 13 мая 2000 г. «О полномочном представителе Президента Российской Федерации в федеральном округе». Вступил в силу 13 мая 2000 г. Опубликован: "Собрание законодательства РФ", №20, ст. 2112, 15 мая 2000 г. (President of the Russian Federation. Decree #849 of May 13, 2000 On the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in a Federal District. Effective as of May 13, 2000).
  2. ↑ Госстандарт Российской Федерации. №ОК 024-95 27 декабря 1995 г. «Общероссийский классификатор экономических регионов. 2. Экономические районы», в ред. Изменения №5/2001 ОКЭР. (Gosstandart of the Russian Federation. #OK 024-95 December 27, 1995 Russian Classification of Economic Regions. 2. Economic Regions, as amended by the Amendment #5/2001 OKER. ).
  3. ↑ According to Article 68.1 of the Constitution of Russia, Russian is the official language on the whole territory of the Russian Federation. Article 68.2 further stipulates that only the republics have the right to establish official languages other than Russian.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2004-05-21). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек (Population of Russia, its federal districts, federal subjects, districts, urban localities, rural localities—administrative centers, and rural localities with population of over 3,000)" (in Russian). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002). Federal State Statistics Service. http://perepis2002.ru/ct/html/TOM_01_04_1.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-01. 
  5. ↑ The value of density was calculated automatically by dividing the 2002 Census population by the area specified in the infobox. Please note that this value may not be accurate as the area specified in the infobox is not necessarily reported for the same year as the Census (2002).
  6. ↑ Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2004-05-21). "Территория, число районов, населённых пунктов и сельских администраций по субъектам Российской Федерации (Territory, Number of Districts, Inhabited Localities, and Rural Administration by Federal Subjects of the Russian Federation)" (in Russian). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002). Federal State Statistics Service. http://perepis2002.ru/ct/html/TOM_01_03.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-17. 
  7. ↑ Charter, Article 9.2
  8. ↑ Official website of the Government of Irkutsk Oblast. Dmitry Fyodorovich Mezentsev, Governor of Irkutsk Oblast (Russian)
  9. ↑ Charter, Article 9.1
  10. ↑ http://www.manus.baikal.ru/eng/essay.htm
  11. ↑ [1]
  12. ↑ [2]
  13. ↑ [3]
  14. ↑ [4]
  15. ↑ Olga Solovyova (Ольга Соловьева) "Bug 'Hollanders'" (БУЖСКИЕ ГОЛЕНДРЫ) (Russian)
  16. ↑ [5]
  17. ↑ [6]
  18. ↑ http://www.gks.ru/dbscripts/Cbsd/DBInet.cgi?pl=2415002
  19. ↑ http://irkutskstat.gks.ru/digital/region1/default.aspx
  20. ↑ "Russia Sees an AIDS 'Explosion'" Washington Post, June 13, 2004
  21. ↑ [7]
  22. ↑ [8]
  23. ↑ [9]
  24. ↑ [10]
  25. ↑ [11]
  26. ↑ [12]

Sources

Further reading

External links

Subdivisions of Russia
Federal subjects
Republics
Adygea · Altai · Bashkortostan · Buryatia · Chechnya · Chuvashia · Dagestan · Ingushetia · Kabardino-Balkaria · Kalmykia · Karachay-Cherkessia · Karelia · Khakassia · Komi · Mari El · Mordovia · North Ossetia-Alania · Sakha · Tatarstan · Tuva · Udmurtia
Krais
Oblasts
Amur · Arkhangelsk · Astrakhan · Belgorod · Bryansk · Chelyabinsk · Irkutsk · Ivanovo · Kaliningrad · Kaluga · Kemerovo · Kirov · Kostroma · Kurgan · Kursk · Leningrad · Lipetsk · Magadan · Moscow · Murmansk · Nizhny Novgorod · Novgorod · Novosibirsk · Omsk · Orenburg · Oryol · Penza · Pskov · Rostov · Ryazan · Sakhalin · Samara · Saratov · Smolensk · Sverdlovsk · Tambov · Tomsk · Tula · Tver · Tyumen · Ulyanovsk · Vladimir · Volgograd · Vologda · Voronezh · Yaroslavl
Federal cities
Autonomous oblasts
Autonomous okrugs
Chukotka · Khantia-Mansia1 · Nenetsia2 · Yamalia1
1administratively subordinated to Tyumen Oblast 2 administratively subordinated to Arkhangelsk Oblast
Federal districts
Central · Far Eastern · North Caucasian · Northwestern · Siberian · Southern · Urals · Volga