Cherkessk

Coordinates: 44°13′N 42°03′E / 44.217°N 42.050°E / 44.217; 42.050
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Cherkessk
Черкесск
From the top to bottom-right, Aerial view of the City, Saint Nicholas Cathedral, Friendship Monument, Central Mosque, Soviet-Era Cinema Building
Flag of Cherkessk
Coat of arms of Cherkessk
Location of Cherkessk
Map
Cherkessk is located in Russia
Cherkessk
Cherkessk
Location of Cherkessk
Cherkessk is located in Karachay-Cherkessia
Cherkessk
Cherkessk
Cherkessk (Karachay-Cherkessia)
Coordinates: 44°13′N 42°03′E / 44.217°N 42.050°E / 44.217; 42.050
CountryRussia
Federal subjectKarachay-Cherkessia
Founded1825
City status since1931
Government
 • MayorAlexey Baskaev[1]
Area
 • Total69.8 km2 (26.9 sq mi)
Elevation
530 m (1,740 ft)
Population
 • Total129,069
 • Estimate 
(2018)[3]
122,395 (−5.2%)
 • Rank127th in 2010
 • Density1,849.12/km2 (4,789.2/sq mi)
 • Subordinated tocity of republic significance of Cherkessk[4]
 • Capital ofKarachay-Cherkess Republic[4]
 • Capital ofcity of republic significance of Cherkessk[4]
 • Urban okrugCherkessk Urban Okrug[5]
 • Capital ofCherkessk Urban Okrug[5]
Time zoneUTC+3 (MSK Edit this on Wikidata[6])
Postal code(s)[7]
3690XX
Dialing code(s)+7 8782
OKTMO ID91701000001
Websitecherkessk09.ru

Cherkessk (Russian: Черке́сск; Adyghe: Шэрджэс къалэ; Kabardian: Черкес-къалэ) is the capital city of Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia, as well as its political, economic, and cultural center. Population: 129,069 (2010 Census).[2]

It was previously known as Batalpashinskaya (until 1931), Batalpashinsk (until 1934), Sulimov (until 1937), Yezhovo-Cherkessk (until 1939).

Names[edit]

In Russian, the city is called Черке́сск (Čerkessk)[8] and has similar names in the languages of the city's other major ethnic groups. In Karachay, it is Черкесск (Çerkessk)[8] or Черкесск шахар (Çerkessk şahar); in Kabardian, it is Шэрджэс къалэ (Şărdjăs qală) or Черке́сск (Čerkessk);[8] in Abaza, it is Черкес къала (Čerkes q̇ala) or Черкесск (Čerkessk);[8] in Nogai, it is Шеркеш шахар (Şerkeş şahar) and in Chechen, it is Черкесск (Čerkessk).

For its first century of existence, Cherkessk was a stanitsa, a village inside a Cossack host, which from 1825 to 1931 was named Batalpashinskaya stanitsa (Russian: Баталпашинская станица Batalpašinskaja stanica)[8] and nicknamed Pashinka (Пашинка Pašinka) In 1931, it was renamed Batalpashinsk (Баталпашинск Batałpašinsk),[9][8] and then in quick succession Sulimov (Сулимов Sulimov) in 1934[9][8] for Daniil Sulimov, Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Russian SFSR, and following Sulimov's execution in the Great Purge, Yezhovo-Cherkessk (Ежово-Черкесск Ježovo-Čerkessk) in 1937[9][8] for Nikolai Yezhov, head of the NKVD. With Yezhov's arrest, the initial "Yezhovo-" was dropped, and the city received its present name in 1939.[9][8]

History[edit]

Extract from the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee

What is now Cherkessk was established in 1804 as a Russian military fort on the Kuban River, what was then the border with Circassia, on the spot where in 1790 Russian troops under the command of General Johann Hermann von Fersen (Ivan Ivanovich Herman fon Fersen) defeated the Ottoman Batal Pasha.[9] In honor of the victory over Batal Pasha, the fort was named Batalpashinskaya; it was a redoubt surrounded by an earthen rampart and ditch.[9] (That the fort was named for an enemy leader may have led villagers to prefer the nickname Pashinka.)

Friendship of the People's Monument

The settlement itself was founded as the Cossack stanitsa of Batalpashinskaya near the Russian Army outpost. The officially recognized year of founding of Batalpashinskaya and modern Cherkessk is 1825. However, the Cossack settlers from the Khopyour and Kuban regiments began arriving in the newly organized stanitsa not earlier than spring of 1826.[10] In 1860, the village was designated as the administrative center of the Batalpashinsky Otdel of the Kuban Oblast.[9] A decree of 30 December 1869 by Tsar Alexander II transformed the village into a city of Batalpashinsk but the decree was never implemented,[11] and Batalpashinskaya remained a stanitsa until the Soviet times. In 1888, the village became a seat of one of Kuban's seven otdels.

Monument to the Soviet Soldiers of Cherkessk

In 1922, the village became the seat of the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Oblast of the RSFSR,[9] and in 1926, the Cherkess National Okrug. In 1931, it was granted town status and renamed Batalpashinsk. It received its current name of Cherkessk in 1939.[8] The city was occupied by the Nazi German Wehrmacht during World War II (the Eastern Front) from 11 August 1942 to 17 January 1943[9] as part of the Case Blue offensive. In 1957, it became the capital of the reformed Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Oblast which became the Karachay–Cherkess Republic in 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union.

Administrative and municipal status[edit]

Cherkessk is the capital of the republic.[4] Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as the city of republic significance of Cherkessk—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.[4] As a municipal division, the city of republic significance of Cherkessk is incorporated as Cherkessk Urban Okrug.[5]

Population[edit]

Cherkessk Mosque under construction
St. Nicholas Cathedral, Cherkessk

The population of Cherkessk was 129,069 in the 2010 Census,[2] 116,244 in the 2002 Census[12] and 113,060 in the 1989 Soviet Census.[13]

Ethnic groups[edit]

The city is inhabited by Russians, native Cherkess (Circassians), Karachays, Abaza, Nogays and minorities of Ukrainians, Greeks and Armenians.

1926[edit]

According to the First All-Union Census of the Soviet Union of 1926, inhabitants of Batalpashinsk (present-day Cherkessk) included:[14]

1939[edit]

The 1937 census results were suppressed and destroyed but the Soviet census of 1939 recorded:[14]

1959[edit]

The Soviet census of 1959 recorded:[14]

  • Russians (87.7%)
  • Ukrainians (2.8%)
  • Circassian (2.1%)
  • Abazins (1.8%)
  • Karachays (1.6%)
  • Nogais (0.4%)
  • Greeks (0.4%)
  • Ossetians (0.4%)

1970[edit]

The Soviet census of 1970 recorded:[14]

  • Russians (74.5%)
  • Circassian (6.4%)
  • Karachays (6.2%)
  • Abazins (5.0%)
  • Ukrainians (2.1%)
  • Nogais (1.0%)
  • Greeks (0.5%)
  • Ossetians (0.5%)

1989[edit]

According to the 1989 data from the final Soviet census, the population of the city included:[14]

  • Russians (67.8%)
  • Circassian (9.0%)
  • Karachays (7.8%)
  • Abazins (6.5%)
  • Ukrainians (2.2%)
  • Nogais (1.2%)
  • Ossetians (0.5%)
  • Greeks (0.5%)

2002[edit]

In 2002, the Russian census reported the population including:[15]

2010[edit]

In 2010, the population included:[citation needed]

2021[edit]

In 2021, the population included:[15]

Climate[edit]

Climate data for Cherkessk
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 2.1
(35.8)
3.9
(39.0)
8.2
(46.8)
14.0
(57.2)
18.7
(65.7)
22.6
(72.7)
25.6
(78.1)
26.1
(79.0)
20.9
(69.6)
14.9
(58.8)
8.8
(47.8)
3.8
(38.8)
14.1
(57.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) −3.0
(26.6)
−1.3
(29.7)
2.9
(37.2)
8.7
(47.7)
13.9
(57.0)
18.1
(64.6)
20.9
(69.6)
21.0
(69.8)
15.9
(60.6)
9.7
(49.5)
3.3
(37.9)
−1.2
(29.8)
9.1
(48.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −7.4
(18.7)
−5.9
(21.4)
−2.4
(27.7)
2.7
(36.9)
8.1
(46.6)
12.3
(54.1)
15.1
(59.2)
15.4
(59.7)
10.7
(51.3)
5.1
(41.2)
−0.8
(30.6)
−5.2
(22.6)
4.0
(39.2)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 38.3
(1.51)
29.5
(1.16)
62.5
(2.46)
57.8
(2.28)
120.4
(4.74)
95.7
(3.77)
58.7
(2.31)
46
(1.8)
60
(2.4)
50.9
(2.00)
37.1
(1.46)
35.9
(1.41)
692.8
(27.3)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 15.6
(6.1)
6.2
(2.4)
11.2
(4.4)
3.4
(1.3)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
1.9
(0.7)
7.7
(3.0)
14.3
(5.6)
60.3
(23.5)
Average rainy days 9 7 9 7 13 12 7 6 6 5 5 7 93
Average relative humidity (%) 83 79 75 67 67 67 64 66 67 74 78 82 72
Mean daily sunshine hours 3.7 4.2 4.8 6.2 7.8 9.1 9.3 9.2 7.7 5.9 3.8 3.1 6.2
Average ultraviolet index 1 2 2 3 4 4 6 5 4 2 2 2 3
Source: Climate data(Temperatures 1991-2021[16])Weather2visit,[17] World weather online (rainfall-snowfall-UV 2009-2023)[18]

Education[edit]

Cherkessk academy

Cherkessk is home to the following education institutions:

Culture[edit]

Tourism sign for Cherkessk
  • Drama Theater: ethnic, modern and classical plays
  • State Philharmonic: classical and ethnic orchestra performances
  • Elbrus State Ensemble: ethnic North Caucasian dances, dance studio
  • Ensemble of Cossack Dance and Song: ethnic performances

Sport[edit]

Notable people[edit]

  • David Safaryan, World champion in freestyle wrestling representing Armenia

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Главой Черкесска избран бывший заммэра города Алексей Баскаев".
  2. ^ a b c Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1 [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года [2010 All-Russia Population Census] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
  3. ^ "26. Численность постоянного населения Российской Федерации по муниципальным образованиям на 1 января 2018 года". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e Law #84-RZ
  5. ^ a b c Law #41-RZ
  6. ^ "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  7. ^ Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (in Russian)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "KNAB, the Place Names Database of EKI". Eki.ee. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Города России: Черкесск. Энциклопедия — М.: Большая Российская Энциклопедия. И. Кондратьева, 1994. (in Russian)
  10. ^ В. А. Колесников. Былое Невинного Мыса. К 185-летию переселения Хопёрского казачьего полка на Кубань и основания станицы Невиномысской. Ставрополь. «ЮРКИТ» 2011. (in Russian)
  11. ^ Филиппов Е. В. Город Баталпашинск: проекты и реалии. (in Russian)
  12. ^ Russian Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). 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] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian).
  13. ^ Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров [All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года [All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. 1989 – via Demoscope Weekly.
  14. ^ a b c d e Этнокавказ. Национальный состав КЧР по переписям 1926—2002 (in Russian)
  15. ^ a b "Население по национальной принадлежности, владению русским языком и его использованию по городским и муниципальным округам КЧР". Rosstat. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  16. ^ "Cherkessk Climate". Climate data. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  17. ^ "Cherkessk monthly weather averages". weather2visit. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  18. ^ "Annual weather averages - Cherkessk, Karachay-Cherkess, RU". World Weather Online. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  19. ^ "Северо-Кавказская государственная гуманитарно-технологическая академия | СевКавГГТА". Kchgta.ru. September 30, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  20. ^ "World Championship". Metal Speedway. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  21. ^ "World Championship". Speedway.org. Retrieved February 2, 2024.

Sources[edit]

  • Народное Собрание (Парламент) Карачаево-Черкесской Республики. Закон №84-РЗ от 24 февраля 2004 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Карачаево-Черкесской Республики», в ред. Закона №34-РЗ от 5 июля 2011 г «О внесении изменений в некоторые законодательные акты Карачаево-Черкесской Республики в связи с изменением наименования должности высшего должностного лица Карачаево-Черкесской Республики». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "День Республики", №36-37 (16431), 28 февраля 2004 г. (People's Assembly (Parliament) of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic. Law #84-RZ of February 24, 2004 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic, as amended by the Law #34-RZ of July 5, 2011 On Amending Various Legislative Acts of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic Due to the Change of the Title of the Top Executive Position of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic. Effective as of the official publication date.).
  • Народное Собрание (Парламент) Карачаево-Черкесской Республики. Закон №41-РЗ от 7 декабря 2004 г. «Об установлении границ муниципального образования города Черкесска и наделении его статусом городского округа», в ред. Закона №35-РЗ от 23 июня 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Карачаево-Черкесской Республики "Об установлении границ муниципального образования города Черкесска и наделении его статусом городского округа"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "День Республики", №207–208 (16602), 14 декабря 2004 г. (People's Assembly (Parliament) of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic. Law #41-RZ of December 7, 2004 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formation of the Town of Cherkessk and on Granting It Urban Okrug Status, as amended by the Law #35-RZ of June 23, 2014 On Amending the Law of the Karachay–Cherkess Republic "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formation of the Town of Cherkessk and on Granting It Urban Okrug Status". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).

External links[edit]