Severobaykalsk

Severobaykalsk (English) Северобайкальск (Russian) Хойто-Байгал (Buryat)
-  Town  -
250px Severobaykalsk railway station
Severobaykalsk Location of Severobaykalsk in the Republic of Buryatia
Coordinates:
Administrative status (as of May 2010)
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Republic of Buryatia
Administratively subordinated to	town of republic significance of Severobaykalsk
Administrative center of	town of republic significance of Severobaykalsk
Municipal status (as of October 2011)
Urban okrug	Severobaykalsk Urban Okrug
Administrative center of	Severobaykalsk Urban Okrug
Mayor	Vladimir Bodrov
Statistics
Population (2010 Census)	24,929 inhabitants
Time zone	IRKT (UTC+08:00)
Founded	1974
Town status since	1980
Postal code(s)	81420
Dialing code(s)	+7 30130
Severobaykalsk on Wikimedia Commons

Severobaykalsk (Russian: Северобайка́льск; Buryat: Хойто-Байгал, Khojto-Bajgal) is a town in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located on the northern end of Lake Baikal at the mouth of the Tyya River, 440 kilometers (270 mi) northwest of Ulan-Ude and 490 kilometers (300 mi) northeast of Irkutsk. Population: 24,929 (2010 Census); 25,434 (2002 Census); 28,336 (1989 Census).

Geography

Severobaykalsk is located on a plateau at the northern end of Lake Baikal at the mouth of the Tyya River. To the west the town is surrounded by the Baikal Mountains, to the northeast by the Stanovoy Range. Severobaykalsk is geographically isolated, the closest town is Ust-Kut, more than 260 kilometers (160 mi) away. The closest large cities are Ulan-Ude, 440 kilometers (270 mi) to the southeast and Irkutsk, more than 490 kilometers (300 mi) to the southwest.

History

The history of Severobaykalsk is closely related to the history of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM). It was founded in 1974 as a work settlement for workers constructing the BAM, serving as a logistics center and a central starting point for the railway project. To the west the railway line was developed to Bratsk and to the east to Tynda. At this time the only settlement in the area was the village Nizhneangarsk, located at the edge of a swampy plain at the northern tip of the lake. It was decided to develop the new town Severobaykalsk 20 kilometers (12 mi) southwest of Nizhneangarsk on a plateau above the lake, thus allowing further extensions and development in the future. Originally it was planned to increase the population to 140,000 people.

The first volunteers of the Komsomol and workers arrived in 1974 and founded a work camp that would later become the town of Severobaykalsk. The camp was initially named Novogodny (Russian: Новогодний, lit. New Year) and consisted of tents, wooden shacks and railway cars. The camp grew rapidly with the development of the railway, and Severobaykalsk was eventually granted town status in 1980. During this time until official completion of the railway line in 1984 the town had a partnership with Leningrad. Since completion of the Baikal Amur Mainline the town has been in decline, with many projects cancelled during Perestroika.

Population reached a high with an estimated 35,000 inhabitants in the 1980s and subsequently declined. As the town was founded mostly by volunteers of the Komsomol the population is relatively young. Ninety percent of the population is Russian Orthodox and ten percent are Buryats.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as the town of republic significance of Severobaykalsk—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, the town of republic significance of Severobaykalsk is incorporated as Severobaykalsk Urban Okrug.

Climate

As a Siberian town, Severobaykalsk experiences a subarctic climate, characterized by extreme variation of temperatures between seasons. Temperatures can be very warm in the summer, and brutally cold in the winter. The warmest month of the year in Severobaykalsk is July, when the mean temperature is +16 °C (61 °F). The coldest month of the year is January, when the mean temperature is only −23 °C (−9 °F).

Climate data for Severobaykalsk
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	−17.3 (0.9)	−14.7 (5.5)	−4.8 (23.4)	3.6 (38.5)	12.0 (53.6)	19.5 (67.1)	22.4 (72.3)	20.9 (69.6)	13.7 (56.7)	3.8 (38.8)	−6.3 (20.7)	−12.9 (8.8)	3.33 (37.99)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−22.9 (−9.2)	−21.6 (−6.9)	−12.9 (8.8)	−2.9 (26.8)	5.0 (41)	11.9 (53.4)	15.7 (60.3)	14.7 (58.5)	7.9 (46.2)	−1.0 (30.2)	−11.5 (11.3)	−18.2 (−0.8)	−2.98 (26.63)
Average low °C (°F)	−28.4 (−19.1)	−28.5 (−19.3)	−21.0 (−5.8)	−9.4 (15.1)	−1.9 (28.6)	4.4 (39.9)	9.1 (48.4)	8.6 (47.5)	2.2 (36)	−5.8 (21.6)	−16.7 (1.9)	−23.4 (−10.1)	−9.23 (15.39)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	16 (0.63)	12 (0.47)	10 (0.39)	17 (0.67)	28 (1.1)	37 (1.46)	65 (2.56)	63 (2.48)	42 (1.65)	23 (0.91)	22 (0.87)	19 (0.75)	354 (13.94)
Source: Climate-Data.org

Cityscape

Like most Soviet-planned cities, the town center is dominated by five to six floor high rise buildings made of prefabricated concrete panels. Because the northern region of Lake Baikal is in a seismically active region the standard design of the high rise buildings has been adapted to ensure greater resistance to earthquakes. The suburbs are dominated by shacks that trace back to the early foundation period when Severobaykalsk was a work camp. Some of these shacks are made of old railway cars.

The main street of Severobaykalsk is Leningradsky Avenue, which starts at the railway station and runs through the central area of the town. The railway station is shaped similar to a sail and was designed by architects from Leningrad. In front of the railway station is a monument to volunteers and workers from Leningrad who built the town. North of the railway station, along Leningradsky Avenue is the main square, where the town administration and the Palace of Culture of the railway workers are located. Severobaykalsk also has a church and a museum dedicated to the history of the Baikal Amur Mainline.

Transportation

File:Severo port2.jpg

Port of Severobaykalsk

Severobaykalsk is connected by the Baikal-Amur Mainline to Bratsk and Tayshet in the west and Tynda and Komsomolsk-on-Amur and in the east. In the summer Voskhod hydrofoils connect Severobaykalsk with Irkutsk via Port Baikal. By air Severobaykalsk is connected with Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude via Nizhneangarsk Airport located 23 kilometers (14 mi) north of the town. There are no road connections to the outside world.

References

Sources

• Правительство Республики Бурятия. Постановление №431 от 18 ноября 2009 г. «О реестре административно-территориальных единиц и населённых пунктов Республики Бурятия», в ред. Постановления №573 от 13 ноября 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в Постановление Правительства Республики Бурятия от 18.11.2009 №431 "О реестре административно-территориальных единиц и населённых пунктов Республики Бурятия"». Вступил в силу 18 ноября 2009 г. Опубликован: "Бурятия", №216, Официальный вестник №120, 21 ноября 2009 г. (Government of the Republic of Buryatia. Resolution #431 of November 18, 2009 On the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units and the Inhabited Localities of the Republic of Buryatia, as amended by the Resolution #573 of November 13, 2015 On Amending Resolution #431 of November 18, 2009 of the Government of the Republic of Buryatia "On the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units and the Inhabited Localities of the Republic of Buryatia". Effective as of November 18, 2009.).
• Народный Хурал Республики Бурятия. Закон №985-III от 31 декабря 2004 г. «Об установлении границ, образовании и наделении статусом муниципальных образований в Республике Бурятия», в ред. Закона №1411-V от 14 октября 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Республики Бурятия "Об установлении границ, образовании и наделении статусом муниципальных образований в Республике Бурятия"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Бурятия", №1, Официальный вестник №1, 12 января 2005 г. (People's Khural of the Republic of Buryatia. Law #985-III of December 31, 2004 On Establishing the Borders, Creating, and Granting a Status to the Municipal Formations in the Republic of Buryatia, as amended by the Law #1411-V of October 14, 2015 On Amending the Law of the Republic of Buryatia "On Establishing the Borders, Creating, and Granting a Status to the Municipal Formations in the Republic of Buryatia". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).