Kirensk

Kirensk (Russian: Киренск, IPA: [ˈkʲirʲɪnsk]) is a town and the administrative center of Kirensky District in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kirenga and Lena Rivers, 950 kilometers (590 mi) north of Irkutsk,^[2] the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 12,640 (2010 Census);^[3] 13,712 (2002 Census);^[8] 16,137 (1989 Soviet census).^[9]

Kirensk Киренск
Town[1]
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Kirensk
Kirensk Location of Kirensk Show map of Russia Kirensk Kirensk (Irkutsk Oblast) Show map of Irkutsk Oblast
Coordinates: 57°47′N 108°05′E
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Irkutsk Oblast[1]
Administrative district	Kirensky District[2]
Founded	1630
Town status since	1775
Elevation	260 m (850 ft)
Population  (2010 Census)[3]
• Total	12,640
Administrative status
• Capital of	Kirensky District[4]
Municipal status
• Municipal district	Kirensky Municipal District[5]
• Urban settlement	Kirenskoye Urban Settlement[5]
• Capital of	Kirensky Municipal District,[5] Kirenskoye Urban Settlement[5]
Time zone	UTC+8 (MSK+5 [6])
Postal code(s)[7]	666700–666703, 666705
Dialing code(s)	+7 39568
OKTMO ID	25620101001
Website	gorod-kirensk.ru

Geography

The town is located in the Lena-Angara Plateau.^[10]

History

It was founded in 1630 by the Cossacks under Vasily Bugor as a winter settlement called Nikolsky pogost.^{[citation needed]} Along with Ust-Kut, it was one of the two main portages between the Yenisei and Lena basins. In the 1630s, Yerofey Khabarov ran a salt works here. In 1665, it was renamed Kirensky Ostrog. In 1775, it was granted town status.^{[citation needed]} In the 19th century, a large number of political prisoners were forcibly resettled here, among whom was Józef Piłsudski. Under Stalin there was a GULAG transit camp. In 1991, over eighty bodies were found buried in the basement of the former NKVD building. All were said to have been killed on a single day in 1938 and all were killed by blows on the head, apparently to hide the noise. During the construction of the Baikal–Amur Mainline, goods were shipped up the Kirenga to Magistralny. In the 1970s, a dam was built across one mouth of the Kirenga (the place was originally an island) to reduce flooding and ice jams. In 2001, there was a major flood.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Kirensk serves as the administrative center of Kirensky District,^[4] to which it is directly subordinated.^[2] As a municipal division, the town of Kirensk, together with nine rural localities in Kirensky District, is incorporated within Kirensky Municipal District as Kirenskoye Urban Settlement.^[5]

Economy

Transportation

There is ship transport along the Lena in summer and an airport, but no railroad, and no proper road link to the rest of Russia. The port is used to transfer goods to smaller ships going further up the Lena.

The town is served by the Kirensk Airport. During World War II, it was a staging point for American aircraft transferred to Russia via Alaska.

Climate

Kirensk has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc). Winters are severely cold with average temperatures from −31.3 °C (−24.3 °F) to −20.3 °C (−4.5 °F) in January, while summers are warm with average temperatures from +12.4 °C (54.3 °F) to +25.8 °C (78.4 °F). Precipitation is quite low and is significantly higher in summer than at other times of the year.

Climate data for Kirensk (1991-2020, extremes 1892–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	1.4 (34.5)	7.0 (44.6)	16.1 (61.0)	24.5 (76.1)	33.6 (92.5)	36.8 (98.2)	36.6 (97.9)	36.5 (97.7)	29.3 (84.7)	24.0 (75.2)	10.6 (51.1)	4.1 (39.4)	36.8 (98.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−20.3 (−4.5)	−13.7 (7.3)	−2.7 (27.1)	6.5 (43.7)	15.6 (60.1)	23.7 (74.7)	25.8 (78.4)	22.6 (72.7)	13.1 (55.6)	2.9 (37.2)	−10.6 (12.9)	−20.0 (−4.0)	3.6 (38.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−25.8 (−14.4)	−21.1 (−6.0)	−11.4 (11.5)	−0.5 (31.1)	8.1 (46.6)	16.0 (60.8)	18.7 (65.7)	15.4 (59.7)	7.0 (44.6)	−1.9 (28.6)	−15.6 (3.9)	−25.0 (−13.0)	−3.0 (26.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−31.3 (−24.3)	−27.8 (−18.0)	−19.5 (−3.1)	−7.0 (19.4)	1.2 (34.2)	9.0 (48.2)	12.4 (54.3)	9.6 (49.3)	2.4 (36.3)	−5.8 (21.6)	−20.5 (−4.9)	−30.1 (−22.2)	−8.9 (15.9)
Record low °C (°F)	−57.8 (−72.0)	−56.2 (−69.2)	−47.7 (−53.9)	−36.8 (−34.2)	−15.4 (4.3)	−4.3 (24.3)	0.1 (32.2)	−5.3 (22.5)	−11.3 (11.7)	−37.6 (−35.7)	−49.6 (−57.3)	−57 (−71)	−57.8 (−72.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	20 (0.8)	15 (0.6)	11 (0.4)	14 (0.6)	34 (1.3)	53 (2.1)	62 (2.4)	55 (2.2)	41 (1.6)	30 (1.2)	27 (1.1)	26 (1.0)	388 (15.3)
Average extreme snow depth cm (inches)	37 (15)	42 (17)	42 (17)	18 (7.1)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	2 (0.8)	14 (5.5)	28 (11)	42 (17)
Average rainy days	0	0.3	1	8	16	18	17	16	18	10	1	0	105
Average snowy days	26	24	19	15	6	0.3	0	0.1	3	20	26	27	166
Average relative humidity (%)	78	77	70	62	59	67	74	78	79	77	79	79	73
Mean monthly sunshine hours	50	104	176	216	252	284	265	207	135	89	56	29	1,863
Source 1: pogoda.ru.net[11]
Source 2: NOAA (sun only, 1961–1990)[12]

Notable people

• Daniel Broido (1903-1990), computer engineer

References

Notes

1. Charter of Irkutsk Oblast
2. Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Formations of Irkutsk Oblast
3. 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.
4. Law #49-OZ
5. Law #87-oz
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. 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).
9. 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.
10. Google Earth
11. "Weather And Climate - Climate Kirenske" (in Russian). Retrieved January 23, 2013.
12. "Climate Normals for Kirensk". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 23, 2013.

Sources

• Законодательное Собрание Иркутской области. Постановление №9/5-ЗС от 15 апреля 2009 г. «Устав Иркутской области», в ред. Закона №2-У от 14 декабря 2017 г. «О поправках к Уставу Иркутской области». Вступил в силу по истечении десяти дней после дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Областная", №45, 24 апреля 2009 г. (Legislative Assembly of Irkutsk Oblast. Resolution #9/5-ZS of April 15, 2009 Charter of Irkutsk Oblast, as amended by the Law #2-U of December 14, 2017 On the Amendments to the Charter of Irkutsk Oblast. Effective as of the day following a ten-day period after the day of the official publication.).
• Законодательное Собрание Иркутской области. Закон №49-ОЗ от 21 июня 2010 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Иркутской области», в ред. Закона №12-ОЗ от 23 марта 2017 г. «О внесении изменений в статьи 25 и 33 Закона Иркутской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Иркутской области" и Закон Иркутской области "О порядке рассмотрения Законодательным Собранием Иркутской области предложений о присвоении наименований географическим объектам и (или) о переименовании географических объектов"». Вступил в силу после дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Областная", №71, 25 июня 2010 г. (Legislative Assembly of Irkutsk Oblast. Law #49-OZ of June 21, 2010 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Irkutsk Oblast, as amended by the Law #12-OZ of March 23, 2017 On Amending Articles 25 and 33 of the Law of Irkutsk Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Irkutsk Oblast" and the Law of Irkutsk Oblast "On the Procedures for Consideration of Assignments of Names to Geographical Objects and (or) Renaming of Geographical Objects". Effective as of after the day of the official publication.).
• Законодательное Собрание Иркутской области. Закон №87-оз от 16 декабря 2004 г. «О статусе и границах муниципальных образований Киренского района Иркутской области», в ред. Закона №63-ОЗ от 13 июля 2016 г. «О внесении изменений в отдельные Законы Иркутской области». Вступил в силу с 31 декабря 2004 г., но не ранее чем через 10 дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Восточно-Сибирская правда", №254–255, 20 декабря 2004 г. (Legislative Assembly of Irkutsk Oblast. Law #87-oz of December 16, 2004 On the Status and Borders of the Municipal Formations of Kirensky District of Irkutsk Oblast, as amended by the Law #63-OZ of July 13, 2016 On Amending Several Laws of Irkutsk Oblast. Effective as of December 31, 2004, but not earlier than 10 days after the official publication date.).
• Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Formations of Irkutsk Oblast (in Russian)