Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky
Encyclopedia
Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky is a town
in Sakhalin Oblast
, Russia
, located near the Tatar Strait on the western shores of Northern Sakhalin
at the foot of the Western Sakhalin Mountains. Population: 21,000 (1968). It was known as during Japanese occupation between 1918-1925.
farm
was established there, which later grew into the village of Alexandrovka. At the time, the town was known as among Japanese.
In 1881, a military post was established in the village, which became known as Alexandrovsky post. The outpost served as an administrative center for managing katorga
, prison
s, exile settlements, and the whole island
until the October Revolution
. Anton Chekhov
lived here 1890 while gathering material for his book The Sakhalin Island.
Town status was granted to Alexandrovsky in 1917. During the Russian Civil War
, the town spent 1918-1920 under the control of Admiral Kolchak
, before being occupied by the Japanese until 1925.
In 1926, the town was renamed Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky to distinguish it from other places of the same name.
Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky was the center of Sakhalin Oblast between 1932 and 1947. It was also known as the coal mining
center of the island during the Soviet
times.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Sakhalin Oblast
Sakhalin Oblast
Sakhalin Oblast is a federal subject of Russia comprising the island of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.The oblast has an area of 87,100 km² and a population of 546,695...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, located near the Tatar Strait on the western shores of Northern Sakhalin
Sakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
at the foot of the Western Sakhalin Mountains. Population: 21,000 (1968). It was known as during Japanese occupation between 1918-1925.
History
A settlement called Alexandrovskaya on the present site of the town was first recorded in 1862. In 1869, an agriculturalAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
was established there, which later grew into the village of Alexandrovka. At the time, the town was known as among Japanese.
In 1881, a military post was established in the village, which became known as Alexandrovsky post. The outpost served as an administrative center for managing katorga
Katorga
Katorga was a system of penal servitude of the prison farm type in Tsarist Russia...
, prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
s, exile settlements, and the whole island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
until the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
lived here 1890 while gathering material for his book The Sakhalin Island.
Town status was granted to Alexandrovsky in 1917. During the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, the town spent 1918-1920 under the control of Admiral Kolchak
Aleksandr Kolchak
Aleksandr Vasiliyevich Kolchak was a Russian naval commander, polar explorer and later - Supreme ruler . Supreme ruler of Russia , was recognized in this position by all the heads of the White movement, "De jure" - Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, "De facto" - Entente States...
, before being occupied by the Japanese until 1925.
In 1926, the town was renamed Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky to distinguish it from other places of the same name.
Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky was the center of Sakhalin Oblast between 1932 and 1947. It was also known as the coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
center of the island during the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
times.