Blagoveshchensk
Encyclopedia
Blagoveshchensk is a city and the administrative center of Amur Oblast
, Russia
. Population:
as Aytyun (Айтюн) in 1652; it has been identified with what is currently known to the archaeologists as the Grodekovo site (Гродековское городище), after the nearby village of Grodekovo (which is located on the left (western, i.e. presently Russian) bank of the Amur at 50°07′N 127°35′E, some 25–30 km (15.5–18.6 ) south of Blagoveshchensk). The Grodekovo site is thought by archaeologists to have been populated since ca. 1000 AD.
As the Russians tried to assert its control over the region, the Ducher town was probably vacated when the Duchers were evacuated by the Qing
to the Sungari or Hurka
in the mid-1650s. Since 1673, the Manchus re-used the site for their fort ("Old Aigun", in modern literature), which served in 1683-85 as a base for the Manchus' campaign against the Russian fort of Albazin
further north.
After the capture of Albazin in 1685 or 1686, the Manchus relocated their town, to a new site on the right (southwestern, i.e. presently Chinese) bank of the Amur, about 3 miles (4.8 km) downstream from the original site; it later became known as Aigun
.
The series of conflicts between Russians and Manchus ended with Russia's recognition of the Chinese sovereignty over both sides of the Amur by the Nerchinsk Treaty of 1689.
was able to take over the left (generally northern, but around Blagoveshchensk, eastern) shore of the Amur from China. Since the 1858 Aigun Treaty and the 1860 Treaty of Peking, the river has remained the border between the two countries, although the Qing
subjects were allowed to continue to live in the so-called Sixty-Four Villages east of the Amur and the Zeya (i.e., within today's Blagoveshchensk's eatsern suburbs).
Although Russian settlers had lived in the area as early as 1644 as "Hailanpao", the present-day city began in 1856 as the military outpost of Ust-Zeysky, its name meaning settlement at the mouth of the Zeya River
in Russian
. Tsar
Alexander II
gave approval for the founding of the city in 1858, with the town to be named Blagoveshchensk, after the parish Church of the Annunciation (Blagoveshcheniye in Russian) and declared to be seat of government for the Amur region.
According to the city authorities, by 1877 the city had some 8,000 residents, with merely fifteen foreigners (presumably, Chinese) among them.
The city was an important river port and trade center during the late 19th century, with growth further fuelled by a gold
rush early in the 20th century and by its position on the Chinese border, just hundreds of meters across from the city of Heihe
.
Local historian note the preeminence of Blagoveshchensk in the economy of the late 19th century Russian Far East
, which was reflected by a "small detail": when the heir to Russian throne, HRH Nicholas Alexandrovich
(future Tsar Nicholas II) visited the city in 1891 during his grand tour of Asia
, the locals presented him with bread and salt
on a gold tray, rather than on a silver one, as it was done in other cities of the region.
, Chinese insurgents shelled the city in July 1900. According to the Orthodox
tradition, the city was saved by a miraculous icon
of Our Lady of Albazin, which was prayed to continuously during the shelling which lasted almost two weeks.
On July 3 (Old Style), a decision was made by the city's Police Chief Batarevich and the Military Governor Gribsky to deport the city's entire ethnic Chinese community (which, according to the official statistics, numbered 4,008 in 1898), viewed as potential "fifth columnists
". As the cross-river shipping was interrupted by the rebellion, a question arose how to get them from the Russian side of the Amur to the Chinese side. Batarevich suggested that the deportees could be first taken east of the Zeya
, where they could try to obtain boats from the local Chinese villagers.
The plan, however, was vetoed by the governor, and the decision was made instead to take the deportees to the Verkhneblagoveshchenskaya village (stanitsa
) - the place where the Amur is at its narrowest - and made them to leave the Russian shore. As the local ataman
refused to provided the deportees with boats to take them across the river (despite the orders of his superior), few of them made it to the Chinese side. The rest drowned in the Amur, or were shot or axed by the police, Cossacks and local volunteers, when refusing to leave the dry land. According to Chinese sources, about 5,000 people reportedly died during these events of July 4–8, 1900.
The expulsion of local Chinese caused some hardships for Blagoveshchensk consumers. Historians note that during the second half of 1900, it became almost impossible to buy any green vegetables in town; ten eggs would cost 30-50 kopecks (and in winter, as much as a rouble), while before it had been possible to buy ten eggs for 10-15 kopecks.
, with Japanese troops occupying the city in support of the White Army. From 1920 until 1922, the city was declared part of the Far Eastern Republic
, an area which was nominally independent, but in reality a buffer zone under control of the Russian SFSR.
The city became the administrative center of Amur Oblast
in 1932.
During the Cultural revolution
the city was subject to the Maoist propaganda
blasted from loudspeakers across the river 24 hours a day.
of the Amur and Zeya River
s, opposite to the Chinese city of Heihe
.
The Amur has formed Russia's border with China
since the 1858 Aigun Treaty and 1860 Treaty of Peking. The area north of the Amur had previously belonged to Imperial China.
The Trans-Siberian railroad passes some 110 kilometres (68.4 mi) to the northeast of Blagoveshchensk; the city is connected with the mainline by a branch line. It is also served by Ignatyevo Airport
.
Blagoveschensk experiences a monsoon influenced humid continental climate
(Köppen climate classification
Dwb, though verging on Dwa as the July temperature is only a fraction below 22˚C) with very cold, dry winters and warm, wet summers.
On August 01 2011 it became the first Russian city ever to be hit by a tornado .
, the city's economic focus has turned to border trade with China, the town is now home to a large Chinese expatriate community. Blagoveshchensk is part of a free trade zone which includes the Chinese city of Heihe, located on the other side of the Amur river.
Main industries in the town include metal
and timber
processing, as well as paper
production.
on the Trans-Siberian Railway
and Trans-Siberian Highway
. It is also served by Ignatyevo Airport
and a river port. On the other side of the Amur River is Heihe
, Heilongjiang Province, China, which is the starting point of China National Highway 202
that goes south to Harbin
and Dalian
. Ignatyevo Airport
, located 20 kilometers northwest of the city center, serves domestic destinations.
Amur Oblast
Amur Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , situated about east of Moscow on the banks of the Amur and Zeya Rivers. It shares its border with the Sakha Republic in the north, Khabarovsk Krai and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in the east, People's Republic of China in the south, and Zabaykalsky...
, 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...
. Population:
Early history of the region
The early residents of both sides of the Amur in the region of today's Blagoveshchensk were the Daurs and Duchers. An early settlement in the area of today's Blagoveshchensk was the Ducher town whose name was reported by the Russian explorer Yerofey KhabarovYerofey Khabarov
Yerofey Pavlovich Khabarov or Svyatitsky Erofej Pavlovič Chabarov , was a Russian entrepreneur and adventurer, best known for his exploring the Amur river region and his attempts to colonize the area for Russia...
as Aytyun (Айтюн) in 1652; it has been identified with what is currently known to the archaeologists as the Grodekovo site (Гродековское городище), after the nearby village of Grodekovo (which is located on the left (western, i.e. presently Russian) bank of the Amur at 50°07′N 127°35′E, some 25–30 km (15.5–18.6 ) south of Blagoveshchensk). The Grodekovo site is thought by archaeologists to have been populated since ca. 1000 AD.
As the Russians tried to assert its control over the region, the Ducher town was probably vacated when the Duchers were evacuated by the Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
to the Sungari or Hurka
Mudanjiang River
The Mudan River or Mudanjiang River .is a river in Heilongjiang province in China. It is a right tributary of the Sungari River.Its modern Chinese name can be translated as the "Peony River"...
in the mid-1650s. Since 1673, the Manchus re-used the site for their fort ("Old Aigun", in modern literature), which served in 1683-85 as a base for the Manchus' campaign against the Russian fort of Albazin
Albazin
Albazino is a village in Skovorodinsky District of Amur Oblast, Russia, noted as the site of Albazin , the first Russian settlement on the Amur River....
further north.
After the capture of Albazin in 1685 or 1686, the Manchus relocated their town, to a new site on the right (southwestern, i.e. presently Chinese) bank of the Amur, about 3 miles (4.8 km) downstream from the original site; it later became known as Aigun
Aigun
Aigun was a historic town of China in northern Manchuria, situated on the right bank of the Amur River, some 30 km south from the central urban area of Heihe .The Chinese name of the town, which literally means "Bright Jade", is a transliteration of the original Manchu Aigun was a historic...
.
The series of conflicts between Russians and Manchus ended with Russia's recognition of the Chinese sovereignty over both sides of the Amur by the Nerchinsk Treaty of 1689.
The Russian settlement
As the balance of power in the region has changed by the mid-19th century, Russian EmpireRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
was able to take over the left (generally northern, but around Blagoveshchensk, eastern) shore of the Amur from China. Since the 1858 Aigun Treaty and the 1860 Treaty of Peking, the river has remained the border between the two countries, although the Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
subjects were allowed to continue to live in the so-called Sixty-Four Villages east of the Amur and the Zeya (i.e., within today's Blagoveshchensk's eatsern suburbs).
Although Russian settlers had lived in the area as early as 1644 as "Hailanpao", the present-day city began in 1856 as the military outpost of Ust-Zeysky, its name meaning settlement at the mouth of the Zeya River
Zeya River
Zeya River , 1,242 km long, is a northern tributary of the Amur River. It rises in the Tokiysky Stanovik mountain ridge, a part of the Stanovoy Range. The first Russian to enter the area was Vassili Poyarkov....
in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
. Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Alexander II
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
gave approval for the founding of the city in 1858, with the town to be named Blagoveshchensk, after the parish Church of the Annunciation (Blagoveshcheniye in Russian) and declared to be seat of government for the Amur region.
According to the city authorities, by 1877 the city had some 8,000 residents, with merely fifteen foreigners (presumably, Chinese) among them.
The city was an important river port and trade center during the late 19th century, with growth further fuelled by a gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
rush early in the 20th century and by its position on the Chinese border, just hundreds of meters across from the city of Heihe
Heihe
Heihe is a city in Heilongjiang, China.It is located at , on the Russian border, on the south bank of the Amur River, across the river from the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk...
.
Local historian note the preeminence of Blagoveshchensk in the economy of the late 19th century Russian Far East
Russian Far East
Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
, which was reflected by a "small detail": when the heir to Russian throne, HRH Nicholas Alexandrovich
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
(future Tsar Nicholas II) visited the city in 1891 during his grand tour of Asia
Eastern journey of Nicholas II
The eastern journey of Nicholas II in 1890–1891 was a trip of His Imperial Highness Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich, the future Tsar Nicholas II, around the greater part of the continent of Eurasia....
, the locals presented him with bread and salt
Bread and salt
Bread and salt is a Slavic welcome greeting ceremony.The tradition, known by its local Slavic names , was also adopted by two non-Slavic nations — Lithuanians and Romanians — both of which culturally and historically close to their Slavic neighbours .When important, respected, or admired guests...
on a gold tray, rather than on a silver one, as it was done in other cities of the region.
The Boxer Rebellion
In the course of the Boxer RebellionBoxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
, Chinese insurgents shelled the city in July 1900. According to the Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
tradition, the city was saved by a miraculous icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
of Our Lady of Albazin, which was prayed to continuously during the shelling which lasted almost two weeks.
On July 3 (Old Style), a decision was made by the city's Police Chief Batarevich and the Military Governor Gribsky to deport the city's entire ethnic Chinese community (which, according to the official statistics, numbered 4,008 in 1898), viewed as potential "fifth columnists
Fifth Column
Fifth Column was a Canadian all-women experimental post-punk band from Toronto, which came about during the early 1980s. They took the name Fifth Column after a military manoeuvre by Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War, in which nationalist insurrectionists within besieged Republican...
". As the cross-river shipping was interrupted by the rebellion, a question arose how to get them from the Russian side of the Amur to the Chinese side. Batarevich suggested that the deportees could be first taken east of the Zeya
Zeya River
Zeya River , 1,242 km long, is a northern tributary of the Amur River. It rises in the Tokiysky Stanovik mountain ridge, a part of the Stanovoy Range. The first Russian to enter the area was Vassili Poyarkov....
, where they could try to obtain boats from the local Chinese villagers.
The plan, however, was vetoed by the governor, and the decision was made instead to take the deportees to the Verkhneblagoveshchenskaya village (stanitsa
Stanitsa
Stanitsa is a village inside a Cossack host . Stanitsas were the primary unit of Cossack hosts.Historically, the stanitsa was a unit of economic and political organisation of the Cossack peoples primarily in the southern regions of the Russian Empire.Much of the land was held in common by the...
) - the place where the Amur is at its narrowest - and made them to leave the Russian shore. As the local ataman
Ataman
Ataman was a commander title of the Ukrainian People's Army, Cossack, and haidamak leaders, who were in essence the Cossacks...
refused to provided the deportees with boats to take them across the river (despite the orders of his superior), few of them made it to the Chinese side. The rest drowned in the Amur, or were shot or axed by the police, Cossacks and local volunteers, when refusing to leave the dry land. According to Chinese sources, about 5,000 people reportedly died during these events of July 4–8, 1900.
The expulsion of local Chinese caused some hardships for Blagoveshchensk consumers. Historians note that during the second half of 1900, it became almost impossible to buy any green vegetables in town; ten eggs would cost 30-50 kopecks (and in winter, as much as a rouble), while before it had been possible to buy ten eggs for 10-15 kopecks.
Civil war and the Soviet era
The city was also the site of conflict during the Russian Civil WarRussian 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...
, with Japanese troops occupying the city in support of the White Army. From 1920 until 1922, the city was declared part of the Far Eastern Republic
Far Eastern Republic
The Far Eastern Republic , sometimes called the Chita Republic, was a nominally independent state that existed from April 1920 to November 1922 in the easternmost part of the Russian Far East...
, an area which was nominally independent, but in reality a buffer zone under control of the Russian SFSR.
The city became the administrative center of Amur Oblast
Amur Oblast
Amur Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , situated about east of Moscow on the banks of the Amur and Zeya Rivers. It shares its border with the Sakha Republic in the north, Khabarovsk Krai and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in the east, People's Republic of China in the south, and Zabaykalsky...
in 1932.
During the Cultural revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
the city was subject to the Maoist propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
blasted from loudspeakers across the river 24 hours a day.
Modern era
On August 1, 2011 GMT Local Time. Blagoveshchensk became the first city in Russia to be hit by a tornado. The tornado claimed 1 life and injured 28 people. Damage costs are estimated at 80 million rubles (£1.8 million).Geography and climate
The city of Blagoveshchensk is located at the confluenceConfluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Amur and Zeya River
Zeya River
Zeya River , 1,242 km long, is a northern tributary of the Amur River. It rises in the Tokiysky Stanovik mountain ridge, a part of the Stanovoy Range. The first Russian to enter the area was Vassili Poyarkov....
s, opposite to the Chinese city of Heihe
Heihe
Heihe is a city in Heilongjiang, China.It is located at , on the Russian border, on the south bank of the Amur River, across the river from the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk...
.
The Amur has formed Russia's border with China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
since the 1858 Aigun Treaty and 1860 Treaty of Peking. The area north of the Amur had previously belonged to Imperial China.
The Trans-Siberian railroad passes some 110 kilometres (68.4 mi) to the northeast of Blagoveshchensk; the city is connected with the mainline by a branch line. It is also served by Ignatyevo Airport
Ignatyevo Airport
Ignatyevo Airport is a large airport in Russia located 20 km northwest of Blagoveshchensk. It services up to medium-sized airliners and conducts 24-hour flight operations...
.
Blagoveschensk experiences a monsoon influenced humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dwb, though verging on Dwa as the July temperature is only a fraction below 22˚C) with very cold, dry winters and warm, wet summers.
On August 01 2011 it became the first Russian city ever to be hit by a tornado .
Economy and infrastructure
Since the dissolution of the Soviet UnionDissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
, the city's economic focus has turned to border trade with China, the town is now home to a large Chinese expatriate community. Blagoveshchensk is part of a free trade zone which includes the Chinese city of Heihe, located on the other side of the Amur river.
Main industries in the town include metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
and timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
processing, as well as paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
production.
Transportation
The city is served by a branch highway and railway connecting it to BelogorskBelogorsk, Amur Oblast
Belogorsk is a town in Amur Oblast, Russia, located on the Tom River, a tributary of the Zeya. Population: 67,400 ; 53,000 ; 34,000 .-History:...
on the Trans-Siberian Railway
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world...
and Trans-Siberian Highway
Trans-Siberian Highway
The Trans-Siberian Highway is the unofficial name for a network of federal highways that span the width of Russia from the Baltic Sea of the Atlantic Ocean to the Japan Sea of the Pacific Ocean. In the Asian Highway Network, the route is known as AH6. It stretches over from St. Petersburg to...
. It is also served by Ignatyevo Airport
Ignatyevo Airport
Ignatyevo Airport is a large airport in Russia located 20 km northwest of Blagoveshchensk. It services up to medium-sized airliners and conducts 24-hour flight operations...
and a river port. On the other side of the Amur River is Heihe
Heihe
Heihe is a city in Heilongjiang, China.It is located at , on the Russian border, on the south bank of the Amur River, across the river from the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk...
, Heilongjiang Province, China, which is the starting point of China National Highway 202
China National Highway 202
China National Highway 202 runs from Heihe in Heilongjiang to Lushunkou in Liaoning. It is 1,818 kilometres in length and runs south from Heihe, going via Harbin and Shenyang.-Route and distance:...
that goes south to Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
and Dalian
Dalian
Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It faces Shandong to the south, the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's...
. Ignatyevo Airport
Ignatyevo Airport
Ignatyevo Airport is a large airport in Russia located 20 km northwest of Blagoveshchensk. It services up to medium-sized airliners and conducts 24-hour flight operations...
, located 20 kilometers northwest of the city center, serves domestic destinations.
Universities
- Amur State UniversityAmur State UniversityAmur State University is a university in Blagoveshchensk, Amur Oblast, Russia....
- Amur State Medical Academy
- Blagoveshchensk State Pedagogical University
- Far Eastern State Agricultural University