Kungur
Encyclopedia
Kungur is a town in the southeast of Perm Krai
, Russia
, located in the Ural Mountains
at the inflowing of the Iren
and Shakhva Rivers into the Sylva River
(Kama
's basin
). Kungur was founded in 1663 and granted town status in 1781. It serves as the administrative center of Kungursky District
, although it is not administratively a part of it. Population: 64,800 (1959); 36,000 (1939). Area: 68.7 square kilometres (26.5 sq mi).
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The town's original coat of arms became official according with the Highest Law of Empress Anna Ioannovna
in 1737. Current coat of arms was adopted in 1994.
. In 1663, it was rebuilt as a fortress on the place of Mysovskoye village. In the beginning of the 18th century, leather and footwear industries started to develop here, and in 1724, a tannery
was built. By the mid-18th century, Kungur became one of the most populated areas in the Urals. In 1759, Perm
administration of mining plants was moved to Kungur. By the end of the 18th century, Kungur is an important transit trade center of the Siberian road, as well as the center of leather manufacture in Perm province. Kungur rope and linseed oil were widely known. In 1774, the town withstood a siege by Yemelyan Pugachev
's Cossack forces. By the end of the 19th century, Kungur had become a significant industrial (including manufacture of leather footwears, gloves, and mittens) and cultural center.
), musical instrument (guitars) factories, repair-mechanical plant, clothing and knitting mills, and food industry companies. Rye, wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, vegetables are grown in Kungur, and the town also has meat-dairy cattle husbandry and aviculture.
The Tikhvinsky Temple was built in 1763 and got its name from the holy icon of Tikhvinskaya Bogomater. Now the movie theater "Oktyabr" is located in the building.
In the lower part of the town, on Kittarskaya street, is the Uspenskaya Church, built in 1761. On the opposite bank of the Sylva river stands the Preobrazhensky Temple.
. Ramified passages stretch under the ground for over 6,000 meters, and only a small part has already been explored. To this day old slides and crumblings do not allow to determine the total length of the passages. In the explored part of the cave there are several dozens of grotto
es; the largest one, which is called the Druzhba (Friendship) Grotto, was given its name in honour of the participants of the International Geological Congress who visited the cave in 1937. Inside this grotto there is a lake with the area of 750 m². The grottoes are "adorned" with columns of stalagmite
s and icicles of stalactite
s up to two meters in height. Over millennia, limestone
bearing water has created an infinite variety of forms in the cave, like snowflake
s which change in size during the year and reach the size of a maple leaf
during late winter. The cave is filled with water from the Sylva River twice a year, in spring and in fall, when it is not accessible to tourists.
, in Kungursky District
.
Perm Krai
Perm Krai is a federal subject of Russia that came into existence on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 referendum on the merger of Perm Oblast and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. The city of Perm became the administrative center of the new federal subject...
, 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 in the Ural Mountains
Ural Mountains
The Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia...
at the inflowing of the Iren
Iren River
Iren is a river in Perm Krai, Russia. It is a left tributary of the Sylva River, which it joins in the town of Kungur. It is 214 km long, with a drainage basin of 6 110 km²....
and Shakhva Rivers into the Sylva River
Sylva River
Sylva River is a river in Sverdlovsk Oblast and Perm Krai in Russia. It is in length. The area of the basin is . The Sylva River flows into the Chusovoy Cove of the Kama Reservoir. It freezes up in November and stays under the ice until April. Principal tributaries: Iren, Barda, Shakva...
(Kama
Kama River
Kama is a major river in Russia, the longest left tributary of the Volga and the largest one in discharge; in fact, it is larger than the Volga before junction....
's basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
). Kungur was founded in 1663 and granted town status in 1781. It serves as the administrative center of Kungursky District
Kungursky District
Kungursky District is an administrative district of Perm Krai, Russia; one of the thirty-three in the krai. Municipally, it is incorporated as Kungursky Municipal District. The area of the district is . Its administrative center is the town of Kungur...
, although it is not administratively a part of it. Population: 64,800 (1959); 36,000 (1939). Area: 68.7 square kilometres (26.5 sq mi).
Сoat of arms
Anna of Russia
Anna of Russia or Anna Ivanovna reigned as Duchess of Courland from 1711 to 1730 and as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.-Accession to the throne:Anna was the daughter of Ivan V of Russia, as well as the niece of Peter the Great...
in 1737. Current coat of arms was adopted in 1994.
History
Kungur was founded 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) above the Iren River's mouth on the banks of the Kungurka River in 1648. In 1662, it was burnt by BashkirsBashkirs
The Bashkirs are a Turkic people indigenous to Bashkortostan extending on both parts of the Ural mountains, on the place where Europe meets Asia. Groups of Bashkirs also live in the republic of Tatarstan, Perm Krai, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Tyumen, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan, Samara and Saratov Oblasts of...
. In 1663, it was rebuilt as a fortress on the place of Mysovskoye village. In the beginning of the 18th century, leather and footwear industries started to develop here, and in 1724, a tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
was built. By the mid-18th century, Kungur became one of the most populated areas in the Urals. In 1759, Perm
Perm
Perm is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov ....
administration of mining plants was moved to Kungur. By the end of the 18th century, Kungur is an important transit trade center of the Siberian road, as well as the center of leather manufacture in Perm province. Kungur rope and linseed oil were widely known. In 1774, the town withstood a siege by Yemelyan Pugachev
Yemelyan Pugachev
Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachov , was a pretender to the Russian throne who led a great Cossack insurrection during the reign of Catherine II...
's Cossack forces. By the end of the 19th century, Kungur had become a significant industrial (including manufacture of leather footwears, gloves, and mittens) and cultural center.
Economy
Major industries are SIA Turbobur and JSK "Kungur-footwear" (leather including army footwear). The town produces art goods (souvenirs from stone, majolicaMaiolica
Maiolica is Italian tin-glazed pottery dating from the Renaissance. It is decorated in bright colours on a white background, frequently depicting historical and legendary scenes.-Name:...
), musical instrument (guitars) factories, repair-mechanical plant, clothing and knitting mills, and food industry companies. Rye, wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, vegetables are grown in Kungur, and the town also has meat-dairy cattle husbandry and aviculture.
Architecture
Among the notable buildings in Kungur are the Transfiguration Church (1781), Nikola Cathedral, former Guest courtyard with the Burse (1865-76, architect R. O. Karvovsky), the Zyryanov Hospice (1881, now the surgical department of a hospital), the 19th century storehouses of the Kopakov merchants (now a culture center).The Tikhvinsky Temple was built in 1763 and got its name from the holy icon of Tikhvinskaya Bogomater. Now the movie theater "Oktyabr" is located in the building.
In the lower part of the town, on Kittarskaya street, is the Uspenskaya Church, built in 1761. On the opposite bank of the Sylva river stands the Preobrazhensky Temple.
Kungur Ice Cave
The Kungur Ice Cave is located in the vicinity of Kungur, on the right bank of the Sylva RiverSylva River
Sylva River is a river in Sverdlovsk Oblast and Perm Krai in Russia. It is in length. The area of the basin is . The Sylva River flows into the Chusovoy Cove of the Kama Reservoir. It freezes up in November and stays under the ice until April. Principal tributaries: Iren, Barda, Shakva...
. Ramified passages stretch under the ground for over 6,000 meters, and only a small part has already been explored. To this day old slides and crumblings do not allow to determine the total length of the passages. In the explored part of the cave there are several dozens of grotto
Grotto
A grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide...
es; the largest one, which is called the Druzhba (Friendship) Grotto, was given its name in honour of the participants of the International Geological Congress who visited the cave in 1937. Inside this grotto there is a lake with the area of 750 m². The grottoes are "adorned" with columns of stalagmite
Stalagmite
A stalagmite is a type of speleothem that rises from the floor of a limestone cave due to the dripping of mineralized solutions and the deposition of calcium carbonate. This stalagmite formation occurs only under certain pH conditions within the underground cavern. The corresponding formation on...
s and icicles of stalactite
Stalactite
A stalactite , "to drip", and meaning "that which drips") is a type of speleothem that hangs from the ceiling of limestone caves. It is a type of dripstone...
s up to two meters in height. Over millennia, limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
bearing water has created an infinite variety of forms in the cave, like snowflake
Snowflake
Snowflakes are conglomerations of frozen ice crystals which fall through the Earth's atmosphere. They begin as snow crystals which develop when microscopic supercooled cloud droplets freeze. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Complex shapes emerge as the flake moves through...
s which change in size during the year and reach the size of a maple leaf
Maple leaf
The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada.-Use in Canada:At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements of New France had attained a population of about 18,000...
during late winter. The cave is filled with water from the Sylva River twice a year, in spring and in fall, when it is not accessible to tourists.
Other attractions
The Belogorsky Monastery is located fifty kilometers from Kungur, not far from the village of Kalinino. There is a natural reserve in Spasskaya Mountain, an area of mat-grass steppeSteppe
In physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes...
, in Kungursky District
Kungursky District
Kungursky District is an administrative district of Perm Krai, Russia; one of the thirty-three in the krai. Municipally, it is incorporated as Kungursky Municipal District. The area of the district is . Its administrative center is the town of Kungur...
.
Transport
Kungur is located at the crossing of the Solikamsk route, the Siberian path, and the Transsiberian highway.Education
Educational facilities in the town include:- Kungur Lyceum
- Kungur College of Woodwork
- Kungur Professional Art Lyceum
- School of Arts
- Kungur Pedagogical College
- Kungur Agricultural College
- Kungur College of Autotransport
External links
About Kungur- Kungur social network
- Kungur Perm Ice Cave Russia Road maps,routes,useful info's, pictures gallery
- Kungur for travelers Sights of Kungur
- Kungur - ancient merchant town
- Kungur Ice Cave
- Kungur Forum
- Kungur News