Svobodny, Amur Oblast
Encyclopedia
Svobodny is a town in Amur Oblast
, Russia
. Population: 58,730 (2010 est.); 63,889 (2002 Census
);
on the right bank of the Zeya River
.
's "bypass" route, which was to provide a railway connection from European Russia to the Pacific entirely over the Russian soil, without crossing the north-eastern China
). The town was originally named Alexeyevsk in honor of the then crown prince Alexey. After the abdication of Tsar
Nicholas II
following the February Revolution
, the city was renamed Svobodny, Russian
for free.
During the Stalin era, the BAMLag
prison camp was built in Svobodny, with the intention of providing forced labor for the planned construction of the BAM railway. The camp became one of the largest in the gulag
system, with ca. 190,300 convicts in October 1935. The camp claimed the lives of thousands of political and clerical prisoners.
It is the birthplace of the director Leonid Gaiday, whose memorial was unveiled in September 2006.
including rolling-stock repair facilities, and a river port on the Zeya
.
The town is also home to factories producing machinery and furniture, as well as the administrative center for mining operations in the region, including the gold mining concern Amurzoloto.
It is served by Svobodny Airport
and is near the Orlovka
interceptor air base and other locations maintained by the Russian Air Force
.
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: 58,730 (2010 est.); 63,889 (2002 Census
Russian Census (2002)
Russian Census of 2002 was the first census of the Russian Federation carried out on October 9 through October 16, 2002. It was carried out by the Russian Federal Service of State Statistics .-Resident population:...
);
Geography
The town is located 167 kilometres (103.8 mi) north of BlagoveshchenskBlagoveshchensk
Blagoveshchensk is a city and the administrative center of Amur Oblast, Russia. 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...
on the right bank 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....
.
History
The town was founded in 1912 in conjunction with the construction of the Amur Railway (the Trans-Siberian RailwayTrans-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...
's "bypass" route, which was to provide a railway connection from European Russia to the Pacific entirely over the Russian soil, without crossing the north-eastern China
Chinese Eastern Railway
The Chinese Eastern Railway or was a railway in northeastern China . It connected Chita and the Russian Far East. English-speakers have sometimes referred to this line as the Manchurian Railway...
). The town was originally named Alexeyevsk in honor of the then crown prince Alexey. After the abdication of 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...
Nicholas II
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...
following the February Revolution
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
, the city was renamed Svobodny, 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...
for free.
During the Stalin era, the BAMLag
Bamlag
Baikal Amur Corrective Labor Camp was a subdivision of GULAG which existed during 1932-1948. Its administration, headed by Naftaly Frenkel , was headquartered in the settlement of Svobodny, Amur Oblast. Its main activity was construction of the Baikal Amur Mainline and secondary railroad...
prison camp was built in Svobodny, with the intention of providing forced labor for the planned construction of the BAM railway. The camp became one of the largest in the gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
system, with ca. 190,300 convicts in October 1935. The camp claimed the lives of thousands of political and clerical prisoners.
It is the birthplace of the director Leonid Gaiday, whose memorial was unveiled in September 2006.
Economy and infrastructure
The town is an important junction for both rail and river traffic, with two railway stations on the Trans-Siberian RailwayTrans-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...
including rolling-stock repair facilities, and a river port on 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....
.
The town is also home to factories producing machinery and furniture, as well as the administrative center for mining operations in the region, including the gold mining concern Amurzoloto.
It is served by Svobodny Airport
Svobodny Airport
Svobodny is an airport in Amur Oblast, Russia located 11 km north of Svobodny. It is a small general aviation airport....
and is near the Orlovka
Orlovka
Orlovka is an interceptor aircraft base in Amur Oblast, Russia located 8 km north of Vernoye, in the Svobodny, Amur Oblast area. It is a hardened airfield with a large central tarmac area....
interceptor air base and other locations maintained by the Russian Air Force
Russian Air Force
The Russian Air Force is the air force of Russian Military. It is currently under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin. The Russian Navy has its own air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno Morskogo Flota , or AV-MF).The Air Force was formed from...
.