Administrative district Olyokminsky District Local time Friday 6:17 PM | Town Olyokminsk Number of airports 1 | |
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Municipal district Olyokminsky Municipal District Weather 1°C, Wind W at 6 km/h, 66% Humidity | ||
Olyokminsk (Russian: Олёкминск; [ɐˈlʲɵkmʲɪnsk]; Yakut: Өлүөхүмэ, Ölüöxümə) is a town and the administrative center of Olyokminsky District in the Sakha Republic, Russia, located on the left bank of the Lena River, 651 kilometers (405 mi) southwest of Yakutsk, the capital of the republic. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 9,494.
Contents
- Map of Olyokminsk Sakha Republic Russia 678100
- History
- Administrative and municipal status
- Economy and infrastructure
- Transportation
- Culture and sights
- Climate
- References
Map of Olyokminsk, Sakha Republic, Russia, 678100
History
It was founded in 1635 as an ostrog by the Cossacks led by Pyotr Beketov, sited on the left bank of the Lena opposite the mouth of the Olyokma River. The outpost was later moved a few kilometers upstream, to a location less prone to flooding in spring.
As the junction for river traffic on the Lena and Olyokma, it was the base for Russian expeditions further east and eventually became a trade center on the river route to Yakutsk. Town status was granted to it in 1783.
Decembrists Nikolay Chizhov and Andrey Andreyev were exiled here.
During World War II, an airfield was built here for the Alaska-Siberian (ALSIB) air route used to ferry American Lend-Lease aircraft to the Eastern Front.
Administrative and municipal status
Within the framework of administrative divisions, Olyokminsk serves as the administrative center of Olyokminsky District. As an inhabited locality, Olyokminsk is classified as a town under district jurisdiction. As an administrative division, it is, together with four rural localities, incorporated within Olyokminsky District as the Town of Olyokminsk. As a municipal division, the Town of Olyokminsk is incorporated within Olyokminsky Municipal District as Olyokminsk Urban Settlement.
Economy and infrastructure
Timber processing and a power plant are the focus of the town's economy, along with farming in the surrounding area.
Transportation
Olyokminsk is served by the Olyokminsk Airport (IATA: OLZ).
Culture and sights
The town is notable for a number of surviving pre-20th century wooden architecture, including the Alexander Nevsky Chapel (1891) and Cathedral of Our Savior (1860).
Climate
Olyokminsk has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc). Winters have temperatures averaging from −34.6 to −26.6 °C (−30.3 to −15.9 °F) in January, while summers have average temperatures from +12.0 to +24.8 °C (53.6 to 76.6 °F) in July. In the summer months of June, July, and August, it is not uncommon for temperatures to surpass +30 °C (86 °F) during the day. Precipitation is significantly higher in summer than at other times of the year.
On August 6, 1986, Olyokminsk recorded its highest ever temperature of +37.7 °C (99.9 °F). The record low for Olyokminsk was −60.1 °C (−76.2 °F) in 1907. July is the only month when temperatures never dropped below 0 °C (32 °F) and December is only month when temperatures have never reached 0 °C (32 °F).