Coat of arms Flag Administrative center of Susumansky District Local time Sunday 3:17 AM | Administrative district Susumansky District Area 28 km² | |
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Municipal district Susumansky Municipal District Weather -13°C, Wind N at 6 km/h, 100% Humidity | ||
Susuman (Russian: Сусума́н) is a town and the administrative center of Susumansky District in Magadan Oblast, Russia, located on the Berelyokh River, 650 kilometers (400 mi) northwest of Magadan, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 5,855 (2010 Census); 7,833 (2002 Census); 16,818 (1989 Census).
Contents
- Map of Susuman Magadan Oblast Russia 686314
- Geography
- History
- Administrative and municipal status
- Economy
- Transportation
- Documentary
- References
Map of Susuman, Magadan Oblast, Russia, 686314
Geography
The town lies in the Kolyma region near where the Susuman River joins the Berelyokh. The town sits on the M56 Kolyma Highway, an unsealed track often known as the "Road of Bones", which connects Yakutsk with Magadan, although it is only passable in winter when the rivers along the route are frozen.
History
It was founded in 1936 as a settlement of a sovkhoz called Susuman, named after the nearby river of the same name. In 1938, the settlement was greatly expanded to become a center of gold mining in the western part of what is now Magadan Oblast under the control of Dalstroy.
Gold mining and other industrial operations in the region were largely reliant on corrective labor camps of the Gulag system, with a large number operating in Susuman's vicinity. From 1949 until 1956, Susuman was the base for one of the Soviet Union's largest corrective labor camps, the Zaplag of the Dalstroy program. During this time, up to 16,500 prisoners were kept in the camps.
Susuman was granted town status in 1964. In the post-Soviet period, the population dropped significantly, from a high of around 18,000 inhabitants in 1991, down to 5,855 as of the 2010 Census.
Administrative and municipal status
Within the framework of administrative divisions, Susuman serves as the administrative center of Susumansky District, to which it is directly subordinated. As a municipal division, the town of Susuman is incorporated within Susumansky Municipal District as Susuman Urban Settlement.
Economy
The town's economy relies mainly on its status as one of the centers of gold mining in the Kolyma region.
Transportation
The town was once served by the Susuman Airport, which now has been turned into a Russian Orthodox church and monastery.
Documentary
Susuman and its nearby Dalstroy goldmine is portrayed in the prizewinning documentary on the Gulag in the far east of Siberia GOLD Lost in Siberia (VPRO/The Netherlands 1994) www.imdb.com [1] by a Dutch filmteam, led by author Gerard Jacobs and filmmaker Theo Uittenbogaard