At one of the farthest borders of Russia, almost in the middle of the taiga, stands the legendary Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The population of this City of youth is overwhelmingly the descendants of those who voluntarily arrived in this unknown undeveloped land in the difficult 30s to build industrial giants here and thereby strengthen the power of their homeland. Both good and bad are written about Komsomolsk-on-Amur, while the city continues to live its usual life. Here, as before, people fall in love and create families, as before, children are born, and the memory of Komsomol members, the pioneers, is still sacred. Unfortunately, nowadays one of the most popular settlements of the country Komsomolsk-on-Amur overcomes many difficulties. In this regard, the population of the city is steadily decreasing. Someone is moving south, someone to the center of Russia. But there are many who are planning to move here to live here under the resettlement program. Our article offers information about all the pros and cons of Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
Historical facts
The Far East has always been considered a low-inhabited place. In order to develop the region, back in the 19th century, people were voluntarily sent here. So, in 1860, on the orders of P.A.Kazakevich, the former governor of the Amur Region, immigrants from the Perm province were sent to a remote taiga land. They founded the village, named after their homeland Perm-on-Amur. They brought them for state money, handed over the keys to new log cabins and 60 rubles for the first time. By the 30s of the twentieth century, the settlement already had 47 solid houses. Their quiet life changed dramatically in 1932, when the Soviet government decided to build industrial enterprises here. In Perm, they decided to build a shipyard, and in the neighboring camp Dzemga - aircraft. Listening to active propaganda, Komsomol members, romantics, just adventurers, rushed to communist ideas. Thanks to these people, we are now proud of the beautiful city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. He made the Khabarovsk Territory one of the most important industrial regions of the country.
Already in May 1932, 6776 Komsomol members arrived
in Khabarovsk , among whom there were only 30 girls! They were brought to Perm by Amur in three ships. At the forefront was the steamer Komintern, he pulled the barge Klara Zetkin, and the steamboat Columbus was closing. To remedy such an unfavorable situation, activist Valentina Khetagurova, who herself came to the construction of the city on a Komsomol ticket, wrote an open letter urging the girls to go to the Far East to build a happy future. Thousands responded. These girls were called Khetagurovs. Many of them, having arrived in the Amur Territory, created families there. In fairness, it must be said that not only Komsomol members, but also prisoners built Komsomolsk-on-Amur. At first, the population there was rather mixed, there were often fights and drinking. The city was even called the criminal capital of the region. But thanks to measures taken by the government, the situation has stabilized. In December of the same 1932, Komsomolsk-on-Amur was given the status of a city. Brave pioneers lived in huts, dugouts and barracks, built near the erected industrial enterprises. However, by the 40s, streets and avenues appeared in the city, new houses grew up, and at the suggestion of
Marshal Blucher youth clubs, a theater, sports sections were created there, a park was laid.
City today
Currently, the second largest city in the Khabarovsk Territory is Komsomolsk-on-Amur. According to the 2016 census, the population here is 251,283 people, of which more than 87% are Russians. The remaining nationalities are represented by the Yakuts, Buryats, Nanai, Bashkirs, Chinese, Tatars, Ukrainians. The city spreads out on an area of 325 km 2 , on the left bank of the Amur River, at the place where the river cuts the Sikhote-Alinsky and Bureinsko-Badzhalsky mountain ranges. The Sikhote-Alin hills surround the city from the east side, the Miao Chan mountains rise from the north, and the Badzhal chain from the west. From the capital here in a straight line 6067 km. By rail, the distance increases to 8679 km. The train “Moscow - Komsomolsk-on-Amur” overcomes them in 6 days, airplanes - in 10 odd hours.
The territory of the city is quite picturesque and pleasing to the eye. Here, several more shallow than Amur rivers flow - Silinka, Galichnaya, Hapsol, Cherny Klyuch, Khorpinskaya, through which 6 bridges were built. In the immediate vicinity of the city there are large and small lakes. Among them are Mylki, Galichnoe, Rudnikovskoe, Khopry. During the construction of the new highway, an embankment was built that greatly reduced the size of Mylok and Rudnikovsky, but the massive flood of 2013 partially restored them. In general, floods in Komsomolsk-on-Amur are common. Each year, during the Amur flood period, about 54 km 2 of the territory are flooded here and approximately the same amount of water is partially covered.
In the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, time is shifted by 7 hours compared to Moscow. In Russia, it is designated MSK + 7. Regarding UTC, the difference is 10 hours. The area has a rather high seismicity, averaging 8 points on the Richter world scale. Shocks up to 5.5 points are felt here with an enviable frequency.
The criminal situation in the city until 2001 was very difficult. Evil Vasin (Jam) and his gangs, who controlled the entire business and often staged a stabbing, escalated its criminal authority. In 2001, Jem managed to be arrested and put in jail, where he died. Since then, Komsomolsk-on-Amur has become calmer. Only in some of its areas in the evenings do any criminal events such as fights, petty theft or hooliganism occur.
Areas
An interesting administrative division is Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The districts here appear and disappear. At first there were two - Central, around the shipyard, and Dzemga, or Leninsky - around the aircraft factory. In 1943, Stalin added to them. In 1957, the district division in the city was liquidated, and in 1972 it was again restored. Now here, as before, there is Leninsky and Central, both are, as it were, separate small towns. Each has several microdistricts that differ in social conditions, transport accessibility and housing prices. In Central it:
- Mylki, located near the lake of the same name, is built up mainly of panel houses and the private sector.
- "Trunk", is located near the station and the center.
- "66 quarter", has a developed infrastructure.
- “Sail” near Silinsky park, built up mainly by private sector houses.
Many streets of Komsomolsk-on-Amur are named after an event. So, in the Leninsky district there is Pervostroiteley Avenue (popularly called Pervak). Here the most prestigious and expensive housing worth from 37,000 rubles. for 1 m 2 .
In the Leninsky district housing estates “Paris”, “Mendeleevsky”, or “Site”, “6th section”. The buildings here are mostly multi-storey, but there is also a private sector.
The “300” microdistrict, built up with one-story houses and located not far from Silinsky Park, is considered the most disadvantaged.
There are still very few new buildings in the city. At the moment, this is the LCD "Central" and several individual buildings. Housing prices in the new building - from 45 000 rubles. for 1 m 2 . Resellers can be purchased at a price of 25 000 rubles. for 1 m 2 . Renting an apartment excluding utility bills costs an average of 10,000 rubles. per month.
Infrastructure
Komsomolsk-on-Amur can be called a fairly developed city in relation to the objects of social and cultural life. There are many small shops, there are about a dozen large supermarkets - Sambury, Amber, Ten, shopping center, department store, many specialized stores for children's goods, electrical equipment, building materials. According to the townspeople, all goods are mainly from China, including food. Prices are set with a northern premium. The infrastructure includes a river port, railway and bus station. Komsomolsk-on-Amur is connected by roads with Amur, Khabarovsk, Birobidzhan and several nearby villages. According to drivers, the road surface is far from ideal.
There are 52 kindergartens for children and adolescents in the city, in which there are always places, 59 schools, 4 colleges, 4 vocational schools, 4 technical schools, 2 universities, 4 music schools.
Health care, according to residents, is underdeveloped, although the city has about a dozen hospitals, seven clinics, 3 maternity hospitals, 3 sanatoriums. Especially not enough specialists in pediatrics. Government programs have now been launched to attract narrow-profile medical specialists to this region, funds are being allocated for new medical equipment, but for now, to get qualified help, especially in difficult cases, you need to go to Khabarovsk.
But with the cultural life in the city, everything is wonderful. There are 10 Palaces of Culture, the Center for the Development of Children and Youth Creativity, cinemas, there is a large cinema center. Komsomolsk-on-Amur was founded in 1932, and a year later the first theater began to operate here. He was led by a prisoner of Ascension, a former actor. Today, the city has 9 theaters and one theater studio.
Much attention is paid to the sports development of youth. There are 4 sports schools, ski slopes, several swimming pools. Every year in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a marathon is held, where participants themselves choose what distance they run (there are several options). This distant city was glorified by skiers Yulia Chepalova, who became the Olympic champion three times, Anastasia Kravchenko (twice won the world championships in orienteering, weightlifter Igor Nikitin, canoeist Ivan Shtyl and other athletes who won silver and bronze awards.
Transport
In Komsomolsk-on-Amur, there are almost all types of intercity services. The railway station was opened here in 1936, and in 1961 a new one was built. Now passenger traffic is carried out in the cities of Sovetskaya Gavan, Khabarovsk and Tynda. The train "Khabarovsk - Komsomolsk-on-Amur" is branded and is called "Youth". The location of the city on the very bank of the full-flowing Amur River makes it possible to carry out river passenger transport. There is the largest river port in the Khabarovsk Territory , consisting of two branches. The cargo is located in the Mendeleevsky microdistrict, and the passenger one, equipped with several berths, is located in the city center. The river station was built according to the original design and is one of the local attractions.
22 km (along the highway) from the city is the village of Khurba, where a large airport has been built, which receives planes from Khabarovsk, Moscow and some regions of Russia. In addition, there is a military air base. After the 2013 flood, the airport operates with a reduced load, so residents mostly fly from Khabarovsk.
The bus station is popular among the population. Komsomolsk-on-Amur in infrastructure has several of its branches. From the bus station on Lenin Avenue, buses go to Khabarovsk. From the recreation center "Builder" - to the villages of Yagodny and Black Cape. From the bus station on the Embankment - to Amursk, Birobidzhan, Khabarovsk, Pivan and Solnechny. From the railway station - to Lian and Khurmuli.
City transport is represented by trams (there are 4 routes), buses and minibuses.
Industry
In Soviet times, the lion's share of military and industrial equipment, equipment, military equipment Komsomolsk-on-Amur was produced. The Khabarovsk Territory, thanks to this city, occupied leading positions in many production indicators. Perestroika here had a huge impact on the negative dynamics of the development of all industries, many enterprises began to close, people were left without work and left their homes. Now it operates the KnAAZ aviation enterprise (which produces aircraft for civil and military aviation), a shipbuilding plant, an oil refining complex (NPZ), Khabarovskkraigaz, machine-building plants (mainly producing equipment for the needs of the military). In addition to large enterprises, the city has bakeries, a meat and fish factory, a vegetable warehouse, and a poultry farm and a restored greenhouse agricultural complex are operating in the suburbs. Previously, more factories functioned here, which now either closed or significantly reduced production. This is one of the main reasons why the population of Komsomolsk-on-Amur has declined by almost 70,000 since 1992. So, the “Sail” (worked for the Ministry of Defense), sulfuric acid, electromechanical, dairy, pig-breeding complex ceased to exist, and the Amurmetall factory is in crisis.
However, there is no unemployment in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. All who wish to work have jobs. Salaries in the city are different, depending on the profession and enterprise. On average, office workers, doctors, teachers and low-skilled workers earn between 16,000 and 18,000 rubles a month, and highly skilled workers with high ranks from 30,000 to 50,000 rubles. Salaries of the military are much higher and per month range from 80,000 rubles. Everyone who is officially registered has a good social package and can take trips to local sanatoriums and recreation centers at preferential rates. Komsomolsk-on-Amur is very far from all popular resorts, tickets for any type of transport there are very expensive, but workers can take them every two years to any end of the country for free.
Ecology
According to environmental monitoring, the most unfavorable for environmental pollution in Russia are Norilsk, St. Petersburg and Moscow. Komsomolsk-on-Amur, according to a rating of 60 cities, is considered to be quite clean, because it did not get on this blacklist at all. However, not everything is perfect here either. The biggest damage to the ecological situation in the city is caused by the Oil Refinery, due to the emissions of which residents often feel very unpleasant odors. In addition, the big problem for all citizens is the severe pollution of the Amur. Many enterprises, including citizens of neighboring China, carry out untreated discharges into the river. Because of this, increased concentrations of bacteria are constantly found in Amur, so water is disinfected with shock doses of chemicals. Thanks to such measures in the city, which doctors call the “risk zone” for leukemia, there is a too high percentage of cancer patients, an average of 400 out of 100,000. Another problem of the city is the fires raging in the taiga in spring and summer.
Climatic conditions
Not everyone is suitable for Komsomolsk-on-Amur because of the climate. The season, which residents consider the most favorable, is autumn. It takes less than 2 months, September and half of October, when the days are warm (+ 13 ° - + 10 ° C), there is little rain, moderate wind, midges and mosquitoes. Winter begins in early November, the temperature drops to - 8 ° - -10 ° C, snow falls, which begins to melt only in April. The winter months in Komsomolsk-on-Amur are very cold, the temperature can drop below -30 ° C, powerful northerly winds blow all the time, blowing snowstorms. Spring in the Amur Region lasts, like autumn, only 1.5 months. Nature begins to awaken, which, of course, pleases. But in the spring, fires begin to rage in the taiga, covering the city with smoke and burning, and melting snow overflows the Amur, which is why floods often occur. In the summer, there are also problems in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Temperatures during this period reach + 30 ° C, and sometimes up to + 40 ° C, it often rains, but midges cause especially troubles. Nevertheless, summer cottages also exist here. By some miracle, their members manage to grow not only tomatoes, onions, radishes, but even watermelons.
What to see in Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Since this city is quite young, there are no historical or architectural sights here. And there are not so many tourists either, which is connected not only with the remote location, but also with the fact that Komsomolsk-on-Amur still has a regulated visit. The city is rich in monuments to great people - Lenin, Kirov, Maresyev, Gagarin. Of great interest is always the monument to the First Builders, the memorial to those who fell in the Great Patriotic War, the monument that participated in the ice passage of 1934-35, and the sculptural composition “Komsomol members of the 30s”. Guides necessarily show tourists the "House with a Spire", which has become a symbol of the city. This building is relatively new (built in 1956), but its architecture stands out clearly from the backdrop of more modern buildings.
Many are interested in what can be brought from Komsomolsk-on-Amur as a gift. The most popular among tourists are local slippers embroidered with beautiful patterns and trimmed with sable fur. Birch-bark tuesa, rag national dolls, Nanai clothes and souvenirs, fish-skin products (bracelets, paintings, cases) are also in demand. Many bring red caviar from Komsomolsk-on-Amur, which here in shops costs from 1,500 rubles per kg.
Recreation centers and hotels of Komsomolsk-on-Amur
The most important question for every tourist is where to stay in an unfamiliar city. Not only Russians come to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, but also Japanese, Americans, Chinese, Koreans. There are several accommodation options. One
of the best is considered the central hotel "Sunrise", which offers rooms of the categories of economy, standard and luxury. Other modern hotels of the highest level are City, Visit and Cupid. They offer standard, comfort and luxury rooms. Prices range from 1900 to 4500 rubles per day, including breakfast. Many tourists choose small hotels in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where the price for a room is set from 450 rubles per day, and the level of service is quite high. This is “Lyudmila” on Gagarina street, “Trio-97” on Sevastopol, “Era” on Garage street.
Surrounded by taiga, mountain hills and blue lakes, Komsomolsk-on-Amur is located. Rest in such picturesque places is always filled with vivid impressions. The Almir ski resort, opened in 2002, enjoys constant popularity. It is located on a mountain slope near the Shargol canal. Here modern houses with amenities, a cafe, a bathhouse, a sauna are built, mangal zones are equipped, there are 2 tracks, jumps, a descent for snowboarders. Another great ski base "Amut Snow Lake" is located near the village of Gorny on top of the mountain. There is such beauty that it is breathtaking. On the base there are ski slopes, a hotel, cottages, a cafe, a dining room, baths. You can relax in nature, gain strength and spend time with health benefits at the Mishkin’s Den, “Neptune”, “Rodnik”, “Shargol” camp sites.