Kem (Russian: Кемь; Finnish and Karelian: Kemi) is a historic town and the administrative center of Kemsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the shores of the White Sea where the Kem River enters it, on the railroad leading from Petrozavodsk to Murmansk. It had a population of 13,051 as of 2010, which was down from previous years.

Kem
Кемь
Lenina street, 23a, Kem, Karelia, Russia
Lenina street, 23a, Kem, Karelia, Russia
Flag of Kem
Coat of arms of Kem
Location of Kem
Map
Kem is located in Russia
Kem
Kem
Location of Kem
Kem is located in Karelia
Kem
Kem
Kem (Karelia)
Coordinates: 64°57′N 34°35′E / 64.950°N 34.583°E / 64.950; 34.583
CountryRussia
Federal subjectRepublic of Karelia[1]
Administrative districtKemsky District[1]
First mentioned1450
Town status since1785
Elevation
10 m (30 ft)
Population
 • Total
13,051
 • Capital ofKemsky District[1]
 • Municipal districtKemsky Municipal District[3]
 • Urban settlementKemskoye Urban Settlement[3]
 • Capital ofKemsky Municipal District,[4] Kemskoye Urban Settlement[3]
Time zoneUTC+3 (UTC+03:00 Edit this on Wikidata[5])
Postal code(s)[6]
18661x
Dialing code(s)+7 81458
OKTMO ID86612101001
Websitekem.onego.ru/kem/

History

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Historical affiliations

  Novgorod Republic 1450–1478
  Grand Duchy of Moscow 1478–1547
  Tsardom of Russia 1547–1721
  Russian Empire 1721–1917
  Russian Republic 1917
  Soviet Russia 1918–1922
  Soviet Union 1922–1991
  Russian Federation 1991–present

Kem was first mentioned as a demesne of the Novgorod posadnik Marfa Boretskaya in 1450, when she donated it to the Solovetsky Monastery (situated in the White Sea several kilometers off shore).[citation needed] In 1657, a wooden fort was erected there. Also wooden is the town's cathedral, built in 1711–1717. It is an example of the tented roof-construction in old Russian architecture. The cathedral's iconostasis features 17th-century icons from Novgorod.

Town status was granted to Kem in 1785.[citation needed]

 
View of Kem in 1916

On April 10, 1918 the town was reached by Finnish troops during the Viena expedition in an attempt to join White Karelia to Finland.

In 1926–1939, Kem was used as departure place for boats headed to Solovetsky Islands carrying political prisoners. During the Cold War, the town was the site of the Poduzhemye air base, a key interceptor aircraft airfield covering Karelia.

Geography

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Climate

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Kem has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfc).[7] It has a significant maritime influence compared with areas further east in the country with cool summers and less severe winters. The temperature regime has more in common with maritime areas on similar parallels in the Nordic countries to the west. It is some way above polar climate due to the milder summers with three months above 10 °C (50 °F) in mean temperature.[8]

Climate data for Kem
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 8.7
(47.7)
6.5
(43.7)
12.0
(53.6)
19.6
(67.3)
29.2
(84.6)
32.5
(90.5)
32.6
(90.7)
32.9
(91.2)
26.7
(80.1)
16.6
(61.9)
11.4
(52.5)
6.9
(44.4)
32.6
(90.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −5.9
(21.4)
−5.9
(21.4)
−1.3
(29.7)
3.9
(39.0)
9.6
(49.3)
15.3
(59.5)
18.5
(65.3)
17.2
(63.0)
12.4
(54.3)
5.5
(41.9)
0.0
(32.0)
−3.4
(25.9)
5.5
(41.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) −9.1
(15.6)
−9.1
(15.6)
−5
(23)
0.2
(32.4)
5.6
(42.1)
11.2
(52.2)
14.7
(58.5)
13.6
(56.5)
9.3
(48.7)
3.2
(37.8)
−2.3
(27.9)
−6.1
(21.0)
2.2
(35.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −12.6
(9.3)
−12.8
(9.0)
−9.0
(15.8)
−3.5
(25.7)
2.1
(35.8)
7.6
(45.7)
11.2
(52.2)
10.3
(50.5)
6.3
(43.3)
0.9
(33.6)
−4.8
(23.4)
−9.1
(15.6)
−1.1
(30.0)
Record low °C (°F) −40.3
(−40.5)
−35.1
(−31.2)
−32.5
(−26.5)
−25.8
(−14.4)
−12.2
(10.0)
−2.6
(27.3)
2.0
(35.6)
0.1
(32.2)
−4.1
(24.6)
−17.0
(1.4)
−26.3
(−15.3)
−34.2
(−29.6)
−40.3
(−40.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 27
(1.1)
22
(0.9)
21
(0.8)
28
(1.1)
48
(1.9)
58
(2.3)
65
(2.6)
69
(2.7)
53
(2.1)
53
(2.1)
41
(1.6)
32
(1.3)
524
(20.6)
Source: Pogoda.ru.net

Administrative and municipal status

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Within the framework of administrative divisions, Kem serves as the administrative center of Kemsky District, to which it is directly subordinated.[1] As a municipal division, the town of Kem, together with three rural localities, is incorporated within Kemsky Municipal District as Kemskoye Urban Settlement.[3]

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Kem was the filming location for the 2006 film The Island.

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e Law #871-RZK
  2. ^ Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1 [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года [2010 All-Russia Population Census] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
  3. ^ a b c d Law #813-RZK
  4. ^ Law #825-ZRK
  5. ^ "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  6. ^ Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (in Russian)
  7. ^ "Kem', Russia Climate Summary". Weatherbase. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  8. ^ "Kem', Russia Climate Summary". Weatherbase. Retrieved March 22, 2015.

Sources

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  • Законодательное Собрание Республики Карелия. Закон №871-ЗРК от 29 апреля 2005 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Республики Карелия», в ред. Закона №1895-ЗРK от 2 июня 2015 г. «О внесении изменения статью 9 Закона Республики Карелия "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Республики Карелия"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: газета "Карелия", №48, 7 мая 2005 г. (Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia. Law #871-ZRK of April 29, 2005 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Republic of Karelia, as amended by the Law #1895-ZRK of June 2, 2015 On Amending Article 9 of the Law of the Republic of Karelia "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Republic of Karelia". Effective as of the official publication date.).
  • Законодательное Собрание Республики Карелия. Закон №813-ЗРК от 1 ноября 2004 г. «О городских, сельских поселениях в Республике Карелия», в ред. Закона №1694-ЗРK от 2 апреля 2013 г. «О преобразовании муниципальных образований "Нюхчинское сельское поселение" и "Сумпосадское сельское поселение" Беломорского муниципального района и внесении изменений в некоторые законодательные акты Республики Карелия». Вступил в силу по истечении десяти дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: газета "Карелия", №124, 126, 129, 132, 135, 136, 139, 4 ноября — 9 декабря 2004 г. (Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia. Law #813-ZRK of November 1, 2004 On the Urban, Rural Settlements in the Republic of Karelia, as amended by the Law #1694-ZRK of April 2, 2013 On the Transformation of the Municipal Formations of "Nyukhchinskoye Rural Settlement" and "Sumposadskoye Rural Settlement" of Belomorsky Municipal District of the Republic of Karelia and on Amending Various Legislative Acts of the Republic of Karelia. Effective as of the day which is ten days after the day of the official publication.).
  • Законодательное Собрание Республики Карелия. Закон №825-ЗРК от 1 декабря 2004 г. «О муниципальных районах в Республике Карелия», в ред. Закона №1694-ЗРK от 2 апреля 2013 г. «О преобразовании муниципальных образований "Нюхчинское сельское поселение" и "Сумпосадское сельское поселение" Беломорского муниципального района и внесении изменений в некоторые законодательные акты Республики Карелия». Вступил в силу по истечении десяти дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: газета "Карелия", №141, 16 декабря 2004 г. (Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia. Law #825-ZRK of December 1, 2004 On the Municipal Districts in the Republic of Karelia, as amended by the Law #1694-ZRK of April 2, 2013 On the Transformation of the Municipal Formations of "Nyukhchinskoye Rural Settlement" and "Sumposadskoye Rural Settlement" of Belomorsky Municipal District of the Republic of Karelia and on Amending Various Legislative Acts of the Republic of Karelia. Effective as of the day which is ten days after the day of the official publication.).
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