Nalchik (Russian: Нальчик IPA: [ˈnalʲtɕɪk]; Kabardian: НалщӀэч, Nalṣ̂ăčʼ IPA: [naːɮɕʼakʲ]; Karachay-Balkar: Нальчик IPA: [naltʃɯk]) is the capital city of Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, situated at an altitude of 550 meters (1,800 ft) in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains; about 100 kilometers (62 mi) northwest of Beslan (Beslan is in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania).[13] It covers an area of 131 square kilometers (51 sq mi). Population: 247,054 (2021 Census);[11] 240,203 (2010 Census);[14] 274,974 (2002 Census);[15] 234,547 (1989 Soviet census).[16]
Nalchik
Нальчик | |
|---|---|
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Kabardian | НалщӀэч |
| • Balkar | Нальчик |
 .jpg)    .jpg) .jpg)    Bochka Bar, Pobeda Cinema, Cathedral of Equal to the Apostle Mary Magdalene, Fountain at the Place de la Concorde in the Lenina Street, Monument to the Nalchans who died in the Great Patriotic War, Trees in a park, Snow in a memorial, Statue of Lenin, Central Mosque, KBSU Main Building | |
.png) Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Nalchik  | |
  Nalchik Location of Nalchik  Nalchik Nalchik (Kabardino-Balkaria) | |
| Coordinates: 43°29′N 43°37′E / 43.483°N 43.617°E | |
| Country | Russia |
| Federal subject | Kabardino-Balkaria |
| Founded | 1724 |
| City status since | 1921 |
| Government | |
| • Body | City Council[1] |
| • Head[2] | Taymuraz Akhokhov[2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 67 km2 (26 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 512 m (1,680 ft) |
| Population | |
• Estimate (2018)[4] | 239,300 |
| • Density | 2,291.18/km2 (5,934.1/sq mi) |
| • Subordinated to | city of republic significance of Nalchik[5] |
| • Capital of | Kabardino-Balkar Republic |
| • Capital of | city of republic significance of Nalchik[5] |
| • Urban okrug | Nalchik Urban Okrug[6] |
| • Capital of | Nalchik Urban Okrug[6] |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (MSK  [7]) |
| Postal code(s)[8] | 360000, 360005, 360032, 360901, 360903, 360904 |
| Dialing code(s) | +7 8662[9] |
| OKTMO ID | 83701000001 |
| City Day | September 1[10] |
| Website | admnalchik |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1897 | 4,809 | — |
| 1926 | 12,893 | +168.1% |
| 1939 | 47,970 | +272.1% |
| 1959 | 87,617 | +82.6% |
| 1970 | 145,690 | +66.3% |
| 1979 | 207,406 | +42.4% |
| 1989 | 234,547 | +13.1% |
| 2002 | 274,974 | +17.2% |
| 2010 | 240,203 | −12.6% |
| 2021 | 247,054 | +2.9% |
| Source: Census data | ||
History
editThe territory of modern-day Nalchik was formerly known as Sloboda. The modern city dates from the early 19th century when the expanding Russian Empire built a fort there in 1818.
In 1838, a Russian military settlement was founded in the city, and after the Russian Revolution of 1917, in the year 1921, Nalchik was given the status of administrative center of Kabardin Autonomous Oblast. During the Russian Empire, the settlement was the administrative capital of the Nalchiksky Okrug of the Terek Oblast.
The word "Nalchik" literally means "small horseshoe" in Kabardian (or Circassian, a Northwest Caucasian language) and Karachay-Balkar (a Turkic language). It is a diminutive of na'l, a common Middle Eastern word (Arabic, Persian, Turkish) for "horseshoe", possibly from the ancient Scythian, 'nalak" (horseshoe). The city of Nalchik was named this way because of how it is shaped as surrounded by the mountains of the land, and the Nalchik River is named after the city it runs across.
During World War II, on 2 November 1942, Nalchik was occupied by Romanian mountain troops (Vânători de munte) under the command of Brigadier General Ioan Dumitrache, its capture earning the Romanian General the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.[17] The city was heavily damaged during the conflict. General Dumitrache went to great length ordering his troops to protect local population during the time Nalchik was occupied by Romanian forces. Professor A. N. Dainaco, the Mayor of Nalchik at that time, thanked General Dumitrache for liberating the city. Although he was accused of war crimes, General Dumitrache was fully exonerated after the war by a joint Soviet and Romanian judicial commission.[18]
In 1990, there was a 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Nalchik.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Nalchik and the Kabardino- Balkaria region become a federal republic of Russia. [19]
On October 13, 2005, Nalchik was attacked by a large group of Yarmuk Jamaat militants led by Shamil Basayev and Anzor Astemirov. Buildings associated with the Russian security forces were targeted, killing at least 14 civilians and wounding 115. Thirty-five policemen died in the fighting. Eighty-nine militants, including their leader Ilias Gorchkhanov, were killed, and another fifty-nine arrested.
Administrative and municipal status
editWithin the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with four rural localities, incorporated as the city of republic significance of Nalchik—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.[5] As a municipal division, the city of republic significance of Nalchik is incorporated as Nalchik Urban Okrug.[6]
Ethnic groups
edit 
The population of the city in 2021 included the following breakdown by ethnicity:[20]
- Kabardians (Circassian) (49.2%)
- Russians (22.8%)
- Balkars (Taulu) (18.2%)
- Cherkess (3.6%)
- Ossetians (1.3%)
- others (13.2%)
2002 census data is as follows:[21]
- Kabardians (47.3%)
- Russians (31.8%)
- Balkars (11.4%)
- Ossetians (1.9%)
- Ukrainians (1.0%)
Economy and education
editNalchik is a balneological and mountain climatotherapy resort, with several sanatoriums. It also serves as an industrial center of the republic (non-ferrous metallurgy, light industry, construction materials manufacturing, machine building).[22]
Nalchik is home to the following facilities of higher education:
Climate
editNalchik has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfa) with hot summers and no dry season. The warm season lasts from late May to mid-September and the cold season from December to March. Most forms of precipitation are light rain and thunderstorms, as well as light snow and moderate snow. Wind speeds are typically calm to a light breeze through the year.
| Climate data for Nalchik (1991-2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −1.8 (28.8) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
4.1 (39.4) |
10.3 (50.5) |
15.9 (60.6) |
20.3 (68.5) |
23 (73) |
22.5 (72.5) |
17.5 (63.5) |
11.1 (52.0) |
4.1 (39.4) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
10.5 (50.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 21 (0.8) |
22 (0.9) |
39 (1.5) |
58 (2.3) |
94 (3.7) |
107 (4.2) |
69 (2.7) |
58 (2.3) |
63 (2.5) |
45 (1.8) |
34 (1.3) |
27 (1.1) |
637 (25.1) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 91 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 78 | 90 | 107 | 151 | 192 | 226 | 244 | 213 | 176 | 132 | 86 | 73 | 1,768 |
| Source: Гидрометцентр России[26] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Nalchik (Нальчик) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.2 (32.4) |
1.0 (33.8) |
6.6 (43.9) |
16.0 (60.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.3 (79.3) |
22.0 (71.6) |
14.5 (58.1) |
8.3 (46.9) |
3.1 (37.6) |
14.2 (57.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −7.1 (19.2) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
5.4 (41.7) |
10.6 (51.1) |
14.1 (57.4) |
16.7 (62.1) |
15.8 (60.4) |
11.7 (53.1) |
5.4 (41.7) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
5.2 (41.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 22 (0.9) |
23 (0.9) |
38 (1.5) |
63 (2.5) |
99 (3.9) |
100 (3.9) |
72 (2.8) |
61 (2.4) |
55 (2.2) |
43 (1.7) |
29 (1.1) |
26 (1.0) |
631 (24.8) |
| Average precipitation days | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 95 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 69 | 71 | 117 | 141 | 185 | 235 | 222 | 210 | 201 | 153 | 93 | 63 | 1,760 |
| Source 1: Gydrometcenter[27] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: City Hall of Nalchik[28] | |||||||||||||
Sports
editPFC Spartak Nalchik is an association football club based in Nalchik, playing in the Russian Premier League. The 2008 World Women's Chess Championship has also been held in Nalchik on August 28–September 18, 2008.[29]
Notable people
edit- Khadzhimurat Akkayev, Olympic weightlifter, born 1985
- Astemir Apanasov, Circassian singer, musician, composer, and actor
- Rustam Bakov, former Russian footballer, born 1983
- Viktor Belenko, Soviet pilot who defected with a MiG-25, landing in Hakodate, Japan
- Dima Bilan, singer, born 1981
- Felix Frankl (1905–1961), Austrian and Soviet mathematician, physicist and aerodynamics
- Lyalya Chyornaya, actress
- Andre Geim, Soviet, British and Netherlands physicist; Nobel laureate
- Vladislav Goldin, basketball player born in 2001, currently playing US college basketball at the University of Michigan
- Mark Ifraimov (born 1981), Israeli former member of the Knesset and Deputy Mayor of Sderot
- Muhadin Kishev, Soviet and Spanish artist, born 1938
- Andrei Kolkoutine painter, born 1957
- Alim Kouliev, actor, theater director, born 1959
- Azamat Kuliev, painter, born 1963
- Eldar Kuliev, film director, screenwriter, born 1951
- Katya Lel, singer, born 1974
- Alexander Litvinenko, ex-FSB officer turned anti-Putin activist, born 1962, poisoned with polonium-210 and died 2006.
- Leo Mol (1915–2009), Soviet and Canadian artist and sculptor
- Nikolay Pavlov, professional footballer, born 1987
- Albert Sarkisyan, former Armenian professional footballer
- Yuri Temirkanov, orchestra conductor, born 1938
- Mikhail Zalikhanov, academician of Russian Academy of Sciences, born 1939
Twin towns and sister cities
edit
Amman, Jordan
Kayseri, Turkey
Vladikavkaz, Russia
Reno, Nevada, United States
References
editNotes
edit- ^ "Совет местного самоуправления городского округа Нальчик пятого созыва". Nalchik City Council. Nalchik City Council. Archived from the original on December 6, 2013.
The supreme and exclusive legislative (representative) body of the state power in Nalchik is the Nalchik City Council.
- ^ a b Местная администрация городского округа Нальчик (in Russian). Archived from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
- ^ "Регионы России. Основные социально-экономические показатели городов". 2012 г. (in Russian). Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ^ "26. Численность постоянного населения Российской Федерации по муниципальным образованиям на 1 января 2018 года". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ a b c Law #12-RZ
- ^ a b c Law #13-RZ
- ^ "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- ^ "Почтовые индексы России".
- ^ "Уважаемый клиент, наш сайт недоступенпри использовании VPN сервисов". www.rt.ru.
- ^ "Паспорт городского округа Нальчик". na.adm-kbr.ru. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ a b Russian Federal State Statistics Service. Всероссийская перепись населения 2020 года. Том 1 [2020 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1] (XLS) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
- ^ "Инвестиционный паспорт Кабардино-Балкарии". Investpassport. 2010. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
- ^ "Dozens die as Russian city raided." BBC. Thursday October 13, 2005. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек [Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian).
- ^ Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров [All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года [All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. 1989 – via Demoscope Weekly.
- ^ Tucker, Spencer C. (September 6, 2016). "World War II: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection [5 volumes]: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection". ABC-CLIO – via Google Books.
- ^ Arhiva Reviste. Bichir (subscription required)
- ^ "Kabardino-Balkaria profile". BBC News. August 28, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ "Национальный состав населения". Управление Федеральной службы государственной статистики по Северо-Кавказскому федеральному округу. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ "Население кабардино-балкарии".
- ^ Protsenko, Nikolay. “Times Get Tougher in a North Caucasus Republic.” Transitions Online, Nov. 2010, p. 3.
- ^ "Organisations.Kabardino-Balkar State University". mathnet.ru. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
- ^ "North-Caucasus State Institute of Arts". Universities, Colleges and Institutes Directory of Russian Federation (Russia) .University-directory.eu. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
- ^ "Federal Education Kabardino-Balkar State Agricultural Academy" (in Russian). Education in Russia. edu.ru. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
- ^ "Calimatic norms" Климатические нормы. meteoinfo (in Russian). Hydrometeorological Center of Russia. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ "Нальчик". METEOINFO.RU.
- ^ "City Hall of Nalchik : Sundata for Nalchik". June 2011. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011.
- ^ "World Women's Championship.World Chess Federation 2008". FIDE. Archived from the original on August 19, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
Sources
edit- Парламент Кабардино-Балкарской Республики. Закон №12-РЗ от 27 февраля 2005 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Кабардино-Балкарской Республики», в ред. Закона №20-РЗ от 23 апреля 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в отдельные республиканские Законы». Вступил в силу на следующий день после опубликования. Опубликован: "Кабардино-Балкарская правда", б/н, 1 марта 2005 г. (Parliament of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. Law #12-RZ of February 27, 2005 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, as amended by the Law #20-RZ of April 23, 2014 On Amending Various Republican Laws. Effective as of the day following the publication date.).
- Парламент Кабардино-Балкарской Республики. Закон №13-РЗ от 27 февраля 2005 г. «Об статусе и границах муниципальных образований в Кабардино-Балкарской Республики», в ред. Закона №20-РЗ от 23 апреля 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в отдельные республиканские Законы». Вступил в силу на следующий день после официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Кабардино-Балкарская правда", б/н, 1 марта 2005 г. (Parliament of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. Law #13-RZ of February 27, 2005 On the Status and the Borders of the Municipal Formations in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, as amended by the Law #20-RZ of April 23, 2014 On Amending Various Republican Laws. Effective as of the day following the official publication date.).
External links
edit
- Nalcik. Official Website of Kabardino-Balkaria (in Russian)