Kondopoga
Encyclopedia
Kondopoga is a town and the administrative center of Kondopozhsky District
of the Republic of Karelia
, Russia
, situated on the coast of the Kondopozhskaya Gulf of Lake Onega
, near the mouth of the Suna River
and Kivach Nature Reserve
, about 54 kilometres (33.6 mi) from Petrozavodsk
. Population:
Kondopoga has a railroad station on the Moscow–Murmansk railroad, some of the largest pulp and paper mills in Eastern Europe, a medical college, and facilities for the manufacture of building materials.
First recorded as early as 1495, Kondopoga retains a rare monument of Russian wooden architecture — the Dormition Church , built in 1774. The central column of this church is crowned by a hipped roof
, 42 m in total height. The column is based on a central rectangular framework, with adjacent frameworks for the refectory
and altar
. The altar framework is covered by a traditional wooden roof, called a barrel roof
.
Town status was granted to it in 1938.
. Later, iron ore deposits were found in the vicinity, which were shipped to metallurgical factories in Petrozavodsk
and in Kentjärvi.
By 1892, Kondopoga had 48 buildings, 300 inhabitants, 2 churches, a college; it was the site of an annual trade fair on September 8–15.
During World War I
, the Main Artillery Administrative Department of Russian Military Ministry started construction of a nitric acid plant there, which was essential for gunpowder production. A hydroelectric power station was designed to meet considerable demand in the energy for such a plant. Kondopoga was well suitable for such a station due to significant water level drop between Nigozero and Onezhskoe Lake. A 30 MWt station was to become the largest in Russia
. Due to Russian revolution and Civil war, the project was delayed and only revived in the Soviet time as part of GOELRO plan. According to the project, the waters of the Suna
river were to be redirected towards the hydroelectric power station via the lake system. On July 19, 1923, Sovnarkhoz
of Karelia
ratified the formation of a building society to build a hydroelectric power station and a major pulp and paper mill (Kondostroy). Kondopoga became a county (rayon) seat in 1932, and received a town status in 1938, with some 14,000 inhabitants.
During World War II
, Kondopoga was occupied by Finnish troops on November 3, 1941, and was totally destroyed. Industrial plants and factories were looted, including the pulp and paper mill, hydro station, granite and brick factories, furniture factory, et al.). Estimated 250 houses and apartment buildings were demolished along with concert halls, museums, kindergarten, school, hotels, fire station, municipal and county offices. All bridges in the vicinity were blown up. The city was liberated on June 28, 1944, by Red Army
's Karelian Front
as part of Svir–Petrozavodsk Offensive. After the war, the city was rebuilt. In 1957, Kondopoga was declared the All-Union Komsomol
building site. A number of new factories were built, and the pulp and paper mill was also expanded. The population grew to 38,000 people.
were killed and several others badly injured by Chechens in the Chayka («Чайка») restaurant. A group of Russian men were eating at the Azeri-owned restaurant, when allegedly, they noticed that the expensive, premium brand vodka bottle the waiter was pouring their drinks from was actually filled with a cheap, low quality spirit. An argument and brief scuffle ensued. The ethnic Russians then left the bar. The barman then called a 'rescue team' of 15 Chechens. This team of hired 'protectors' actually arrived an hour after the Russians involved in the initial fracas had exited, but on arrival, randomly attacked ethnic Russian diners in the restaurant, who hadn't been involved in the original vodka dispute. Armed with baseball bats and knives, they set on the clientele shouting 'allahu akbar!', and a in a brutal melee, 2 Russians were killed, 8 seriously injured and 15 mutilated, the injuries ranging from cuts to gouged out eyes. Despite the fact that 3 police vehicles were in the direct vicinity of the restaurant, the police did not intervene. This has led to allegations that the police were being paid off by the Chechen gang.
After the funeral of the Russian victims, tensions spilled over into an all out riot as the mob attempted to obtain vigilante revenge. Many of the Chechens and the families left the town, some stating a desire to live in Finland.
Sergey Katanandov, the head of Karelia Republic, told "Izvestia" on September 6 about a gang of Chechens who drove around the town in a Mercedes without number plates 'terrorising locals'. He also related an incident where a Chechen gang beat a local policeman. An ensuing lawsuit by the policeman was dropped, Katanandov hinting that he had been 'paid off' by the gang - others believe fear of reprisals may have been his motivation. .
It said to be an open secret in Russia that many businesses often operate under the protection of kryshas ("roofs") - that provide protection via the FSB and other state bodies. In Kondopoga, many believe such 'immunity from prosecution' was visibly flaunted by the Chechen gang and the businesses under their protection.
Some reports link this state of affairs to clashes on the night of September 1–2, 2006 between groups of ethnic Russian youths and the OMON
(a SWAT-type and riot-control unit) troops. The Chayka restaurant was destroyed during this unrest. A number of Chechen-owned businesses were also targeted.
On September 2, two days after the beginning of rioting, there was a mass meeting held at the town hall. A number of Russian nationalists came from Moscow
, including leaders of Movement Against Illegal Immigration
, and organized a rally calling on the government to forcibly resettle all people from the Caucasus
, especially ethnic Chechens, from the town.
The nationalists pointed to the reign of fear spread by Chechen gangsters and the many violent acts committed against ethnic Russians, exacerbated by corrupt officials 'in the pockets' of the Chechens, as their motivation.
On April 1, 2010, the Chechens and Dagestanis who participated in the original restaurant attack were convicted of various crimes. Islam Magomadov was convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to 22 years of imprisonment, five more people were convicted of assault and aggravated assault and received sentences ranging from 3 years 10 month up to 10 years of imprisonment.
Kondopozhsky District
Kondopozhsky District is an administrative district , one of the fifteen in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Kondopozhsky Municipal District. Its administrative center is the town of Kondopoga. District's population: 9,719 ; Population of Kondopoga accounts for...
of the Republic of Karelia
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, situated on the coast of the Kondopozhskaya Gulf of Lake Onega
Lake Onega
Lake Onega is a lake in the north-west European part of Russia, located on the territory of Republic of Karelia, Leningrad Oblast and Vologda Oblast. It belongs to the basin of Baltic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and is the second largest lake in Europe after Lake Ladoga...
, near the mouth of the Suna River
Suna River
Suna is a river in Republic of Karelia, Russia. The length of the river is 280 km. The area of its basin is 7,670 km². The Suna originates in Lake Kivi-Yarvi and flows out into the Kondopoga Gulf of Lake Onega....
and Kivach Nature Reserve
Kivach Nature Reserve
Kivach is a 104.6 km² Russian nature reserve located in Kondopozhsky District of Republic of Karelia, which includes the famous 10.7 m Kivach waterfall on the Suna River. The reserve was established in 1931 to study and protect Karelian taiga...
, about 54 kilometres (33.6 mi) from Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It stretches along the western shore of the Lake Onega for some . The city is served by Petrozavodsk Airport. Municipally, it is incorporated as Petrozavodsky Urban Okrug . Population:...
. Population:
Kondopoga has a railroad station on the Moscow–Murmansk railroad, some of the largest pulp and paper mills in Eastern Europe, a medical college, and facilities for the manufacture of building materials.
First recorded as early as 1495, Kondopoga retains a rare monument of Russian wooden architecture — the Dormition Church , built in 1774. The central column of this church is crowned by a hipped roof
Tented roof
A tented roof is a type of roof widely used in 16th and 17th century Russian architecture for churches. It is like a polygonal spire but differs in purpose in that it is typically used to roof the main internal space of a church, rather than an auxiliary structure...
, 42 m in total height. The column is based on a central rectangular framework, with adjacent frameworks for the refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
and altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
. The altar framework is covered by a traditional wooden roof, called a barrel roof
Barrel roof
A barrel roof is a curved roof that, especially from below, is curved like a cut-away barrel. They have some advantages over dome roofs, especially being able to cover rectangular buildings., due to their uniform cross-section....
.
Town status was granted to it in 1938.
History
Kondopoga originates from a village with the same name. The very first written reference well-known to historians dates back to 1563. The town became important after rich marble deposits were discovered nearby in 1757 and the quarries were founded. Kondopoga became a logistics hub for marble shipping to Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. Later, iron ore deposits were found in the vicinity, which were shipped to metallurgical factories in Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It stretches along the western shore of the Lake Onega for some . The city is served by Petrozavodsk Airport. Municipally, it is incorporated as Petrozavodsky Urban Okrug . Population:...
and in Kentjärvi.
By 1892, Kondopoga had 48 buildings, 300 inhabitants, 2 churches, a college; it was the site of an annual trade fair on September 8–15.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Main Artillery Administrative Department of Russian Military Ministry started construction of a nitric acid plant there, which was essential for gunpowder production. A hydroelectric power station was designed to meet considerable demand in the energy for such a plant. Kondopoga was well suitable for such a station due to significant water level drop between Nigozero and Onezhskoe Lake. A 30 MWt station was to become the largest in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Due to Russian revolution and Civil war, the project was delayed and only revived in the Soviet time as part of GOELRO plan. According to the project, the waters of the Suna
Suna
Suna may refer to:*Suna of Buganda, king of Buganda until 1609*Suna II of Buganda, king of Buganda from 1836 until 1856*Suna River, a river in the Republic of Karelia, Russia*Suna pur, a neighborhood in Dubai, United Arab Emirates...
river were to be redirected towards the hydroelectric power station via the lake system. On July 19, 1923, Sovnarkhoz
Sovnarkhoz
Sovnarkhoz, , usually translated as Regional Economic Council, was an organization of the Soviet Union to manage a separate economic region....
of Karelia
Karelia
Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
ratified the formation of a building society to build a hydroelectric power station and a major pulp and paper mill (Kondostroy). Kondopoga became a county (rayon) seat in 1932, and received a town status in 1938, with some 14,000 inhabitants.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Kondopoga was occupied by Finnish troops on November 3, 1941, and was totally destroyed. Industrial plants and factories were looted, including the pulp and paper mill, hydro station, granite and brick factories, furniture factory, et al.). Estimated 250 houses and apartment buildings were demolished along with concert halls, museums, kindergarten, school, hotels, fire station, municipal and county offices. All bridges in the vicinity were blown up. The city was liberated on June 28, 1944, by Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
's Karelian Front
Karelian Front
The Karelian Front was a Front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II, and operated in Karelia.- Wartime :...
as part of Svir–Petrozavodsk Offensive. After the war, the city was rebuilt. In 1957, Kondopoga was declared the All-Union Komsomol
Komsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
building site. A number of new factories were built, and the pulp and paper mill was also expanded. The population grew to 38,000 people.
2006 ethnic tensions
On the night of August 29–30, two ethnic RussiansRussians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
were killed and several others badly injured by Chechens in the Chayka («Чайка») restaurant. A group of Russian men were eating at the Azeri-owned restaurant, when allegedly, they noticed that the expensive, premium brand vodka bottle the waiter was pouring their drinks from was actually filled with a cheap, low quality spirit. An argument and brief scuffle ensued. The ethnic Russians then left the bar. The barman then called a 'rescue team' of 15 Chechens. This team of hired 'protectors' actually arrived an hour after the Russians involved in the initial fracas had exited, but on arrival, randomly attacked ethnic Russian diners in the restaurant, who hadn't been involved in the original vodka dispute. Armed with baseball bats and knives, they set on the clientele shouting 'allahu akbar!', and a in a brutal melee, 2 Russians were killed, 8 seriously injured and 15 mutilated, the injuries ranging from cuts to gouged out eyes. Despite the fact that 3 police vehicles were in the direct vicinity of the restaurant, the police did not intervene. This has led to allegations that the police were being paid off by the Chechen gang.
After the funeral of the Russian victims, tensions spilled over into an all out riot as the mob attempted to obtain vigilante revenge. Many of the Chechens and the families left the town, some stating a desire to live in Finland.
Sergey Katanandov, the head of Karelia Republic, told "Izvestia" on September 6 about a gang of Chechens who drove around the town in a Mercedes without number plates 'terrorising locals'. He also related an incident where a Chechen gang beat a local policeman. An ensuing lawsuit by the policeman was dropped, Katanandov hinting that he had been 'paid off' by the gang - others believe fear of reprisals may have been his motivation. .
It said to be an open secret in Russia that many businesses often operate under the protection of kryshas ("roofs") - that provide protection via the FSB and other state bodies. In Kondopoga, many believe such 'immunity from prosecution' was visibly flaunted by the Chechen gang and the businesses under their protection.
Some reports link this state of affairs to clashes on the night of September 1–2, 2006 between groups of ethnic Russian youths and the OMON
OMON
OMOH is a generic name for the system of special units of militsiya within the Russian and earlier the Soviet MVD...
(a SWAT-type and riot-control unit) troops. The Chayka restaurant was destroyed during this unrest. A number of Chechen-owned businesses were also targeted.
On September 2, two days after the beginning of rioting, there was a mass meeting held at the town hall. A number of Russian nationalists came from Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, including leaders of Movement Against Illegal Immigration
Movement Against Illegal Immigration
The Movement Against Illegal Immigration is a Russian nationalist and anti-Illegal immigration organization. The organization is led by Aleksandr Belov a former member of ultra-nationalist Pamyat...
, and organized a rally calling on the government to forcibly resettle all people from the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
, especially ethnic Chechens, from the town.
The nationalists pointed to the reign of fear spread by Chechen gangsters and the many violent acts committed against ethnic Russians, exacerbated by corrupt officials 'in the pockets' of the Chechens, as their motivation.
On April 1, 2010, the Chechens and Dagestanis who participated in the original restaurant attack were convicted of various crimes. Islam Magomadov was convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to 22 years of imprisonment, five more people were convicted of assault and aggravated assault and received sentences ranging from 3 years 10 month up to 10 years of imprisonment.
External links
Links about ethnic tensions in Kondopoga
- Fear and Uncertainty Reign in Kondopoga, by Carl Schreck, The Moscow TimesThe Moscow TimesThe Moscow Times is an English-language daily newspaper published in Moscow, Russia since 1992. The circulation in 2008 stood at 35,000 copies and the newspaper is typically given out for free at places English-language "expats" attend, including hotels, cafés and restaurants, as well as by...
, 14 September 2006. - Russian town hit by race violence , BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, 4 September 2006. - Violent Mobs Attack Immigrants in Karelia, St. Petersburg Times (Russia)St. Petersburg Times (Russia)The St. Petersburg Times is a weekly, English-language newspaper based in St. Petersburg, Russia. It serves the expatriate community, tourists, and Russians interested in an international perspective on local and world affairs...
, 5 September 2006. - Authorities scramble to curb ethnic violence in North Russia, RIANNovostiRussian International News Agency ' is a Russian state-owned news agency based in the capital Moscow.-Overview:The agency publishes news and information about social-political, economic, scientific and financial subjects on the Internet and via e-mail in the main European languages, as well as in...
, 4 September 2006. - Galina Kozhevnikova. Autumn - 2006: Under the Kondopoga Banner, SOVA CenterSOVA CenterThe SOVA Center for Information and Analysis is a human rights nongovernmental organization andthink tank that conducts sociological research on development of nationalism and racism in post-Soviet Russia.- History and Structure :...
, 4 January 2007. - Kondopoga city forum with first-hand discussions of the conflict
- Movement Against Illegal Immigration. Events in Kondopoga