Susuman
Encyclopedia
Susuman is a town
in Magadan Oblast
, Russia
, located on the Berelyokh River some 650 km northwest of Magadan
. It is the administrative center of Susumansky District
, as well as the only town in the entire oblast excepting the capital Magadan. Population: 7,200 (2005 est.); 7,833 (2002 Census
); 16,818 (1989 Census
).
, near where the Susuman River joins the Berelyokh. The town is sited on the Kolyma Highway, an unsealed track often known as the 'Road of Bones', which theoretically connects Yakutsk
with Magadan
, although it is only passable in winter when the rivers along the route are frozen.
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 Magadan Oblast under the control of Dalstroy
.
Gold mining and other industrial operations in the region were largely reliant on forced labour camps of the gulag
system, with a large number operating in the area around the town. From 1949 until 1956, the town was the base for one of the Soviet Union
's largest forced labour camps, the Saplag of the dalstroy
program. During this time, up to 16,500 prisoners were kept in the camps.
Susuman was granted town status in 1964. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union
, the population dropped significantly, losing over half its inhabitants during the 1990s.
region.
The town is served by Susuman Airport
.
Types of settlements in Russia
The classification system of the types of inhabited localities in Russia, the former Soviet Union, and some other post-Soviet states has certain peculiarities compared to the classification systems in other countries.-Modern classification in Russia:...
in Magadan Oblast
Magadan Oblast
Magadan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia in the Far Eastern Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Magadan....
, 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...
, located on the Berelyokh River some 650 km northwest of Magadan
Magadan
Magadan is a port town on the Sea of Okhotsk and gateway to the Kolyma region. It is the administrative center of Magadan Oblast , in the Russian Far East. Founded in 1929 on the site of an earlier settlement from the 1920s, it was granted the status of town in 1939...
. It is the administrative center of Susumansky District
Susumansky District
Susumansky District is a district in Magadan Oblast, Russia, established on December 3, 1953. The administrative center of the district is the town of Susuman.- Population decline :Population:...
, as well as the only town in the entire oblast excepting the capital Magadan. Population: 7,200 (2005 est.); 7,833 (2002 Census
Russian Census (2002)
Russian Census of 2002 was the first census of the Russian Federation carried out on October 9 through October 16, 2002. It was carried out by the Russian Federal Service of State Statistics .-Resident population:...
); 16,818 (1989 Census
Soviet Census (1989)
The 1989 Soviet census, conducted between January 12-19 of that year, was the last one conducted in the former USSR. It resulted in a total population of 286,730,819 inhabitants...
).
Geography
The town lies in the Kolyma region, around 650 km north of the regional capital MagadanMagadan
Magadan is a port town on the Sea of Okhotsk and gateway to the Kolyma region. It is the administrative center of Magadan Oblast , in the Russian Far East. Founded in 1929 on the site of an earlier settlement from the 1920s, it was granted the status of town in 1939...
, near where the Susuman River joins the Berelyokh. The town is sited on the Kolyma Highway, an unsealed track often known as the 'Road of Bones', which theoretically connects Yakutsk
Yakutsk
With a subarctic climate , Yakutsk is the coldest city, though not the coldest inhabited place, on Earth. Average monthly temperatures range from in July to in January. The coldest temperatures ever recorded on the planet outside Antarctica occurred in the basin of the Yana River to the northeast...
with Magadan
Magadan
Magadan is a port town on the Sea of Okhotsk and gateway to the Kolyma region. It is the administrative center of Magadan Oblast , in the Russian Far East. Founded in 1929 on the site of an earlier settlement from the 1920s, it was granted the status of town in 1939...
, although it is only passable in winter when the rivers along the route are frozen.
History
Susuman was founded in 1936 as a settlement of a sovkhozSovkhoz
A sovkhoz , typically translated as state farm, is a state-owned farm. The term originated in the Soviet Union, hence the name. The term is still in use in some post-Soviet states, e.g., Russia and Belarus. It is usually contrasted with kolkhoz, which is a collective-owned farm...
called Susuman, named after the nearby river of the same name. In 1938, the settlement was greatly expanded to become a center of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in the western part of Magadan Oblast under the control of Dalstroy
Dalstroy
Dalstroy , also known as Far North Construction Trust, was an organization set up in 1931 by the Soviet NKVD in order to manage road construction and the mining of gold in the Chukotka region of the Russian Far East, now known as Kolyma. Initially it was established as State Trust for Road and...
.
Gold mining and other industrial operations in the region were largely reliant on forced labour camps of the gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
system, with a large number operating in the area around the town. From 1949 until 1956, the town was the base for one of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's largest forced labour camps, the Saplag of the dalstroy
Dalstroy
Dalstroy , also known as Far North Construction Trust, was an organization set up in 1931 by the Soviet NKVD in order to manage road construction and the mining of gold in the Chukotka region of the Russian Far East, now known as Kolyma. Initially it was established as State Trust for Road and...
program. During this time, up to 16,500 prisoners were kept in the camps.
Susuman was granted town status in 1964. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
, the population dropped significantly, losing over half its inhabitants during the 1990s.
Economy and infrastructure
The town's economy relies mainly on its status as one of the centers of gold mining in the Kolyma RiverKolyma River
The Kolyma River is a river in northeastern Siberia, whose basin covers parts of the Sakha Republic, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, and Magadan Oblast of Russia. Itrises in the mountains north of Okhotsk and Magadan, in the area of and...
region.
The town is served by Susuman Airport
Susuman Airport
Susuman Airport is a minor airport in Magadan Oblast, Russia located 2 km south of Susuman. The airport closed app. 1998 and now the control tower is an Orthodox church and the airport's main building is a monastery....
.