On May 7, 1934, the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee was adopted, which created the Jewish Autonomous Region. His status was assigned to Birobidzhan district.
Appearance story
The territory of the Amur Region has long been inhabited by independent tribes, which have a small number. These were the Tungus, Daurs and Duchers. The Russian people began to develop these lands only from the middle of the 17th century. The impetus for this was the campaign of Vasily Poyarkov, which took place in June 1644. Erofei Khabarov consolidated Russian influence in the Amur region . After his campaigns, these lands began to gradually join the Russian state.
After the revolution of 1917, the new government decided to attract the Jewish population of the country to productive labor and began to search for territory for its residence. The leaders of the USSR came up with a plan according to which the Jewish Autonomous Okrug was to be created. This decision, among other things, had a political aspect. The creation of such an autonomous region was supposed to improve relations with the West, which at that time did not recognize the young state. In addition, the development of the territories of the Far East was necessary for the USSR, which was seriously threatened by the Japanese.
The decision on the settlement of Jews in the free lands of the Amur region was adopted March 28, 1928 by the Presidium of the CEC. 08/20/1930 the same body of Soviet power decided to establish the Birobidzhan region, which is part of the Far Eastern Territory. The center of this administrative unit was Tikhonkaya station. In 1931, it was renamed the village of Birobidzhan. A little later, the status of the district was changed. The Jewish Autonomous Okrug was created on its territory. Legislatively this decision was fixed on May 7, 1934 by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR.
Geography
The Jewish Autonomous Region is located in the southern part of Russian Far Eastern lands. In its western part, it is adjacent to the Amur Region, and in the eastern part, to the Khabarovsk Territory. The southern border of the Jewish Autonomous Region coincides with the state border of Russia. It passes along the Amur River, beyond which the lands of China begin.
Jewish autonomy has an area of 36.3 thousand square kilometers. As of 01.01.2015, 168 thousand inhabitants lived on its territory. The city of Birobidzhan is the regional center of this district.
Promised land
The newly created autonomy was a fact of the revival of the sovereign territory of the Jewish population. The emergence of this district has led to increased immigration from abroad. About seven hundred people from Lithuania and Argentina, Latvia and France, Belgium and Germany, Poland, Palestine and the USA chose their permanent residence in the Far East.
All this suggests that the decision of the Soviet government caused a rather lively response in the Jewish community. And this is not surprising. The long-suffering people rejoiced at the allocation for them of their own territory and the existence on it of some semblance of statehood.
Location
The city of Birobidzhan received such a resounding name from the name of two local streams flowing nearby - Bira and Bijan. On the banks of the first of them, the center of the newly formed Autonomous Okrug was erected. Birobidzhan on the map can be found east of the Bijan River. It flows parallel to Bire and is located a hundred kilometers from the city. It is worth saying that these two rivers carry their waters into the mighty Cupid.
Birobidzhan on the map of Russia is one of the stations of the Trans-Siberian Railway. It is distinguished by its proximity to the border with China (only 75 kilometers).
Sights of the capital of the EAO
The main street of Birobidzhan is named after Sholom Aleichem. A monument to this famous Jewish writer was erected on the territory of her square. This is a two-meter copper figure of Shalom Aleichem (Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich), located on a stone pedestal. The monument is decorated with bronze bas-reliefs, which depict scenes described by the writer from the life of the Jewish people.
Not far from the monument is the Regional Museum, the exhibits of which relate to modern fine art. In the premises of this institution you can admire the paintings of contemporary artists painted on the themes of the Old Testament. To date, this collection contains about two hundred exhibits of various styles and trends, sponsored by artists of several regions of Russia.
The capital of the Jewish Autonomous Okrug offers guests and residents of the city to enjoy the work of the creative team of the regional philharmonic. In this center of art and culture of the EAO, very interesting creative projects are being implemented that bring to life sixty artists of various genres.
The construction of the Philharmonic was completed in 1984. And to this day, a spacious concert hall is happy to visit up to seven hundred spectators. Comfortable working conditions have been created for creative teams. The building has rehearsal and service rooms, dressing rooms, the most modern sound, light and video projection equipment are installed.
In the regional philharmonic society festivals of Jewish and Slavic cultures are held. Famous foreign and Russian soloists and professional groups come here on tour.
One of the cultural attractions of Birobidzhan is the Regional Museum of Local Lore. In it you can familiarize yourself with the history of the creation of Jewish autonomy, which appeared several years earlier than the state of Israel. In the halls of the exhibition are objects and documents that reflect the history of the emergence and development of the city. It also contains evidence of cultural and economic achievements that the district can be proud of. The museum is located near the synagogue on Lenin Street.
Guests of Birobidzhan can visit the first stone temple erected in this region. This is the Annunciation Cathedral, the construction of which was completed in 2004.
The Jewish Autonomous Okrug can rightfully be proud of an amazing environmental institution. Birobidzhan offers guests and residents of the city to visit the dendrological park. On a vast territory of 19 hectares, special collections of plants are grown. This huge work is carried out with the aim of enriching the plant resources of the region, as well as for conducting economic, educational, enlightening and scientific activities. The entire Jewish Autonomous Okrug is rightfully proud of this park. A map of the territory indicates that this is a zone of coniferous-deciduous forests. That is why many different trees grow in the arboretum. There are bushes here. But, despite this, every year on the territory of the park, seedlings of cedar, fir and spruce are planted.
Excursions are organized for visitors to this unique area, during which you can see a large number of species of woody plants. On special trails, the route runs to a hill, which offers an amazing view of the ridges of Uldura, Bastak, Shuhi-Poktoy. Along the borders of the arboretum are small ponds. Their inhabitants are small invertebrate animals, Far Eastern toads and Siberian coals.
The list of Birobidzhan sights also includes:
- a monument to Lenin erected in front of the building where the regional government is located;
- a stele erected at the entrance to the city, on which there are inscriptions both in Russian and in Yiddish;
- a monument in honor of the first Jewish pioneers in the square near the station building;
- fountain with Jewish menorah;
- a memorial complex with eternal flame, in memory of those city residents who died during the Great Patriotic War;
- the chapel of the Sovereign Orthodox Icon of the Mother of God, built in Victory Square;
- tank IS-3, installed as a monument in 2005;
- synagogue;
- sculpture of a Jewish violinist and stela with muses at the Philharmonic;
- Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, made of wood in 1998-99.
Timezone
Due to the fact that the Jewish Autonomous Okrug is located in the Far East, at a considerable distance from the Russian capital, the time in it is shifted by 7 hours relative to Moscow. This time zone is designated by the international standard as VLAT / VLAST (Vladivostok Time Zone). Relative to universal time, a shift of 11 hours is observed here.
Climate
The Jewish Autonomous Okrug is located on a territory dominated by dry and cold winters, as well as wet and hot summers. This is a zone of temperate monsoon climatic zone. By its natural conditions, EAO is one of the most favorable places in the Far East. Features of the climate zone create excellent conditions for the development of grass and forest vegetation, as well as crops.
A more severe climate differs in the northern territory of the district. Here also areas with permafrost come across. In the south, natural conditions are more favorable for life.
The average temperature in January in the EAO is in the range from 21 to 26 degrees of frost. In July, the air warms up to 18-21 degrees. The average amount of precipitation in a year ranges from 500 to 800 mm.
Culture
The Jewish Autonomous Region ( the Far Eastern Federal District) has its own unique zest. This is the most fertile territory of the Amur region, is fertile soil for the development of art and culture. It is in the JAO that the oldest literary studio in the Far East is located. Through the efforts of its participants, such almanacs as Birobidzhan and Outpost were published.
Among the important cultural events of the region is the creation of the State Jewish Theater. In the 1970s, the Jewish Chamber Musical Theater opened in Birobidzhan. Soon after, with their performances, the
puppet theater and violin ensemble began to delight the audience.
Natural resources
In the north of the Jewish Autonomous Region, as well as in its northwestern part, there are Pompeevsky, Sutarsky, Lesser Hingal ranges, as well as spurs of the Bureinsky ridge. Hills located on the territory of the JAO, on its southern slopes are covered with deciduous forests. Coniferous trees grow mainly on these hills from the northern side. In these parts you can find honeysuckle and wild grapes, as well as Manchurian walnuts. Even a cork tree grows here.
On the territory of the JAO there are specially protected places. This is over three hundred thousand hectares with one reserve, seven reserves and almost three dozen natural monuments.
An amazingly beautiful plant can be seen on the surface of the reservoirs of the region. In summer, the Komarov lotus blooms here. Its huge, with a children's palm, dark pink petals adorn the water surface.
The special geological structure of the territory of the EAO allows us to make predictions about the presence of deposits of oil and ore gold, gas and phosphorites, ornamental and facing stones, platinum and diamonds. Today, mining of iron and manganese ores, talc and magnesites, peat and brown coal, fresh and thermo-mineral healing waters is already being conducted here.
Administrative division
The Presidium of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR by its Resolution, issued in 1991, separated the Jewish Autonomous Region from the Khabarovsk Territory, making it an independent entity. In 2006, another municipal reform was carried out. As a result, the Jewish Autonomous Okrug was divided into five districts. Cities in the EAO are few. There are only two of them. This is Birobidzhan, which is the center of the Birobidzhan region, as well as Obluchye (Obluchensky district). The centers of the remaining three areas are villages and towns. A list of these territorial units is given below:
- Leninsky district - centered in the village of Leninsky;
- Oktyabrsky district - with a center in the village of Amurzet;
- Smidovichsky district - with a center in the village of Smidovich.
Further perspectives
Since the 1990s, heated discussions have begun about the status of the region. This was a period when Jews massively immigrated to Israel. As a result, an opinion arose about the collapse of the EAO, as well as the inappropriateness of its existence in the future.
To date, a project has been developed to join the Jewish Autonomous Region to the Khabarovsk Territory, and a proposal has been put forward to include it in the Amur Region with the simultaneous formation of the Amur Region.