Despite the fact that the region where Magadan is located, Russian researchers and colonists tried to study back in the XVlll century, only in the XX century did it become necessary to explore and develop new gold deposits on the shore of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.
Magadan Region
The region belonging to the regions of the far north is located in the north-eastern part of Russia, on the shore of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. In the north, the neighboring region is the Chukotka District, in the east - the Kamchatka Territory, in the south the region borders with the Khabarovsk Territory, and in the west - with the Republic of Yakutia. From an administrative point of view, the region where Magadan is located belongs to the Far Eastern Federal District.
The appearance of the Magadan region on the map of Russia is inextricably linked with the October Revolution and the subsequent administrative changes in the Far East. Initially, the region where Magadan is located was part of the Far Eastern Republic, which was included in the RSFSR in 1921.
Gradually, the vast territories of the Far Eastern region began to divide for more rational administration. The Khabarovsk Territory, the Kamchatka Region appeared. However, a special place in the development of the territory where Magadan is located was occupied by the state trust Dalstroy, which was created in the Kamchatka region to develop new gold deposits along the Kolyma River. Dalstroy became a unique administrative entity, which, constantly expanding, eventually turned into the Magadan region.
Magadan. History
Although in the vicinity of present-day Magadan attempts were made to find gold-bearing sites, for a long time they remained unsuccessful. However, in the 1926 expedition led by Sergei Vladimirovich Obruchev, it was possible to prove that there are all the necessary geological conditions for the continuation of the search for the gold mine.
Two years later, another scientific expedition was undertaken under the leadership of Bilibin. The 1928 expedition marked the beginning of a systematic study of Kolyma, clarification of the intricacies of hydrography. The most suitable location for the construction of the port was identified.
In June 1929, construction of residential buildings began at the site chosen for the construction of the seaport. Thus, June 22 is considered the founding date of the city of Magadan. Until 1931, the population of the new city did not exceed five hundred people.
Territory Development
The decision to create a special state enterprise in the Kamchatka region was made at the level of the Politburo. Dalstroy was created to develop already explored deposits and based on prospective assessments.
The newly developed territories were so important for the leadership of the country that, at the initial stage, direct control of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks was supposed. However, the lack of a permanent population in the accountable territories hindered the rapid development of resources and construction. In order to overcome the shortage of labor resources, it was decided to create Sevvostlag - one of the forced labor camps in the NKVD system.
Considering where Magadan is located relative to Moscow, it is not surprising that a significant part of the prisoners died on the way. The distance between Magadan and the capital of Russia by air is 5905 kilometers.
Dalstroy Transformation
If you use land roads, then this distance increases to 10,021 kilometers. Even today, this distance is not so easy to overcome, and in the thirties it was almost insurmountable without significant losses, especially since the NKVD officers were not very worried about the safety of the prisoners.
Despite the fact that the chiefs of Dalstroy and Sevvostlag reported on the shock development of Kolyma and active construction, archival data do not confirm these statements. At the beginning of the thirties, 9,900 prisoners and a little more than 3,000 thousand civilian workers worked in the territories of the present Magadan region. By the end of the forties, it became obvious that the trust and camp administrations could not cope with the administration of the territory and more thoughtful civil administration was required.
Economy of Magadan and the region
In 1951, the Magadan Region was created in the territories controlled by Dalstroy and the NKVD. From the very beginning of its history, the region has faced significant difficulties in economic and economic development. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk, near which Magadan is located, where 92 thousand people live today, somewhat softens the region’s subarctic climate, but it still remains too harsh for intensive population growth.
Despite the fact that there are industrial facilities in the city, such as a shipyard , a machine-building plant , and a food and beverage plant, the gold mining industry is still the basis of the region’s economy.
Developed industries related to fishing and processing of fish, and enterprises engaged in the maintenance of fishing vessels.
However, it is worth remembering that the region where Magadan is located, and the photo of which gives the viewer much pleasure, is a harsh region, the development of which cost its residents a lot of work and even blood.