Kem (Russian: Кемь; Finnish and Karelian: Kemi) is a historic town and the administrative center of Kemsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the shores of the White Sea where the Kem River enters it, on the railroad leading from Petrozavodsk to Murmansk. It had a population of 13,051 as of 2010, which was down from previous years.
Kem
Кемь | |
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Town[1] | |
![]() Lenina street, 23a, Kem, Karelia, Russia | |
![]() Coat of arms | |
Location of Kem ![]() | |
![]() ![]() Kem Location of Kem Show map of Russia![]() ![]() Kem Kem (Karelia) Show map of Karelia | |
Coordinates: 64°57′N 34°35′E | |
Country | Russia |
Federal subject | Republic of Karelia[1] |
Administrative district | Kemsky District[1] |
First mentioned | 1450 |
Town status since | 1785 |
Elevation | 10 m (30 ft) |
Population | |
• Total | 13,051 |
• Estimate (2018)[3] | 11,182 (−14.3%) |
Administrative status | |
• Capital of | Kemsky District[1] |
Municipal status | |
• Municipal district | Kemsky Municipal District[4] |
• Urban settlement | Kemskoye Urban Settlement[4] |
• Capital of | Kemsky Municipal District[5], Kemskoye Urban Settlement[4] |
Time zone | UTC+3 (MSK ![]() |
Postal code(s)[7] | 18661x |
Dialing code(s) | +7 81458 |
OKTMO ID | 86612101001 |
Website | kem |
Novgorod Republic 1450–1478
Grand Duchy of Moscow 1478–1547
Tsardom of Russia 1547–1721
Russian Empire 1721–1917
Russian Republic 1917
Soviet Russia 1918–1922
Soviet Union 1922–1991
Russian Federation 1991–present
Kem was first mentioned as a demesne of the Novgorod posadnik Marfa Boretskaya in 1450, when she donated it to the Solovetsky Monastery (situated in the White Sea several kilometers off shore).[citation needed] In 1657, a wooden fort was erected there. Also wooden is the town's remarkable cathedral, built in 1711–1717. It is a fine example of the tented roof-construction so popular in old Russian architecture. The cathedral's iconostasis features precious 17th-century icons from Novgorod.
Town status was granted to Kem in 1785.[citation needed]
On April 10, 1918 the town was reached by Finnish troops during the Viena expedition in an attempt to join White Karelia to Finland.
In 1926–1939, Kem was used as departure place for boats headed to Solovetsky Islands carrying political prisoners. During the Cold War, the town was the site of the Poduzhemye air base, a key interceptor aircraft airfield covering Karelia.
Kem has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfc).[8] It has a significant maritime influence compared with areas further east in the country with cool summers and less severe winters. The temperature regime has more in common with maritime areas on similar parallels in the Nordic countries to the west. It is some way above polar climate due to the milder summers with three months above 10 °C (50 °F) in mean temperature.[9]
Climate data for Kem | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 8.7 (47.7) |
6.5 (43.7) |
12.0 (53.6) |
19.6 (67.3) |
29.2 (84.6) |
31.1 (88.0) |
32.6 (90.7) |
31.8 (89.2) |
25.6 (78.1) |
16.6 (61.9) |
11.4 (52.5) |
6.9 (44.4) |
32.6 (90.7) |
Average high °C (°F) | −6.9 (19.6) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
3.4 (38.1) |
9.1 (48.4) |
14.9 (58.8) |
18.5 (65.3) |
16.3 (61.3) |
11.8 (53.2) |
5.4 (41.7) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
4.9 (40.8) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −10.3 (13.5) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
5.1 (41.2) |
10.9 (51.6) |
14.5 (58.1) |
13.0 (55.4) |
8.7 (47.7) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−7.6 (18.3) |
1.6 (34.9) |
Average low °C (°F) | −14.1 (6.6) |
−13.5 (7.7) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
1.7 (35.1) |
7.1 (44.8) |
11.2 (52.2) |
9.8 (49.6) |
5.9 (42.6) |
0.7 (33.3) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
−10.9 (12.4) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
Record low °C (°F) | −40.3 (−40.5) |
−35.1 (−31.2) |
−32.5 (−26.5) |
−25.8 (−14.4) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
2.0 (35.6) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
−17.0 (1.4) |
−26.3 (−15.3) |
−34.2 (−29.6) |
−40.3 (−40.5) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 26 (1.0) |
19 (0.7) |
23 (0.9) |
26 (1.0) |
48 (1.9) |
56 (2.2) |
59 (2.3) |
63 (2.5) |
54 (2.1) |
52 (2.0) |
41 (1.6) |
31 (1.2) |
498 (19.6) |
Source: Pogoda.ru.net |
Within the framework of administrative divisions, Kem serves as the administrative center of Kemsky District, to which it is directly subordinated.[1] As a municipal division, the town of Kem, together with three rural localities, is incorporated within Kemsky Municipal District as Kemskoye Urban Settlement.[4]
Kem was the filming location for the 2006 film The Island.
Media related to Kem (town) at Wikimedia Commons
Administrative divisions of the Republic of Karelia | ||
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Capital: Petrozavodsk • Rural localities | ||
Administrative districts |
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Cities and towns | ||
Urban-type settlements |
Russian North | ||
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Key locations |
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Monasteries |
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