Svobodny (Russian: Свобо́дный) is a town in Amur Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Zeya River, 167 kilometers (104 mi) north of Blagoveshchensk, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 58,778 (2010 Census);[3] 63,889 (2002 Census);[9] 80,006 (1989 Census).[10]

Svobodny Свободный
Town[1]
Railway college in Svobodny
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Svobodny
Svobodny Location of Svobodny Show map of Russia Svobodny Svobodny (Amur Oblast) Show map of Amur Oblast
Coordinates: 51°24′N 128°06′E
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Amur Oblast[1]
Founded	1912[2]
Elevation	190 m (620 ft)
Population  (2010 Census)[3]
• Total	58,778
• Estimate  (2018)[4]	53,678 (−8.7%)
• Rank	281st in 2010
Administrative status
• Subordinated to	Svobodny Urban Okrug[1]
• Capital of	Svobodny Urban Okrug[1], Svobodnensky District[1][5]
Municipal status
• Urban okrug	Svobodny Urban Okrug[6]
• Capital of	Svobodny Urban Okrug[6], Svobodnensky Municipal District[5]
Time zone	UTC+9 (MSK+6 [7])
Postal code(s)[8]	676450
Dialing code(s)	+7 41643
OKTMO ID	10730000001
Website	www.svobnews.amur.ru

History

It was founded in 1912 in conjunction with the construction of the Amur Railway[2] (the Trans-Siberian Railway's "bypass" route, which was to provide a railway connection from European Russia to the Pacific entirely over the Russian soil, without crossing the north-eastern China^{[citation needed]}). It was originally named Alexeyevsk (Алексе́евск), in honor of the then crown prince Alexey.[2] In 1917, the town was renamed Svobodny,[2] Russian for free.

During the Stalin era, the BAMLag prison camp was built in Svobodny, with the intention of providing forced labor for the planned construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. The camp became one of the largest in the gulag system, with ca. 190,300 convicts in October 1935. The camp claimed the lives of thousands of political and clerical prisoners.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Svodobny serves as the administrative center of Svobodnensky District,[5] even though it is not a part of it.[1] As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as Svobodny Urban Okrug—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.[1] As a municipal division, this administrative unit also has urban okrug status.[6]

Economy

The town is home to factories producing machinery and furniture, as well as the administrative center for mining operations in the region, including the gold mining concern Amurzoloto.

Transportation

The town is an important transportation hub for both rail and river traffic, with two railway stations on the Trans-Siberian Railway including rolling-stock repair facilities, and a river port on the Zeya.

It is served by the Svobodny Airport and is near the Orlovka interceptor air base and other locations maintained by the Russian Air Force.

Climate

Svobodny has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dwb) with bitterly cold, very dry winters and very warm, wet summers.

Notable people

The town is the birthplace of the movie director Leonid Gaidai, whose memorial was unveiled in September 2006.

References

Notes

Sources

• Амурский областной Совет народных депутатов. Закон №127-ОЗ от 23 декабря 2005 г. «О порядке решения вопросов административно-территориального устройства Амурской области», в ред. Закона №272-ОЗ от 11 ноября 2013 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Амурской области "О порядке решения вопросов административно-территориального устройства Амурской области"». Вступил в силу со дня первого официального опубликования, за исключением подпункта "б" пункта 2 статьи 7, вступающего в силу с 1 января 2006 г. Опубликован: "Амурская правда", №11, 24 января 2006 г. (Amur Oblast Council of People's Deputies. Law #127-OZ of December 23, 2005 On the Procedures of Handling the Issues of the Administrative and Territorial Structure of Amur Oblast, as amended by the Law #272-OZ of November 11, 2013 On Amending the Law of Amur Oblast "On the Procedures of Handling the Issues of the Administrative and Territorial Structure of Amur Oblast". Effective as of the day of the first official publication, with the exception of subitem "b" of item 2 of Article 7, which is effective January 1, 2006.).
• Амурский областной Совет народных депутатов. Закон №402-ОЗ от 30 декабря 2004 г. «О наделении муниципального образования города Свободного статусом городского округа и об установлении его границ». Вступил в силу со дня первого официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Амурская правда", №8, 15 января 2005 г. (Amur Oblast Council of People's Deputies. Law #402-OZ of December 30, 2004 On Granting the Municipal Formation of the Town of Svobodny the Urban Okrug Status and on Establishing Its Borders. Effective as of the day of the first official publication.).
• Амурский областной Совет народных депутатов. Закон №31-ОЗ от 2 августа 2005 г. «Об установлении границ и наделении соответствующим статусом муниципального образования Свободненского района и муниципальных образований в его составе», в ред. Закона №488-ОЗ от 10 февраля 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в некоторые законодательные акты по вопросам административно-территориального устройства области». Вступил в силу в соответствии со статьёй 3. Опубликован: "Амурская правда", №168, 26 августа 2005 г. (Amur Oblast Council of People's Deputies. Law #31-OZ of August 2, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of and Granting a Corresponding Municipal Formation Status to Svobodnensky District and to the Municipal Formations It Comprises, as amended by the Law #488-OZ of February 10, 2015 On Amending Various Legislative Acts on the Issues of the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Oblast. Effective as of the date set forth in accordance with the provisions of Article 3.).
• Е. М. Поспелов (Ye. M. Pospelov). "Имена городов: вчера и сегодня (1917–1992). Топонимический словарь." (City Names: Yesterday and Today (1917–1992). Toponymic Dictionary.) Москва, "Русские словари", 1993.

На других языках

[ru] Свободный (город)