Shopokov

Shopokov
Шопоков
Shopokov
Coordinates: 42°50′24″N 74°18′36″E / 42.84000°N 74.31000°ECoordinates: 42°50′24″N 74°18′36″E / 42.84000°N 74.31000°E
Country Kyrgyzstan
Province Chuy Province
Population (2009)
 • Total 8,749

Shopokov (Kyrgyz: Шопоков; Russian: Шопоков) is a town in the Chuy Province of Kyrgyzstan. Although geographically located within Sokuluk District of that province and being the de facto economic and cultural center of the district, Shopokov is administered separately from the district.

According to a report by the local authorities (undated, but published some time between 2003 and 2009), the town's population was 9,150.[1] Major ethnic groups were Russians (4906), Kyrgyz (2704), Ukrainians (752), and Germans (296).[1]

History

The predecessor of today's Shopokov City was an urban-type settlement named Krasnooktyabrsky (Краснооктябрьский, i.e. "Red October"), established in 1939 along with the construction of a sugar mill.[2] Shopokov was incorporated as a town (город) and received its present name on February 25, 1985.[1]

The town is named after Duyshenkul Shopokov, one of the 28 soldiers of Ivan Panfilov's Division who were reported to die heroically on November 16, 1941 while defending Moscow.[1]

Economy

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the sugar mill has been privatized, and is still in operation.[2] Local industries also manufacture a variety of equipment for food-processing industry.[1]

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Добро пожаловать в город Шопоков! (Welcome to Shopokov!) (Russian)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 DeYoung, Alan J.; Reeves, Madeleine; Valyayeva, Galina K. (2006), Surviving the transition?: case studies of schools and schooling in the Kyrgyz Republic since independence., IAP, pp. 31–32, ISBN 1-59311-512-1