Valkumey

Valkumey (English)
Валькумей (Russian)
Вылкынэй (Chukchi)
-  Inhabited locality[1]  -
Urban-type settlement[1]
(abolished)

Mine wagons in Valkumey

Location of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in Russia
Valkumey
Location of Valkumey in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Coordinates: 69°35′57″N 170°19′29″E / 69.59917°N 170.32472°ECoordinates: 69°35′57″N 170°19′29″E / 69.59917°N 170.32472°E
Administrative status (as of October 2009)
Country Russia
Federal subject Chukotka Autonomous Okrug[2]
Administrative district Chaunsky District[2]
Statistics
Population (2002 Census) 0 inhabitants[2]
Time zone PETT (UTC+12:00)[3]
Founded 1941[4]
Abolished 1998[5]
Postal code(s)[6] 689400

Valkumey (Russian: Валькумей, Chukchi: Вылкынэй, lit. "Coal Mountain"[7]) is an inhabited locality (an urban-type settlement) in Chaunsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located on the shores of Chaunskaya Bay (part of the East Siberian Sea). Population: 0 (2002 Census);[2] 3,906(1989 Census).[8]

History

Prior to the foundation of the settlement a preliminary expedition headed by a geologist called Dietmar was undertaken assessing the prospects of developing mining in the immediate area. He predicted that there were significant quantities of cassiterite-tin ore in the area, a prediction that was confirmed by later, more focussed, expeditions by larger teams of geologists.[4]

Valkumey was founded in 1941[4] when mining began in this area, and the first few tons of tin were extracted from the Valkumey mine in the form of cassiterite.[4] The mining was done almost entirely by prisoners of and exiles created by the Dalstroy GULAG system. Shortly after the opening of this mine, further tin mines opened near Pevek and Iultin, and mining became the major element of the Chukotkan economy.[9] Valkumey became one of the major centres of tin mining in the Soviet Union, supplying a significant percentage of the tin required by the Soviet military.[9]

By 1968, the population of the settlement had risen to 3,700.[4] However, with the closure of the mine, the settlement was abandoned in 1998, with the remaining population moving to the town of Pevek, 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) up the coast to the north. As of 2009, Valkumey is included in the list of settlements currently in the process of being liquidated.[1]

Population

The mines were declared unprofitable and that there was no possibility of developing any other form of economy in 1999 and the settlement was closed along with a number of others in Chukotka.[5] The Russian government guaranteed funds to transport non-working pensioners and the unemployed in liquidated settlements including Valkumey from Chukotka to other parts of Russia.[5] The Ministry of railways was obliged to lease containers for the transportation of the migrants' goods to the Chukotkan administration and ensure that they were delivered to the various settlements.[5] The population table below shows the impact on the settlement as a result of the closure of the mines.

Demographic Evolution
1959 1970 1979 1989 2002
2017 3059[10] 3417[11] 3906[12] 0[13]

Transport

Valkumey is connected via a road network to Pevek, Komsomolsky and Krasnoarmeysky along with a number of other local settlements, but it is not connected by permanent road to any other part of the district or Chukotka. There is however, a small road network within the settlement including:[14]

Climate

Valkumey has a Tundra climate (ET)[15] because the warmest month has an average temperature between 0 °C (32 °F) and 10 °C (50 °F).

Climate data for Valkumey
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 1
(34)
1.3
(34.3)
0
(32)
3.2
(37.8)
16
(61)
24.7
(76.5)
24
(75)
22
(72)
16
(61)
14
(57)
8.7
(47.7)
2.7
(36.9)
24.7
(76.5)
Average high °C (°F) −17.5
(0.5)
−17.6
(0.3)
−16.6
(2.1)
−11.2
(11.8)
−0.9
(30.4)
5.7
(42.3)
7.6
(45.7)
6.6
(43.9)
1.9
(35.4)
−5.1
(22.8)
−14
(7)
−16.6
(2.1)
−7
(19)
Average low °C (°F) −20.9
(−5.6)
−23
(−9)
−22.2
(−8)
−15.8
(3.6)
−4.4
(24.1)
1.7
(35.1)
4.2
(39.6)
3.8
(38.8)
0.1
(32.2)
−7.4
(18.7)
−16.9
(1.6)
−19.1
(−2.4)
−10
(14)
Record low °C (°F) −53
(−63)
−50
(−58)
−48
(−54)
−38
(−36)
−25
(−13)
−9.1
(15.6)
−1.7
(28.9)
−4.2
(24.4)
−12.7
(9.1)
−32.6
(−26.7)
−38
(−36)
−50
(−58)
−53
(−63)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 6
(0.24)
3
(0.12)
0
(0)
0
(0)
3
(0.12)
3
(0.12)
18
(0.71)
15
(0.59)
9
(0.35)
3
(0.12)
0
(0)
0
(0)
60
(2.36)
Avg. snowy days 20 16 14 13 11 3 1 3 13 19 17 18 148
Source: [16]

See also

References

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Law #33, Article 14.2
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Russian Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек" [Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian). Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  3. Правительство Российской Федерации. Федеральный закон №107-ФЗ от 3 июня 2011 г. «Об исчислении времени», в ред. Федерального закона №248-ФЗ от 21 июля 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в Федеральный закон "Об исчислении времени"». Вступил в силу по истечении шестидесяти дней после дня официального опубликования (6 августа 2011 г.). Опубликован: "Российская газета", №120, 6 июня 2011 г. (Government of the Russian Federation. Federal Law #107-FZ of June 31, 2011 On Calculating Time, as amended by the Federal Law #248-FZ of July 21, 2014 On Amending Federal Law "On Calculating Time". Effective as of after sixty days following the day of the official publication.).
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Dead-cities.ru Entry on Valkumey (Russian)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Постановление Правительства РФ от 2 февраля 1998 г. N 128 О мерах социальной защиты населения ликвидируемых поселков золотодобытчиков в Чукотском автономном округe (Russian Federation Government resolution dated February 2, 1998 No. 128 on measures of social protection of the population of liquidating estates gold miners in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug "Russian Federation Government resolution dated February 2, 1998 No. 128 on measures of social protection of the population of liquidating estates gold miners in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug).
  6. Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (Russian)
  7. V.V. Leontev and K.A. Novikova, Топонимический словарь северо-востока СССР (Toponymic Dictionary of the Northeastern USSR) (1989) Magadan. p.71
  8. Demoscope Weekly (1989). "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров" [All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года[All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Chukotka During World War II
  10. Перепись населения СССР 1970 года 1970 census of the Soviet Union
  11. Перепись населения СССР 1979 года 1979 census of the Soviet Union
  12. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность городского населения РСФСР, ее территориальных единиц, городских поселений и городских районов по полу All-Union census, the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, in the federal districts, towns, rural settlements and regional centres with a population of more than 3,000.
  13. Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек 2002 Russian Census
  14. Valkumey - Chaunsky District - Pochtovik Mail Delivery Company
  15. McKnightand Hess, pp.235-7
  16. "Weather Averages for Valkumey from meoweather.com". meoweather.com. Retrieved October 1, 2012.

Sources

External links