Semei

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Semei
Семей
coat of arms
coat of arms
Basic data
State : KazakhstanKazakhstan Kazakhstan
Territory : East Kazakhstan
Founded : 1718
 
Coordinates : 50 ° 26 ′  N , 80 ° 16 ′  E Coordinates: 50 ° 26 ′ 0 ″  N , 80 ° 16 ′ 0 ″  E
Height : 206  m
 
Area : 210  km²
Residents : 324,043 (Jan. 1, 2020)
Population density : 1,543 inhabitants per km²
 
Time zone : EKST ( UTC + 6 )
Telephone code : (+7) 7222
Postal code : 071400-071417
License plate : 16 (old: F, U)
Community type: city
 
Äkim ( Mayor ) : Yermak Salimov
Website :
Location in Kazakhstan
Semei (Kazakhstan)
Paris plan pointer b jms.svg

Semei ( Kazakh and Russian Семей ; until 2007 Semipalatinsk Семипалатинск ) is a large city in eastern Kazakhstan with around 324,000 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2020). It belongs to East Kazakhstan and is not far from the border with Russia on the banks of the Irtysh . The Semipalatner Fortress was founded in 1718 on the orders of Peter the Great .

Surname

Already in 1782 the place was given city rights as Semipalatinsk. Until 1997, the city was the administrative center of the dissolved Semipalatinsk Oblast. In June 2007, Semipalatinsk was renamed Semei by order of the Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev . Semei is an important transport hub in East Kazakhstan. The Turkestan-Siberian Railway runs from Russia to southern Kazakhstan. Several major highways connect Semei with other major cities.

location

Satellite image of Semei

Semei is located in the East Kazakhstan region, about 530 km from the border triangle with Russia , China and Kazakhstan. It is the second largest city after the administrative center of Öskemen (Ust-Kamenorgorsk) and one of the two major cities in East Kazakhstan. The city is traversed by the Irtysh from south to north . The area of ​​the urban area is 210 km². That corresponds to about a quarter of the area of Berlin .

Semei is located 240 km from Öskemen. The geographic center of Eurasia is 40 km to the west in the mountains at 50 ° north latitude and 80 ° east longitude .

climate

The climate of the region around Semei is humid continental . Seasonal large temperature fluctuations with hot summers and cold winters are typical. Humid conditions prevail all year round . Compared to other regions, precipitation is low with a clear maximum in summer.

The annual average temperature is 3.5 ° C. There are huge differences over the course of the year: it can reach −45 ° C in winter and 45 ° C in summer. The mean annual wind speed is 2.4 m / s, the mean annual humidity is 66 percent.

Semei
Climate diagram
J F. M. A. M. J J A. S. O N D.
 
 
16
 
-10
-20
 
 
16
 
-10
-20
 
 
17th
 
-1
-12
 
 
18th
 
12
-1
 
 
27
 
21st
6th
 
 
28
 
27
12
 
 
37
 
29
15th
 
 
28
 
26th
11
 
 
19th
 
20th
5
 
 
27
 
10
-2
 
 
26th
 
0
-9
 
 
20th
 
-8th
-17
Temperature in ° Cprecipitation in mm
Source: wetterkontor.de
Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Semei
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Max. Temperature ( ° C ) -10.1 -9.6 -1.3 12.2 21.4 27.0 28.8 25.9 20.0 10.0 -0.1 -7.6 O 9.8
Min. Temperature (° C) -19.8 -20.4 -12.3 -0.8 6.4 12.3 14.7 11.3 4.9 -1.6 -9.0 -16.8 O −2.5
Precipitation ( mm ) 16 16 17th 18th 27 28 37 28 19th 27 26th 20th Σ 279
Hours of sunshine ( h / d ) 3.5 4.9 6.4 8.1 9.8 11.2 11.0 9.9 8.1 4.6 3.7 3.0 O 7th
Rainy days ( d ) 5 5 4th 4th 6th 5 6th 5 4th 6th 7th 6th Σ 63
Humidity ( % ) 78 77 78 61 50 51 54 57 58 68 77 77 O 65.5
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
-10.1
-19.8
-9.6
-20.4
-1.3
-12.3
12.2
-0.8
21.4
6.4
27.0
12.3
28.8
14.7
25.9
11.3
20.0
4.9
10.0
-1.6
-0.1
-9.0
-7.6
-16.8
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
N
i
e
d
e
r
s
c
h
l
a
g
16
16
17th
18th
27
28
37
28
19th
27
26th
20th
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Source: wetterkontor.de

history

Foundation and development

The Semipalatner Fortress (Семипалатная крепость / Semipalatnaja krepost) was founded in 1718 by the military leader Vasily Tscheredow on the orders of the Russian Tsar Peter the Great . The aim was to protect the eastern parts of the country. The fortress was fully equipped as early as 1718 and was used as a resort by the people of the cities. The fortress, laid out like a military base , became an important trading point between the Russian Empire and Kazakhstan, and soon China and Central Asia as well . As a result, more and more Kalmyks and jungles came to the city. That is why the customs service was founded in 1728 .

In 1776 the fortress was placed under the direction of the Governor General of Western Siberia . During this time, the first bridges were built in Semipalatinsk, the first plans of the military fortress were drawn up, the city Duma and the court were established. In 1782 the fortress was granted city rights. On October 1, 1854, Semipalatinsk was appointed the center of the area of the same name . The first schools opened in 1863 and ten years later the city got the first telegraph . The city was connected to the telephone network and water pipes in 1919.

In the 19th century numerous writers were exiled to Semipalatinsk . The Russian writer Fyodor Michailowitsch Dostojewski lived in the city from 1854 to 1859 and wrote some of his works here. The description of the city by the then 21-year-old district attorney Alexander Yegorowitsch Wrangel comes from this time : “In my time, Semipalatinsk was something between town and village. All the houses were made of wood. The population numbered five to six thousand, including the garrison and the Asian merchants. About three thousand kirigiz lived on the left bank of the river. There was an Orthodox church, seven mosques, a department store where the caravans stopped, a barracks, a hospital and an administration building. There was only one district school at educational establishments. The only shop in town sold everything from ordinary nails to Parisian perfumeries; there was no bookstore because there was no one who bought books. No more than ten to fifteen residents of the city subscribed to newspapers; that was not surprising, because at that time, people interested in Siberia only for cards, gossip, carousing and shops. " Even Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky and Grigory Nikolaevich Potanin lived here. At that time, the Kazakh poet Abai Qunanbajuly was studying in Semei. In 1878 a department of the Russian Geographical Society was established, which well-known people joined.

The first industry was established at the beginning of the 20th century .

Soviet time

Semipalatinsk coat of arms during Soviet times

After the October Revolution , on February 16, 1918, a new Soviet leadership was appointed in the city. From 1920 to 1928 Semipalatinsk was the center of a governorate, from 1928 to 1932 the center of a district, before it was elevated to the capital of the new East Kazakhstan Oblast in 1932 after the division of Kazakhstan into territories. As early as 1939, Semipalatinsk became the administrative seat of the Semipalatinsk Oblast .

In the 1930s, the economy and infrastructure developed enormously. In 1930 the place was connected to the Turkestan-Siberian Railway . The first large companies were established as part of a five-year plan for the Soviet Union.

During the Second World War , the 8th and 238th Rifle Divisions were stationed here, of which the 238th Division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner . The 8th Division took part in the Kursk Battle of Voronezh . After the war, 53 citizens from Semipalatinsk were honored. 13 people were awarded the Order of Fame .

On August 29, 1949, the first nuclear weapons test of the Soviet Army was carried out on the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons test site near Kurchatov . From 1949 to 1989 it was the largest test site in the world alongside the American test site Nevada National Security Site in Nevada . It was closed on August 29, 1991. As a result of the nuclear weapons tests (similar to Nevada), countless miscarriages, births with physical and mental disabilities and, as a result, an extremely high suicide rate . In 1997 half of all children born in the region had health problems, many of them are physically, mentally or multiply disabled. Based on this historical event, the Treaty of Semei was signed on September 8, 2006 in the city , which declared Central Asia a nuclear-weapon-free zone .

After Kazakhstan's independence

Under pressure from the Nevada - Semipalatinsk citizens' movement , led by the well-known poet Olschas Omarowitsch, the nuclear weapons test site was closed. In 1997 the Oblasts of Semipalatinsk and East Kazakhstan were merged and Semipalatinsk lost the status of the administrative seat to Öskemen .

On June 19, 2007 the city council voted on the renaming of Semipalatinsk to Semei, as the previous name Semipalatinsk is still associated with the nuclear weapons test site. On June 21 of the same year, the name change was officially approved by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev .

Culture and sights

Theater and cinema

The Jenlik-Kebek cinema is the largest cinema in town

The first theater group in Semipalatinsk was formed in 1920 and consisted of only 15 people. The play Enlik-Kebek by the Kazakh writer Muchtar Äuesow was performed here in 1921. The Abaya Musical Drama Theater and the Dostoevsky Russian Drama Theater are the city's theaters.

In 1980 there were still seven cinemas in Semipalatinsk. Today there are only three left.

Museums

The Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky Literature Museum is located in the city in honor of the Russian writer Dostoyevsky. Right next to the museum is a monument showing Dostoevsky with his friend Shokan Walichanov, a young Kazakh scholar. The Abai Qunanbajuly Literature Museum is a lavishly furnished domed building in the center of Semeis , right next to the Koran school, which Abai attended as a student, and the wooden mosque. The other two major museums in the city are the Semei Museum of Local History and the Museum of Performing Arts . It is one of the largest art museums in the country.

Sacred buildings

Cathedral mosque

Up to 1917 there were 17 mosques in Semei , four of which are still preserved today. Four more mosques have been built since Kazakhstan's independence.

The two large mosques in the city on the Irtysh go back to the 19th century. The most significant of the two great mosques of Semei is the Cathedral Mosque, which was built from 1858 to 1861. It has two minarets and is located south of the city center. Dating from the first half of the 19th century, the green stone mosque is the oldest mosque in the city. The two buildings are among the most important historical and cultural structures in the country. In May 2008, with the support of Saudi Arabia , the construction of a new mosque for 2,000 believers began.

Most of the Christian buildings are Russian Orthodox churches. The 19th-century Russian Orthodox Resurrection Cathedral is the largest Christian church in the city. It is located very close to the banks of the Irtys and was inaugurated in 1896. The nunnery of Semei with the Peter and Paul Church also dates from the 19th century.

Sports

The city is home to the Spartak Semei football club , which has already won the Kazakh championship three times . The home stadium of the club is the Spartak Stadium.

Economy and Infrastructure

Mainly mechanical engineering and industry have settled in Semei . Here are companies that produce cement, reinforced concrete or other building materials. Also marble and granite are, as well as slate processed in Semipalatinsk. In addition to these building materials, leather is also processed in the city . The Semspezsnab GmbH produces uniforms for the Kazakh military and the border troops. The traditional clothes of the Kazakh people are sewn here. There is also a food industry that produces milk, alcoholic beverages ( vodka and beer ) and meat for the Kazakh market. The largest Kazakh bakery company, Vostok, has its headquarters and production site in Semei.

On the total area of ​​27,700 km², which is under the administration of the city of Semei, cereals were grown on 747.3 hectares , potatoes on 3013 hectares and vegetables on 1294 hectares . The agricultural sector produced 7,277 tons of meat , 14,285 tons of milk , 50.8 million eggs and 356 tons of wool .

traffic

Semei Bridge over the Irtysh

Semei is an important transportation hub in East Kazakhstan. The Turkestan-Siberian Railway runs through the city from Novosibirsk in Russia to Arys in southern Kazakhstan. The city has two train stations with connections to Nur-Sultan , Almaty and Pavlodar in Kazakhstan and Barnaul and Novosibirsk in neighboring Russia.

Three bridges cross the Irtysh River in Semei. The railway bridge and two bridges for motor vehicles built at the beginning of the 20th century . In the middle of 1990 it became necessary to build a larger bridge. In the years 1998 to 2002 one of the longest suspension bridges in the world, the Semei Bridge, was created. With a total length of 1086 meters, this is 33rd among the longest suspension bridges in the world .

The city is connected by bus links with other central cities in Kazakhstan and Russia. Twelve times a day there are buses to Öskemen, four times to Pavlodar, three to the capital Nur-Sultan and one to Taldyqorghan . There are also bus connections to Karagandy and the Russian cities of Barnaul and Omsk . City traffic is maintained by taxis and a total of up to 60 bus routes.

From Semei Airport there are national connections to Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Ajagus and Öskemen. The only international destination is the Russian capital Moscow .

media

One of the first independent television broadcasters in Kazakhstan is located in Semei. TVK-6 has been broadcasting its program since 1991. The Kazakhstan broadcaster and the Khabar news agency have regional offices in the city. In cable television also Almaty TV and Semsat TV are received too.

The only local radio station is Rundfunk 7. Europa Plus Kazakhstan and Radio NS have offices in Semei.

education

There are 73 schools in the city, 68 of which are general education . In 23 of these schools teaching is carried out in Kazakh, in 13 schools in Russian and in 33 schools teaching is in both languages.

Vocational training can be completed in Semei at 29 colleges . Various fields of training include economics , construction , medicine , geodesy and cartography or finance and economics .

Among the largest universities belonging State University Semipalatinsk , the State Medical Academy Semipalatinsk and the State Pedagogical Institute Semipalatinsk . Among the private universities, the Kazakh Academy of Finance and Economics and the Kazakh Intellectual and Legal Innovative University should be mentioned. There are also various other private institutions.

The Abaja library is located in Semei. Founded in 1883, it is the oldest library in Kazakhstan. Her book inventory amounts to 362,000 copies, which are read by 21,000 visitors annually.

sons and daughters of the town

See also

Web links

Commons : Semei  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Численность населения Республики Казахстан по полу в разрезе областей и столицы, столицы, столицы, анколицы, столицы, городоав, областей и столицы, анкония, горойцы, коники, городоав,. ( Excel ; 96 KB) stat.gov.kz, accessed on July 19, 2020 (Russian).
  2. a b Official website of the Kazakh President  ( page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.akorda.kz  
  3. Alexander Wrangel: From the memories of Baron Wrangel 1854 - 1865 . In: FM Dostoyevsky - Letters . Piper, Munich 1920, p. 260 .
  4. Minette von Krosigk, Stephen Erickson: Test site: Nevada - Semipalatinsk in: dradio.de, Das Feature, July 16, 2011 (October 31, 2011)
  5. Marcel Keifenheim: In the eye of the atomic storm. Greenpeace Magazine 2.01.
  6. Dagmar Schreiber: Discovering Kazakhstan . ISBN 3-89794-079-5 , 2005, p. 389.
  7. Dagmar Schreiber: Discovering Kazakhstan . ISBN 3-89794-079-5 , 2005, p. 388.
  8. Kazinform: Kazakh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia surveyed construction of mosque in Semey (English)
  9. Website of the Mayor of Semei ( Memento of the original from June 5, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Russian) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.akimsemey.gov.kz
  10. Transport in Semey: www.lonelyplanet.com ( Memento of the original dated November 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.lonelyplanet.com
  11. The Semei Bridge at structurae.de
  12. semsk.kz: Семипалатинская универсальная научная библиотека имени Абая (Russian)