Misplaced Pages

#120879

49-614: Although Russia had been pushing south into the steppes from Astrakhan and Orenburg since the failed Khivan expedition of Peter the Great in 1717, the beginning of the Russian conquest of Turkestan is normally dated to 1865. That year the Russian forces took the city of Tashkent under the leadership of General Mikhail Chernyayev expanding the territories of Turkestan Oblast (part of Orenburg Governorate-General). Chernyayev had exceeded his orders (he only had 3,000 men under his command at

98-455: A forest , but not dry enough to be a desert . Steppes are usually characterized by a semi-arid or continental climate. Extremes can be recorded in the summer of up to 45 °C (115 °F) and in winter of down to −55 °C (−65 °F). Besides this major seasonal difference, fluctuations between day and night are also significant. In both the highlands of Mongolia and northern Nevada , 30 °C (85 °F) can be reached during

147-675: A committee under Fedor Karlovich Giers (or Girs, brother of the Russian Foreign Minister Nikolay Karlovich Giers ) toured the Krai and drew up proposals for reform, which were implemented after 1886. In 1888 the new Trans-Caspian railway , begun at Uzun-Ada on the shores of the Caspian Sea in 1877, reached Samarkand. Nevertheless, Turkestan remained an isolated colonial outpost, with an administration that preserved many distinctive features from

196-504: A corruption of Haji Tarkhan ( حاجی‌ ترخان )—a name amply evidenced in the medieval writings. Tarkhan is possibly a Turco-Mongolian title standing for "great khan ", or "king", while haji or hajji is a title given to one who has made the Islamic requisite of pilgrimage to Mecca . Together, they denoted "the king who has visited Mecca". The city has given its name to the particular pelts from young karakul sheep , and in particular to

245-733: A dress of honor. In 1556, the khanate was conquered by Ivan the Terrible , who had a new fortress, or kremlin , built on a steep hill overlooking the Volga in 1558. This year is traditionally considered to be the foundation of the modern city. In 1569, during the Russo-Turkish War , Astrakhan was besieged by the Ottomans, who had to retreat in disarray. A year later, the Ottoman sultan renounced his claims to Astrakhan, thus opening

294-598: A sanctuary for fleeing Kazakhs escaping the Russians after the Muslims faced conscription by the Russian government. The Turkmen, Kyrgyz, and Kazakhs were all impacted by the 1916 insurrection caused by the conscription decreed by the Russian government. The corvée conscription issued on June 25, 1916. Order had not really been restored by the time the February Revolution took place in 1917. This would usher in

343-424: A significant role in the relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. As the latter's government has been heavily investing into the wellbeing of the city, Astrakhan has recently begun to symbolize the friendship between both countries. In 2010 a bridge was constructed with donations from Azerbaijan, which was named "Bridge of Friendship". Moreover, Azerbaijani government sponsored secondary school number 11, which carries

392-703: A still bloodier chapter in Turkestan's history, as the Bolsheviks of the Tashkent Soviet launched an attack on the autonomous Jadid government in Kokand early in 1918, which left 14,000 dead. Resistance to the Bolsheviks by the local population (dismissed as 'Basmachi' or 'Banditry' by Soviet historians ) continued well into the beginning of the 1930s. Turkestan had 21 Governor-generals. Turkestan

441-443: Is twinned with: Steppe In physical geography , a steppe ( / s t ɛ p / ) is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without closed forests except near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: A steppe is usually covered with grass and shrubs , depending on the season and latitude . The term steppe climate denotes a semi-arid climate , which is encountered in regions too dry to support

490-532: Is also a military airbase nearby ( Astrakhan (air base) ). Astrakhan is linked by rail to the north ( Volgograd and Moscow), the east ( Atyrau and Kazakhstan ) and the south ( Makhachkala and Baku). There are direct trains to Moscow, Volgograd, Saint Petersburg , Baku , Kyiv , Brest and other towns. Intercity and international buses are available as well. Public local transport is mainly provided by buses and minibuses called marshrutkas . Until 2007 there were also trams, and until 2017 trolleybuses. Astrakhan

539-685: Is an example of a steppe region in North America outside of the Great Plains. In South America , cold steppe can be found in Patagonia and much of the high elevation regions east of the southern Andes . Relatively small steppe areas can be found in the interior of the South Island of New Zealand . In Australia , a moderately sized temperate steppe region exists in the northern and northwest regions of Victoria , extending to

SECTION 10

#1732781139121

588-684: Is another steppe region in Central Europe , centered in Hungary but also including portions of Slovakia , Poland , Ukraine , Romania , Serbia , Croatia , Slovenia , and Austria . Another large steppe area ( prairie ) is located in the central United States , western Canada and the northern part of Mexico . The shortgrass prairie steppe is the westernmost part of the Great Plains region. The Columbia Plateau in southern British Columbia , Oregon , Idaho , and Washington state ,

637-633: Is definitely baroque . In March 1919 after a failed workers' revolt against Bolshevik rule, 3,000 to 5,000 people were executed in less than a week by the Cheka under orders from Sergey Kirov . Some victims had stones tied around their necks and were thrown into the Volga. During Operation Barbarossa , the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, the A-A line running from Astrakhan to Arkhangelsk

686-967: Is found in Eastern Europe and Central Asia , and neighbouring countries stretching from Ukraine in the west through Russia , Kazakhstan , Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to the Altai , Koppet Dag and Tian Shan ranges in China . The Eurasian Steppe is speculated by David W. Anthony to have had a role in the spread of the horse, the wheel and Indo-European languages . In the Eurasian steppe, soils often consist of chernozem . The inner parts of Anatolia in Turkey , Central Anatolia and East Anatolia in particular and also some parts of Southeast Anatolia , as well as much of Armenia and Iran are largely dominated by cold steppe. The Pannonian Plain

735-400: Is incorporated as the city of oblast significance of Astrakhan —an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts . As a municipal division , the city of oblast significance of Astrakhan is incorporated as Astrakhan Urban Okrug . The city of Astrakhan is further subdivided into four administrative districts: Kirovsky, Leninsky, Sovetsky and Truskovsky. Astrakhan is

784-521: Is served by Narimanovo Airport named after Soviet Azerbaijani politician Nariman Narimanov . It is managed by OAO Aeroport Astrakhan. After its reconstruction and the building of the international sector, opened in February 2011, Narimanovo Airport is one of the most modern regional airports in Russia. There are direct flights between Astrakhan and Aktau , Istanbul , St. Petersburg and Moscow. There

833-504: Is the lowest city in Russia. Astrakhan features a continental cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification : BSk ) with cold winters and hot summers. Astrakhan is one of the driest cities in Europe. Rainfall is scarce but relatively evenly distributed throughout the course of the year with, however, more precipitation (58%) in the hot season (six hottest months of the year). The below sea-level elevation and long distance from

882-469: The Astrakhan Tatars , and was located on the higher right bank of the Volga, seven miles (11 km) from the present-day city. Situated on caravan and water routes, it developed from a village into a large trading centre, before being conquered by Timur in 1395 and captured by Ivan the Terrible in 1556 and in 1558 it was moved to its present site. The oldest economic and cultural center of

931-684: The Fergana Oblast , formed from the remaining rump of the Kokand Khanate that was dissolved after an uprising in 1875. In 1894, the Transcaspian Region (which had been conquered in 1881–1885 by military generals Mikhail Skobelev and Mikhail Annenkov ) was added to the Governor-Generalship. The administration of the region had an almost purely military character throughout. Von Kaufman died in 1882, and

980-758: The Lower Volga region, it is often called the southernmost outpost of Russia, and the Caspian capital. The city is a member of the Eurasian Regional Office of the World Organization United Cities and Local Governments . The great ethnic diversity of its population gives a varied character to Astrakhan. The city is the center of the Astrakhan metropolitan area . The name is a corruption of Hashtarkhan, itself

1029-901: The Mediterranean area also hosts the same steppe-like vegetation, such as the Algerian-Moroccan Hautes Plaines and by extension the North Saharan steppe and woodlands . In Asia , a subtropical steppe can be found in semi-arid lands that fringe the Thar Desert of the Indian subcontinent as well as much of the Deccan Plateau in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats , and the Badia of

SECTION 20

#1732781139121

1078-482: The United Russia candidate was declared the winner, organizers of the 2011–2012 Russian protests supported the defeated candidate, Oleg V. Shein of Just Russia , in a hunger strike . Protestors, buoyed by celebrities who support the reform movement, attracted 5,000 people to a rally on April 14. Astrakhan is the administrative center of the oblast . Within the framework of administrative divisions , it

1127-692: The Volga , in the upper part of the Volga Delta , on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression , 60 miles (100 km) from the Caspian Sea , with a population of 475,629 residents at the 2021 Census. At an elevation of 28 meters (92 ft) below sea level , it is the lowest city in Russia. Astrakhan was formerly the capital of the Khanate of Astrakhan (a remnant of the Golden Horde ) of

1176-440: The hats traditionally made from the pelts. Colloquially, the city is known by the short form Astra . Another popular nickname is The Caspian Capital . Astrakhan is in the Volga Delta , which is rich in sturgeon and exotic plants. The fertile area formerly contained the capitals of Khazaria and the Golden Horde . Astrakhan was first mentioned by travelers in the early 13th century as Xacitarxan . Tamerlane burnt it to

1225-522: The 12,100-kilometer (7,500 mi) trek, which took nearly 29 years, Battuta came in contact with many new cultures, which he writes about in his diaries. One specific country that he passed through on his journey was the Golden Horde ruled by the descendants of Genghis Khan , located on the Volga River in southern Russia; which Battuta refers to as the river Athal. He then claims the Athal is, "one of

1274-627: The Cossacks under Kondraty Bulavin during the Bulavin Rebellion until they were defeated the next year. A Kalmuck khan laid an abortive siege to the kremlin several years before that. In 1717, it became the seat of Astrakhan Governorate , whose first governors included Artemy Petrovich Volynsky and Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev . Six years later, Astrakhan served as a base for the first Russian venture into Central Asia . In 1702, 1718 and 1767, it suffered severely from fires; in 1719 it

1323-587: The archiepiscopal see of one of the metropolitanates and (as Astrakhan and Yenotayevka) eparchies of the Russian Orthodox Church , its only other suffragan being Akhtubinsk. There is also a Catholic community, served by the Church of the Assumption of Mary (Astrakhan) . There is also a substantial Muslim population made up of Astrakhan Tatars and other Muslims. At 1777 the white Mosque

1372-581: The day with sub-freezing readings at night. Steppes average 250–500 mm (10–20 in) of annual precipitation and feature hot summers and cold winters when located in mid-latitudes. In addition to the precipitation level, its combination with potential evapotranspiration defines a steppe climate. Steppe can be classified by climate: It can also be classified by vegetation type, e.g. shrub-steppe and alpine-steppe . The world's largest steppe region, often referred to as "the Great Steppe ",

1421-493: The dismemberment of the Soviet Union . In the present day, Astrakhan is a large industrial centre of the Volga country, Russia, with a population of over 500,000. Starting nearly 400 years ago and continuing to the present day, Astrakhan has been Russia's main center of fish processing. The market for fish is a large component of the economy in this city. Owing to shared Caspian borders, Astrakhan recently has been playing

1470-613: The dominant language in Samarkand. In 1897 the railway reached Tashkent , and finally in 1906 a direct rail link with European Russia was opened across the steppe from Orenburg to Tashkent. This led to much larger numbers of ethnic Russian settlers flowing into Turkestan than had hitherto been the case, and their settlement was overseen by a specially created Migration Department in Saint Petersburg (Переселенческое Управление). This caused considerable discontent amongst

1519-528: The entire Volga River to Russian traffic. The Ottoman Empire , though militarily defeated, insisted on safe passage for Muslim pilgrims and traders from Central Asia as well as the destruction of the Russian fort on the Terek River . In the 17th century, the city was developed as a Russian gate to the Orient. Many merchants from Armenia , Safavid Persia , Mughal India , and Khivan Khanate settled in

Russian Turkestan - Misplaced Pages Continue

1568-555: The greatest rivers in the world". In the winter, the Khan stays in Astrakhan. Due to the cold water, Özbeg Khan ordered the people of Astrakhan to lay many bundles of hay down on the frozen river. He does this to allow the people to travel over the ice. When Battuta and the Khan spoke about Battuta visiting Constantinople, which the Khan granted him permission to do, the Khan then gifted Battuta with fifteen hundred dinars, many horses, and

1617-501: The ground in 1395 during his war with the Golden Horde . From 1459 to 1556, Xacitarxan was the capital of Astrakhan Khanate by the Astrakhan Tatars . The ruins of this medieval settlement were found by archaeologists 12 km upstream from the modern-day city. Starting in A.D. 1324, Ibn Battuta , the famous Berber Muslim traveler, began his pilgrimage from his native city of Tangier , present-day Morocco to Mecca. Along

1666-561: The interior Pacific Northwest of the United States. The mean annual temperature amplitude (difference between the mean monthly temperatures of the hottest and coldest months) is thus equal to 29.7 °С (85.5 °F) so the climate is truly continental. Spring and fall are basically transitional seasons between summer and winter. Astrakhan has five institutions of higher education. Most prominent among these are Astrakhan State Technical University and Astrakhan State University . The city

1715-569: The local population as these settlers took scarce land and water resources away from them. In 1916 discontent boiled over in the Basmachi Revolt , sparked by a decree conscripting the natives into labour battalions (they had previously been exempt from military service). Thousands of settlers were killed, and this was matched by Russian reprisals, particularly against the nomadic population. To escape Russians slaughtering them in 1916, Uzbeks, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz escaped to China. Xinjiang became

1764-401: The name of the national leader Heydar Aliyev , as well as a children's entertainment center named "Dream". Apart from that, a park has been built in the center of Astrakhan which is dedicated to friendship between the two countries. In the last 5 years Astrakhan has been visited by top Azerbaijani delegations on several occasions. After fraud was alleged in the mayoral election of 2012 and

1813-419: The ocean of Astrakhan significantly influences the climate. Winters are cold with average January temperature -3.6 °С (25.5 °F). Summer temperatures in Astrakhan are one of the highest in Russia with average Jule temperature 26.1 °С (79 °F) and may reach 40 °С (104 °F) and higher. The summers are much hotter than found further west on similar latitude in Europe and worldwide for 46°N with the notable exception of

1862-724: The previous Islamic regimes, including Qadis ' courts and a 'native' administration that devolved much power to local ' Aksakals ' (Elders or Headmen). It was quite unlike European Russia. In 1908 Count Konstantin Konstantinovich Pahlen led another reform commission to Turkestan, which produced in 1909–1910 a monumental report documenting administrative corruption and inefficiency. The Jadid educational reform movement which originated among Tatars spread among Muslims of Central Asia under Russian rule. A policy of deliberately enforcing anti-modern, traditional, ancient conservative Islamic education in schools and Islamic ideology

1911-507: The same period, elements of both the Luftwaffe 's KG 4 and KG 100 bomber wings attacked Astrakhan, flying several air raids and bombing the city's oil terminals and harbor installations. In 1943, Astrakhan was made the seat of a Soviet oblast within the RSFSR . The oblast was retained as a national province of the independent Russian Federation in the 1991 administrative reshuffle after

1960-589: The southern and mid regions of New South Wales . This area borders the semi-arid and arid Australian Outback which is found farther inland on the continent. In Europe , some Mediterranean areas have a steppe-like vegetation, such as central Sicily in Italy , southern Portugal , parts of Greece in the southern Athens area, and central-eastern Spain , especially the southeastern coast (around Murcia ), and places cut off from adequate moisture due to rain shadow effects such as Zaragoza . In northern Africa ,

2009-723: The time) but Saint Petersburg recognized the annexation in any case. This was swiftly followed by the conquest of Khodzhent , Dzhizak and Ura-Tyube , culminating in the annexation of Samarkand and the surrounding region on the Zeravshan River from the Emirate of Bukhara in 1868 forming the Zeravsh Special Okrug of Turkestan. An account of the Russian conquest of Tashkent was written in "Urus leshkerining Türkistanda tarikh 1262–1269 senelarda qilghan futuhlari" by Mullah Khalibay Mambetov. In 1867 Turkestan

Russian Turkestan - Misplaced Pages Continue

2058-420: The town, giving it a cosmopolitan character. For seventeen months in 1670–1671, Astrakhan was held by Stenka Razin and his Cossacks . Early in the following century, Peter the Great constructed a shipyard here and made Astrakhan the base for his hostilities against Persia, and later in the same century Catherine the Great accorded the city important industrial privileges. The city was held from 1707 by

2107-709: Was built, and the Baku Mosque was built in 1907–1909. According to the results of the 2021 Census, the population of Astrakhan was 475,629. At the time of the official 2021 Census, the ethnic makeup of the city's population was: The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, 60 miles (100 km) from the Caspian Sea. At an elevation of 28 meters (92 ft) below sea level, it

2156-836: Was divided into five oblasts . After the Russian Revolution of 1917 , a Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Turkestan ASSR) within the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic was created in Soviet Central Asia (excluding modern-day Kazakhstan ). After the foundation of the Soviet Union it was split into the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic ( Turkmenistan ) and Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic ( Uzbekistan ) in 1924. The Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic ( Tajikistan )

2205-458: Was enforced by the Russians in order to deliberately hamper and destroy opposition to their rule by keeping them in a state of torpor to and prevent foreign ideologies from penetrating in. The Russians implemented Turkification upon the Ferghana and Samarkand Tajiks, replacing their language with Uzbek, resulting in a dominantly Uzbek-speaking Samarkand, whereas decades before Tajik Persian was

2254-581: Was formed out of part of the Uzbek SSR in 1929, and in 1936 the Kyrgyz SSR ( Kyrgyzstan ) was separated from Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic . After the collapse of the Soviet Union , these republics gained their independence. Astrakhan Astrakhan ( Russian : Астрахань , IPA: [ˈastrəxənʲ] ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia . The city lies on two banks of

2303-610: Was made a separate Governor-Generalship , under its first Governor-General, Konstantin Petrovich von Kaufman . Its capital was Tashkent and it consisted initially of three oblasts (provinces): Syr Darya , Semirechye Oblast and the Zeravshan Okrug (later Samarkand Oblast ). To these were added in 1873 the Amu Darya Division (Russian: отдел , otdel ), annexed from the Khanate of Khiva , and in 1876

2352-423: Was plundered by the Safavid Persians; and in 1830, cholera killed much of the populace. The Astrakhan Kremlin was built from the 1580s to the 1620s from bricks taken from the site of Sarai Berke . Its two impressive cathedrals were consecrated in 1700 and 1710, respectively. Built by masters from Yaroslavl , they retain many traditional features of Russian church architecture, while their exterior decoration

2401-530: Was to be the eastern limit of German military operation and occupation. The plan was never carried out, as Germany captured neither the two cities nor Moscow . In the autumn of 1942, the region to the west of Astrakhan became one of the easternmost points in the Soviet Union reached by the invading German Wehrmacht , during Case Blue , the offensive which led to the Battle of Stalingrad . Light armored forces of German Army Group A made brief scouting missions as close as 35 km to Astrakhan before withdrawing. In

#120879