Kyakhta

Kjachta (Russian Кяхта; Buryat Хяагта / Chjaagta ) is a city in the Republic of Buryatia (Russia) with 20,024 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ).

Geography

The city is located in the Transbaikal selenium Gage foothills, about 235 km south of the Republic capital of Ulan -Ude, close to the Mongolian border. Across the border, the here of the highway Ulan- Ude - Sükhbaatar - is crossed Ulan Bator, the place closes at Altanbulag in Selenge aimag.

The city is the administrative center of the Kjachta Rajons same name.

History

As a founding year of 1727 Kjachta applies, as here, the first contract of Kjachta was signed between the Russian Empire and the Empire of China, which regulated the boundary line south of Lake Baikal and the border trade between the two countries. Designates the place was based on the eponymous river and the carrying out of him sink, derived from the Buryat -Mongolian word for quicksilver rich place.

The contract put Kjachta fixed as a place through which all trade between Russia and China should be settled. The construction of the road had already been ordered in 1689 after the Treaty of Nertschinsk as Siberian tract, but was never started. 1728 was a little further north of Kjachta, closer to the foothills of selenium Gage promontory, to protect the trade route, the fortress Troizkosawsk, named after the Holy Trinity (Russian Troiza ) and the name of the Russian diplomat of Serb origin Savva Lukich Ragusinski - Wladislawitsch (about 1670-1738 ), which had negotiated the Treaty of Kjachta.

The south on both sides of the border points of steppe trade settlement ( Sloboda ) was applied from 1743, remained formally independent and was referred to by its old name Kjachta. At least until the mid-19th century kept Kjachta - Troizkosawsk its role as the main trading center on the border with China. The place consisted of two spots, one for the Chinese and a surround for the Russians, they were both of palisades. The Chinese referred to such centers as " commercial city / Maimatschin " (买卖 城, Măimàichéng, buy sell city ').

The trade took place in barter, since the Russians the export of silver was forbidden. The main export goods of Russia were fur products, especially

• Sea Otter and otter skins,
• Beaver skins,
• Fox skins,
• Wolf skins,
• Bear-skins,
• Lamb skins from Bokhara and Astrakhan ( " Persian " ),
• Marten skins,
• Sables,
• Ermine furs and
• Squirrel skins but also
• Marble skins.

From China came raw cotton, linen fabrics, leather and manufactured goods, silk, brocade, art objects, and especially tea to Russia and on to Europe, which is why this trade route was also called " Tea Road " in return. 1792 the office was moved from Irkutsk to Kjachta. Total exports to China is given for 1777 with a 1.31 million rubles, from China to Russia 2.87 million. In addition, there should have been a strong smuggling, which was estimated at 8 million rubles.

1851 Troizkosawsk administrative center of a circle ( okrug, Ujesd from 1901 ) In 1861, the official ceremony of the city law.

With the emergence and improvement of other trade routes Kjachta gradually lost its central importance for trade with China. A role played the connection of the Amur region in Russia in 1858 (the Treaty of Aigun ), the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and finally the Chinese Eastern Railway in 1903. However, the place remained a regional center of trade in Outer Mongolia and important cultural center of the Trans-Baikal region. In 1890 ( according to other sources 1891), a local history museum has been established. In Kjachta began or ended many of the expeditions of Russian explorers to Central Asia, as Nikolai Przhevalsky or Vladimir Obruchev.

Kjachta also played a significant role in the history of Mongolia. 1915 here the second Treaty of Kjachta was signed, which the autonomy should govern the Outer Mongolia, but was not initially implemented. 1920-21, the city was the center of activity of Damdin Sükhbaatar and Chorloogiin Choibalsan; on March 1, 1921, the founding congress of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party was held here.

1934 was finally the merging of the two places under the name Kjachta.

Demographics

Note: Census data (1897 rounded for Kjachta )

Culture and sights

In a series Kjachta mostly Classical buildings from the 19th century has survived. These include the Holy Trinity Cathedral ( Троицкий собор / Troitsky Sobor, 1812-17 ), the Church of the Resurrection ( Воскресенская церковь / Woskressenskaja Tserkov, 1838), the Dormition Church ( Успенская церковь / Uspenskaja Tserkov, 1857), the " inn " (1842 ) and the " trade rows ".

Kjachta has a day named after Vladimir Obruchev local museum. A former safe house of Damdin Sükhbaatar was converted into a museum.

Economy

Kjachta is today mainly center of border trade with Mongolia, as well as for Chinese goods. There are also companies in the textile and food industries.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Dmitri Prjanischnikow (1865-1948), agricultural scientist