For other places with the same name, see Karabash.

Karabash (Russian: Карабаш) is a town in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located 90 kilometers (56 mi) northwest of Chelyabinsk. Population: 13,152 (2010 Census);[1] 15,942 (2002 Census);[5] 17,006 (1989 Soviet census).[6]

Toponymy

The town's name, Karabash, means "black peak" in numerous Turkic languages.[7]

History

It was founded in 1822 as a settlement of gold-miners.[8] While gold mining was the town's original main industry, large deposits of copper was subsequently discovered near Karabash.[7] In 1837, the town's first copper smelting plant was built, which existed for just five years, and proved to be less economically lucrative than the town's gold industry.[9] A second copper smeltery was built in 1907, but only lasted for three years.[9] In 1910, a new copper smelting plant was built in Karabash,[7][9] which remains the town's primary plant.[7] The plant achieved much more success than its predecessors, spurring substantial growth in the town during the early 1910s, and produced one-third of all smelted copper in Russia by 1915.[9]

During the Russian Civil War, copper production in Karabash stopped, and the local copper mines became flooded.[9]

The town's copper mines were gradually restored from 1926 to 1929, and copper production grew significantly in the following years.[9] Town status was granted to Karabash on June 20, 1933.[9] By 1935, the town was producing more than three times the smelted copper than it did in 1917.[9] Prior to World War II, the population of Karabash reached approximately 50,000 people.[9] Approximately 5,000 Karabash residents went on to fight in the Eastern Front during the war.[9] From the 1950s through the 1970s, Karabash continued to modernize, aided by mass electrification, the introduction of a gas pipeline, and the construction of water treatment facilities.[9] During this time, housing construction also boomed.[9]

However, during the 1970s, Soviet authorities closed a number of copper mines in Karabash, and attempted to introduce non-mining industries to Karabash, such as a factory producing radios, and another producing clothing.[9] Despite this, Karabash's population fell dramatically.[9] In November 1989, Soviet authorities closed the copper works in town, citing its environmental impact.[7][9]

A study by the Chelyabinsk Oblast's regional government in 1994 founded significant negative health effects in the town, including high rates of stunted growth and birth defects.[8] The country's environmental ministry declared the area an environmental disaster zone in 1996.[7][8] Despite this, a private company acquired the plant in 1998, and restarted its operations.[8] In 2004, Russian Copper Company, a private company acquired the plant.[7]

In 2015, a protest against the environmental and health effects of the town's copper smeltery was attended by approximately 500 people.[7]

Geography

Karabash is located along the Sak-Elga River [ru].[7][9]

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with nine rural localities, incorporated as the Town of Karabash—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.[2] As a municipal division, the Town of Karabash is incorporated as Karabashsky Urban Okrug.[2]

Economy

Karabash's copper industry dominates the town's local economy.[7] An article by openDemocracy in 2018 stated that 10% of residents in Karabash are employed by the local copper smeltery.[7] Local salaries for employees of the copper plant is significantly higher than other private sector jobs in the area.[7]

Environment

Copper smelting plant in Karabash

A copper smelting plant is situated in the town, which has created extremely large amounts of pollution and serious health problems for the inhabitants.[7] Karabash's inhabitants suffer from an unusually high mortality rate from cancer and respiratory diseases, linked to the plant.[7] Research done in 2011 showed exceptionally high quantities of heavy metals and arsenic in the local air, ground, and water.[7] Numerous studies have shown that Karabash suffers the highest mortality rate in Chelyabinsk Oblast, the highest mortality rate in the oblast for young people, and among the highest mortality rates in all of Russia.[7]

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1 [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года [2010 All-Russia Population Census] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Resolution #161
  3. ^ "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  4. ^ Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (in Russian)
  5. ^ 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).
  6. ^ 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]. 1989 – via Demoscope Weekly.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Chesnokov, Ivan (January 18, 2018). "No future in Karabash, one of Russia's most polluted towns". openDemocracy. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d Mallonee, Laura (September 1, 2015). "The Russian Town Where Startling Pollution Is a Way of Life". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on July 29, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p О муниципалитете [About the Municipality]. karabash-go.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2025.

Sources

  • Законодательное Собрание Челябинской области. Постановление №161 от 25 мая 2006 г. «Об утверждении перечня муниципальных образований (административно-территориальных единиц) Челябинской области и населённых пунктов, входящих в их состав», в ред. Постановления №2255 от 23 октября 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в перечень муниципальных образований (административно-территориальных единиц) Челябинской области и населённых пунктов, входящих в их состав». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Южноуральская панорама", №111–112, 14 июня 2006 г. (Legislative Assembly of Chelyabinsk Oblast. Resolution #161 of November 25, 2006 On Adoption of the Registry of the Municipal Formations (Administrative-Territorial Units) of Chelyabinsk Oblast and of the Inhabited Localities They Comprise, as amended by the Resolution #2255 of October 23, 2014 On Amending the Registry of the Municipal Formations (Administrative-Territorial Units) of Chelyabinsk Oblast and of the Inhabited Localities They Comprise. Effective as of the official publication date.).

Media related to Karabash at Wikimedia Commons


Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karabash,_Chelyabinsk_Oblast
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