San Javier, Uruguay
| San Javier | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Plaza de la Libertad, San Javier
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 San Javier
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| Coordinates: 32°41′0″S 58°8′0″W / 32.68333°S 58.13333°WCoordinates: 32°41′0″S 58°8′0″W / 32.68333°S 58.13333°W | |
| Country |
 Uruguay
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| Department | Río Negro Department |
| Founded | 1913 |
| Elevation | 23 m (75 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 1,781 |
| Time zone | UTC -3 |
| Postal code | 65001 |
| Dial plan | +598 4569 (+4 digits) |
San Javier (Сан-Хавьер) is a town situated on the east bank of the river Río Uruguay in the Río Negro Department of Uruguay. It was founded in 1913 by a Russian group of settlers, members of the New Israel religious sect, who migrated under the influence of the then spiritual leader Vasily Lubkov, from the Voronezh region of Russia.
It is located 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) west of Route 24, 95 kilometres (59 mi) north of the department capital Fray Bentos, 55 kilometres (34 mi) west of Young and 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Paysandú, the capital of Paysandú Department. Russian is the second official language after Spanish.
A populated centre was founded here by 300 families of Russian settlers on 27 July 1913 They belonged to the Russian sect New Israel and were seeking religious freedom, which was denied to them under the Czar. Their leader, Basilio Lubkov had been imprisoned in Russia as a religious dissident. The settlers introduced the sunflower, as well as some advanced agricultural techniques to Uruguay. They constructed a flour mill and the first sunflower oil producing plant in the country.
On 1 July 1953, the status of San Javier was elevated to "Pueblo" (village) by the Act of Ley Nº 11.969. Until then, it had been the head of the judicial section of "Bellaco". On 17 November 1964 its status was further elevated to "Villa" (town) by the Act of Ley Nº 13.299.
During the Uruguayan military dictatorship (1973–84) the Russian inhabitants were persecuted, as the military saw each one as a possible communist sympathizer. Many residents stopped speaking Russian, and most Russian books were destroyed. The cultural centre Máximo Gorki—where music, dance and other cultural activities were held—was closed, and traditional dance costumes were burnt. In 1984, the town became known throughout Uruguay for the execution of Vladimir Roslik, a Russian-Uruguayan medical doctor who was tortured and later killed by the Uruguayan military. For some he is a hero and a symbol of internal struggle in Uruguay.
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Wikipedia