Severobaykalsk Северобайкальск (Russian) Хойто-Байгал (Buryat) |
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Severobaykalsk railway station |
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Administrative status (as of May 2010) | |
Country | Russia |
Federal subject | Republic of Buryatia |
Administratively subordinated to | town of republic significance of Severobaykalsk |
Administrative center of | town of republic significance of Severobaykalsk |
Municipal status (as of October 2011) | |
Urban okrug | Severobaykalsk Urban Okrug |
Administrative center of | Severobaykalsk Urban Okrug |
Mayor | Vladimir Bodrov |
Statistics | |
Population (2010 Census) | 24,929 inhabitants |
Time zone | IRKT (UTC+08:00) |
Founded | 1974 |
Town status since | 1980 |
Postal code(s) | 81420 |
Dialing code(s) | +7 30130 |
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Severobaykalsk (Russian: Северобайка́льск; Buryat: Хойто-Байгал, Khojto-Bajgal) is a town in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located on the northern end of Lake Baikal at the mouth of the Tyya River, 440 kilometers (270 mi) northwest of Ulan-Ude and 490 kilometers (300 mi) northeast of Irkutsk. Population: 24,929 (2010 Census);25,434 (2002 Census);28,336 (1989 Census).
Severobaykalsk is located on a plateau at the northern end of Lake Baikal at the mouth of the Tyya River. To the west the town is surrounded by the Baikal Mountains, to the northeast by the Stanovoy Range. Severobaykalsk is geographically isolated, the closest town is Ust-Kut, more than 260 kilometers (160 mi) away. The closest large cities are Ulan-Ude, 440 kilometers (270 mi) to the southeast and Irkutsk, more than 490 kilometers (300 mi) to the southwest.
The history of Severobaykalsk is closely related to the history of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM). It was founded in 1974 as a work settlement for workers constructing the BAM, serving as a logistics center and a central starting point for the railway project. To the west the railway line was developed to Bratsk and to the east to Tynda. At this time the only settlement in the area was the village Nizhneangarsk, located at the edge of a swampy plain at the northern tip of the lake. It was decided to develop the new town Severobaykalsk 20 kilometers (12 mi) southwest of Nizhneangarsk on a plateau above the lake, thus allowing further extensions and development in the future. Originally it was planned to increase the population to 140,000 people.