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{{Short description|Town in the Komi Republic, Russia}}
'''Vorkuta''' ({{lang-ru|Воркута́}}) is a ] ] town in the ], ], situated just north of the ] in the ], at {{coor dm|67|30|N|64|00|E|}}. Its population as of the 2002 census was 84,917. It had its origin in one of the more notorious ]s of the ] which was established in ].
{{Other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2012}}
{{Infobox Russian inhabited locality
|en_name=Vorkuta
|ru_name=Воркута
|loc_name1=Вӧркута
|loc_lang1=Komi
|image_skyline=Vorkutaugol free.jpg
|image_caption=Central Vorkuta
|coordinates = {{coord|67|30|N|64|02|E|display=inline,title}}
|map_label_position=left
|image_coa=Coat of Arms of Vorkuta.svg
|coa_caption=
|image_flag=Flag of Vorkuta.svg
|flag_caption=
|pushpin_map=Russia Komi Republic#European Russia#Arctic
|anthem=
|anthem_ref=
|holiday=
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|federal_subject=]
|federal_subject_ref=<ref name="Law" />
|adm_city_jur=] of Vorkuta
|adm_city_jur_ref=<ref name="Law" />
|adm_ctr_of=town of republic significance of Vorkuta
|adm_ctr_of_ref=<ref name="Law" />
|inhabloc_cat=Town
|inhabloc_cat_ref=<ref name="Law" />
|inhabloc_type=
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|urban_okrug_jur=Vorkuta Urban Okrug
|urban_okrug_jur_ref=<ref name="Law-2" />
|mun_admctr_of=Vorkuta Urban Okrug
|mun_admctr_of_ref=<ref name="Law-2" />
|leader_title=Administration Manager
|leader_title_ref=<ref name="Head">{{cite web|url=http://xn--80adypkng.xn--p1ai/about/rukovodstvo/|script-title=ru:Глава городского округа|language=ru|access-date=May 23, 2013}}</ref>
|leader_name=Yaroslav Shaposhnikov
|leader_name_ref=<ref name="Head" />
|representative_body=
|representative_body_ref=
|area_of_what=
|area_as_of=
|area_km2=28.69
|area_km2_ref=
|pop_2010census=70548
|pop_2010census_rank=224th
|pop_2010census_ref=<ref>{{ru-pop-ref|2010Census}}</ref>
|pop_density=
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|pop_density_ref=
|pop_latest=
|pop_latest_date=
|pop_latest_ref=
|established_date=January&nbsp;4, 1936
|established_title=
|established_date_ref=<ref name="mw">{{cite web|url=http://www.mayor.vorkuta.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=380&Itemid=81 |script-title=ru:Информационный портал администрации Воркуты - История Воркуты 1930-1945 годы |language=ru |access-date=March 14, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008162259/http://www.mayor.vorkuta.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=380&Itemid=81 |archive-date=October 8, 2011 }}</ref>
|current_cat_date=November&nbsp;26, 1943
|current_cat_date_ref=<ref name="mw" />
|prev_name1=
|prev_name1_date=
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|postal_codes=169900
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}}


'''Vorkuta''' ({{langx|ru|Воркута́}}; {{langx|kv|Вӧркута|Vörkuta}}; ] for "the abundance of bears", "bear corner")<ref>{{cite web|title=About city|url=http://xn--80adypkng.xn--p1ai/english/|access-date=11 February 2016}}</ref> is a ]-mining ] in the ], ], situated just north of the ] in the ] at the river ]. In 2010, its population was 70,548, down from 84,917 in 2002.
] in the ] is a matter of honor, glory, pride and heroism"'' (popular citation from ] ''Report to the 16th Congress of the ]'') ]]
In ] the town and the labor camp system based around it were connected to the rest of the world by a prisoner-built railroad linking ] and ], and the camps of ]. Vorkuta became a city on ], ]. It was the largest centre of ] camps in European part of the ] and served as administrative centre for a large number of smaller camps and sub-camps, among them Kotlas, ], and Izhma (modern ]). In ] the town witnessed a major uprising by the concentration camp inmates, so-called ]. After it was bloodily quelled by the ] and the ], many of the Gulag camps were disbanded in the ]. However, it is reported that some in the Vorkuta area continued to operate into the 1980s.


Vorkuta is the ] north of the Arctic Circle and the easternmost town in ]. It is also the coldest city in all of Europe, boasting a record cold temperature of −52&nbsp;°C (−61&nbsp;°F).<ref>Numminen, Pekka: , '']'' 24 December 2021 (in Finnish). Accessed on 25 December 2021.</ref>
By the early part of the ] many of the mines have been closed as problems with high costs of operations have plagued the mine operators. At one time during the late 1980s and 1990s there were labor actions in the area by miners who had not been paid for a year. .


Vorkuta's population has dropped steadily since the ], when mines were privatized and many people began moving farther south.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/2019/12/20/above-arctic-circle-once-flourishing-russian-coal-mining-town-is-rapid-decline/ |title=Above the Arctic Circle, a once-flourishing Russian coal-mining town is in rapid decline |date=20 December 2020 |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=10 March 2021 |quote=Many people left their houses and moved from Vorkuta to more southern cities of Russia}}</ref> Many of the mines have been abandoned and by September 2020, the city's estimated population was only about 50,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://darktourists.com/vorkuta-russias-dying-city-above-the-arctic-circle/ |title=Vorkuta - Russia's Dying City Above the Arctic Circle |date=22 September 2020 |work=Dark Tourist |access-date=10 March 2021 |quote=abandoned ghost towns towns that surround the coal-mining center of Vorkuta}}</ref> A report in March 2021 described the villages in the area as "ghost towns" with many "abandoned structures".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/vorkuta-russia-frozen-ghost-towns/index.html |title=Inside Russia's deep frozen ghost towns |date=5 March 2021 |work=CNN |access-date=10 March 2021 |quote=abandoned ghost towns towns that surround the coal-mining center of Vorkuta}}</ref>
During the ] an ] forward staging base for strategic bombers was located at Vorkuta.

==History==
In 1930, the geologist ] (1906–2009) discovered substantial ]s by the river ]. Georgy Chernov's father, the geologist ] (1877–1963), promoted the development of the ], which included the Vorkuta fields.<ref name=tour>{{in lang|ru}}(retrieved August 3, 2004)</ref><ref>{{in lang|ru}}(retrieved August 3, 2004)</ref> With this discovery the coal-mining industry started in the ]. (At the time only the southern parts of the field were included in the Komi ASSR. The northern part, including Vorkuta, belonged to the ] of ].) In 1931, a geologist settlement was established by the coal field, with most of the workers being inmates of the Ukhta-Pechora Camp of the ] (Ухтпечлаг, ]).<ref name=tour/><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216025914/http://gis.rkomi.ru/ir/PP-7/current/vorkuta.htm |date=February 16, 2016 }}{{in lang|ru}} (retrieved August 3, 2004)</ref>

===Forced labour camp===
{{Main|Vorkutlag}}
The origins of the town of Vorkuta are associated with ], one of the most notorious forced-labour camps of the ]. Vorkutlag was established in 1932 with the start of mining. It was the largest of the Gulag camps in ] and served as the administrative centre for a large number of smaller camps and subcamps, among them ], ], and Izhma (modern ]). The ], a major rebellion by the camp inmates, occurred in 1953.

In 1941, Vorkuta and the labour camp system based around it were connected to the rest of the world by a prisoner-built rail line linking ], ], and the camps of ]. Town status was granted to Vorkuta on November&nbsp;26, 1943.<ref name="tour" />

==Administrative and municipal status==
Within the ], it is, together with eight ]s (], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]) and seven ], incorporated as the '''] of Vorkuta'''—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the ].<ref name="Law">Law #16-RZ</ref> As a ], the town of republic significance of Vorkuta is incorporated as '''Vorkuta Urban Okrug'''.<ref name="Law-2">Law #11-RZ</ref>

==Economy==
By the early 21st century, many mines had closed as problems with the high costs of operation plagued the mine operators. Near the end of the 20th century there were labor actions in the area by miners; in the late '80s due to political changes,<ref>{{Cite news|title = At Gulag Cemetery, a Struggle Against Forgetting|url = https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/27/world/at-gulag-cemetery-a-struggle-against-forgetting.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 1990-08-27|access-date = 2015-10-15|issn = 0362-4331|first = Bill|last = Keller}}</ref> and during the '90s by those who had not been paid for a year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aha.ru/~mgo/vorkuta.htm|title=Vorkuta Miners Hold Authorities Prisoners|publisher=www.aha.ru|work=Russia Today|access-date=2008-07-18}}</ref>

===Transport===
The town is served by ]. During the ], an Arctic Control Group forward staging base for ]s was located at ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/vorkuta.htm|title=Vorkuta|publisher=www.globalsecurity.org|access-date=2008-07-18}}</ref>

==Climate==
]

Vorkuta has a ] (] ''Dfc'') with short cool summers and very cold, long, and snowy winters. The average February temperature is about {{convert|-20|C}}, and in July it is about {{convert|+13|C}}. Vorkuta's climate is influenced both by its distance from the ] and the proximity to the ], bringing cold air in spring. This extends winters well into May and hinders the characteristic interior Russian summer warmth from reaching the city but for rare instances. In spite of this, Vorkuta has less severe winters than areas a lot further south in ] courtesy of the minor maritime moderation that reaches it. This also means that temperatures below {{convert|-50|C|F}} have never been recorded in any winter month but December. During the winter, above-freezing temperatures are rare, but have occurred in all 12 months. With winters being humid, snowfall is a lot more common than in areas further east and a sizeable snow pack is built up each year. Due to the moderately warm summers, Vorkuta lies below the Arctic ].

The ] in Vorkuta lasts from 30 May to 14 July, the ] lasts from 17 December to 27 December.

{{Weather box|width=auto
|location=Vorkuta
|metric first=yes
|single line=yes
|Jan record high C=1.1
|Feb record high C=1.2
|Mar record high C=5.3
|Apr record high C=12.0
|May record high C=26.5
|Jun record high C=31.0
|Jul record high C=33.8
|Aug record high C=30.0
|Sep record high C=24.2
|Oct record high C=15.6
|Nov record high C=4.8
|Dec record high C=3.5
|year record high C=33.8
|Jan high C=-15.6
|Feb high C=-16.1
|Mar high C=-9.7
|Apr high C=-5.5
|May high C=1.7
|Jun high C = 12.6
|Jul high C = 18.6
|Aug high C = 14.2
|Sep high C = 7.9
|Oct high C = -0.8
|Nov high C = -9.9
|Dec high C = -13.9
|year high C = -1.4
|Jan mean C = -19.5
|Feb mean C = -20.0
|Mar mean C = -13.9
|Apr mean C = -10.0
|May mean C = -1.9
|Jun mean C = 7.6
|Jul mean C = 13.2
|Aug mean C = 9.7
|Sep mean C = 4.3
|Oct mean C = -3.4
|Nov mean C = -13.3
|Dec mean C = -17.6
|year mean C = -5.4
|Jan low C = -23.5
|Feb low C = -23.9
|Mar low C = -18.1
|Apr low C = -14.3
|May low C = -5.2
|Jun low C = 3.3
|Jul low C = 8.2
|Aug low C = 5.8
|Sep low C = 1.2
|Oct low C = -6.1
|Nov low C = -16.8
|Dec low C = -21.6
|year low C = -9.3
|Jan record low C = -48.0
|Feb record low C = -49.4
|Mar record low C = -43.1
|Apr record low C = -38.5
|May record low C = -25.3
|Jun record low C = -8.4
|Jul record low C = -1.0
|Aug record low C = -4.8
|Sep record low C = -10.5
|Oct record low C = -29.0
|Nov record low C = -45.1
|Dec record low C = -52.0
|year record low C = -52.0
|Jan precipitation mm = 36
|Feb precipitation mm = 34
|Mar precipitation mm = 33
|Apr precipitation mm = 27
|May precipitation mm = 35
|Jun precipitation mm = 52
|Jul precipitation mm = 55
|Aug precipitation mm = 63
|Sep precipitation mm = 57
|Oct precipitation mm = 57
|Nov precipitation mm = 40
|Dec precipitation mm = 42
|Jan snow cm = 47
|Feb snow cm = 66
|Mar snow cm = 81
|Apr snow cm = 84
|May snow cm = 53
|Jun snow cm = 4
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 6
|Nov snow cm = 17
|Dec snow cm = 30
|Jan humidity = 81
|Feb humidity = 80
|Mar humidity = 81
|Apr humidity = 79
|May humidity = 79
|Jun humidity = 72
|Jul humidity = 74
|Aug humidity = 82
|Sep humidity = 85
|Oct humidity = 88
|Nov humidity = 84
|Dec humidity = 82
|year humidity =
|Jan rain days = 1
|Feb rain days = 0
|Mar rain days = 1
|Apr rain days = 3
|May rain days = 9
|Jun rain days = 16
|Jul rain days = 19
|Aug rain days = 22
|Sep rain days = 19
|Oct rain days = 10
|Nov rain days = 2
|Dec rain days = 1
|Jan snow days = 25
|Feb snow days = 21
|Mar snow days = 23
|Apr snow days = 19
|May snow days = 16
|Jun snow days = 4
|Jul snow days = 0
|Aug snow days = 0
|Sep snow days = 4
|Oct snow days = 18
|Nov snow days = 24
|Dec snow days = 26
|source 1 = Pogoda.ru.net<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.pogoda.ru.net/climate/23226.htm | title = Pogoda.ru.net| access-date = February 16, 2012
| language = ru}}</ref>
|date=February 2012
}}

=== Crumbling permafrost ===
Vorkuta lies on the edge of the ] boundary in Russia, and scientists predict that continued warming could advance the border of continuous permafrost hundreds of miles northward, weakening the earth beneath the vast infrastructure built during the days of the Soviet Union's industrialization of the Arctic.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Myers|first1=S.L.|title=Old Ways of Life Are Fading as the Arctic Thaws|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/20/science/earth/old-ways-of-life-are-fading-as-the-arctic-thaws.html |access-date=5 June 2020 |newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 20, 2005}}</ref>
]

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
|type =
|footnote = Source: Census data
|1943 | 7000
|1959 | 55668
|1970 | 89742
|1979 | 100210
|1989 | 115646
|2002 | 84917
|2010 | 70548
|2021 | 56985
}}

After peaking at 115,000 in 1989, Vorkuta experienced a steady population decline, with many parts of the town abandoned. By 2021, the population had declined by 50% to 57,000.<ref>{{cite web|title=Оценка численности постоянного населения по субъектам Российской Федерации|url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/tab-5_VPN-2020.xlsx|publisher=]|accessdate=1 September 2022}}</ref>

As of the ], the ethnic composition of Vorkuta was:<ref>{{cite web |title=Национальный состав населения |url=https://11.rosstat.gov.ru/storage//2023/01-26/sNdIgL0A/5-3%20%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%86-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2_2%20%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%8F%20%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BB%20%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BA.xlsx |access-date=June 13, 2023 |website=Rosstat}}</ref>
* ] – 81.7%
* ] – 4.2%
* ] – 2.4%
* ] – 1.7%
* ] – 1.3%
* ] – 1.1%
* Others – 7.6%

According to the former head of the executive committee of the local branch of the ] party, Anton Glushkov, the city's population statistics are very different from the real state of affairs. According to him, "25,000 to 35,000 people" allegedly live in the ]. The rest, in his opinion, are registered by registration but have already moved to the regions of Russia south of the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.znak.com/2019-11-11/kak_v_nashi_dni_vymiraet_vorkuta_severnoe_eldorado_sovetskogo_soyuza_reportazh_znak_com/ |title=Очень скоро будет город-призрак |trans-title=There will be a ghost town very soon |accessdate=2019-11-11 |archive-date=2019-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111171720/https://www.znak.com/2019-11-11/kak_v_nashi_dni_vymiraet_vorkuta_severnoe_eldorado_sovetskogo_soyuza_reportazh_znak_com |url-status=live}}</ref> One way or another, Vorkuta is the leading city in the Komi Republic and Russia in terms of population reduction.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.komi.kp.ru/daily/26839/3880730/ |title=Более шести тысяч человек покинули Воркуту в 2017 году |trans-title=More than six thousand people left Vorkuta in 2017 |author=Olga Solovey |newspaper=Komi.kp.ru - |date=2018-06-08 |website= |publisher=] |accessdate=2018-10-13 |archive-date=2018-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013211553/https://www.komi.kp.ru/daily/26839/3880730/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.komi.kp.ru/daily/26660/3681715/ |title=Воркута, Ухта, Печора стали лидерами по сокращению численности населения |newspaper=Komi.kp.ru - |trans-title=Vorkuta, Ukhta, Pechora became leaders in population reduction |date=2017-03-31 |publisher=] |accessdate=2018-10-13 |archive-date=2018-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013133039/https://www.komi.kp.ru/daily/26660/3681715/ |url-status=live |last1=Чернов |first1=Валерий }}</ref>

==Notable people==
* ], Multiple gold medalist in World and European championship speed skating, The youngest speed skater to win and world record holder for fastest 500m speed.
* ], Husband of poet Anna Akhmatova. Art scholar, writer and editor of Russian magazine publications. Co-founder of Department of Iconography in the State Russian Museum.
* ], National Hockey League player
* ], ballet choreographer

==Miscellaneous==

One of the largest coal ] in Russia occurred at Vorkuta coal mine on 28 February 2016, when ] and killed 32 people, including 26 trapped miners who had been stranded by a similar explosion three days earlier that had killed four miners.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russian-coal-mine-accident-vorkuta-kills-36-including-5-rescuers-n527461| title = Russian Coal Mine Accident in Vorkuta Kills 36, Including 5 Rescuers | agency = Associated Press | date = 28 February 2016 | access-date = 28 February 2016 }}</ref>

In 2021, Moscow-based photographer Maria Passer photographed abandoned scenes in Vorkuta as part of a photography project that also included the villages of Cementozavodsky and Severny.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Street |first1=Francesca |title=Inside Russia's deep frozen ghost towns |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/vorkuta-russia-frozen-ghost-towns/index.html |website=CNN |access-date=5 March 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210305211041/https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/vorkuta-russia-frozen-ghost-towns/index.html |archive-date=March 5, 2021 |date=5 March 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*{{RussiaAdmMunRef|ko|adm|law}}
*{{RussiaAdmMunRef|ko|mun|list}}
*''Adapted from the article , from ], licensed under the ].''


==External links== ==External links==
* * {{in lang|ru}}
*
*
* {{in lang|ru}}
* Contemporary photographs - Vorkuta city
* {{in lang|ru}}
**
*
**
*Contemporary photographs of Vorkuta
**
**
**
**
* Historical photographs
** {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807214751/http://wwwedu.oulu.fi/sos/tundra/kuvia.htm |date=August 7, 2007 }}
**
** {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210173737/http://www.kmp.tul.cz/lide/hrus/hory/rusko2005/galerie.php?gal=vorkuta |date=December 10, 2018 }} {{in lang|cs}}
**
*Historical photographs
** {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106205829/http://www.videofact.com/english/gulags_pictures1.htm |date=January 6, 2008 }}
** **
* Other photographs *Other photographs
** **
** **
** ** {{in lang|ru}}
**


{{Komi Republic}}
''Adapted from the article , from ], licensed under the ].''
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 18:42, 21 December 2024

Town in the Komi Republic, Russia For other uses, see Vorkuta (disambiguation).

Town in Komi Republic, Russia
Vorkuta Воркута
Town
Other transcription(s)
 • KomiВӧркута
Central VorkutaCentral Vorkuta
Flag of VorkutaFlagCoat of arms of VorkutaCoat of arms
Location of Vorkuta
Vorkuta is located in Komi RepublicVorkutaVorkutaLocation of VorkutaShow map of Komi RepublicVorkuta is located in European RussiaVorkutaVorkutaVorkuta (European Russia)Show map of European RussiaVorkuta is located in ArcticVorkutaVorkutaVorkuta (Arctic)Show map of Arctic
Coordinates: 67°30′N 64°02′E / 67.500°N 64.033°E / 67.500; 64.033
CountryRussia
Federal subjectKomi Republic
FoundedJanuary 4, 1936
Town status sinceNovember 26, 1943
Government
 • Administration ManagerYaroslav Shaposhnikov
Area
 • Total28.69 km (11.08 sq mi)
Elevation180 m (590 ft)
Population
 • Total70,548
 • Rank224th in 2010
 • Density2,500/km (6,400/sq mi)
Administrative status
 • Subordinated totown of republic significance of Vorkuta
 • Capital oftown of republic significance of Vorkuta
Municipal status
 • Urban okrugVorkuta Urban Okrug
 • Capital ofVorkuta Urban Okrug
Time zoneUTC+3 (MSK Edit this on Wikidata)
Postal code(s)169900
Dialing code(s)+7 82151
OKTMO ID87710000001

Vorkuta (Russian: Воркута́; Komi: Вӧркута, romanized: Vörkuta; Nenets for "the abundance of bears", "bear corner") is a coal-mining town in the Komi Republic, Russia, situated just north of the Arctic Circle in the Pechora coal basin at the river Vorkuta. In 2010, its population was 70,548, down from 84,917 in 2002.

Vorkuta is the fourth largest city north of the Arctic Circle and the easternmost town in Europe. It is also the coldest city in all of Europe, boasting a record cold temperature of −52 °C (−61 °F).

Vorkuta's population has dropped steadily since the fall of the Soviet Union, when mines were privatized and many people began moving farther south. Many of the mines have been abandoned and by September 2020, the city's estimated population was only about 50,000. A report in March 2021 described the villages in the area as "ghost towns" with many "abandoned structures".

History

In 1930, the geologist Georgy Chernov (1906–2009) discovered substantial coal fields by the river Vorkuta. Georgy Chernov's father, the geologist Alexander Chernov (1877–1963), promoted the development of the Pechora coal basin, which included the Vorkuta fields. With this discovery the coal-mining industry started in the Komi ASSR. (At the time only the southern parts of the field were included in the Komi ASSR. The northern part, including Vorkuta, belonged to the Nenets Autonomous Okrug of Arkhangelsk Oblast.) In 1931, a geologist settlement was established by the coal field, with most of the workers being inmates of the Ukhta-Pechora Camp of the GULAG (Ухтпечлаг, Ukhtpechlag).

Forced labour camp

Main article: Vorkutlag

The origins of the town of Vorkuta are associated with Vorkutlag, one of the most notorious forced-labour camps of the Gulag. Vorkutlag was established in 1932 with the start of mining. It was the largest of the Gulag camps in European Russia and served as the administrative centre for a large number of smaller camps and subcamps, among them Kotlas, Pechora, and Izhma (modern Sosnogorsk). The Vorkuta uprising, a major rebellion by the camp inmates, occurred in 1953.

In 1941, Vorkuta and the labour camp system based around it were connected to the rest of the world by a prisoner-built rail line linking Konosha, Kotlas, and the camps of Inta. Town status was granted to Vorkuta on November 26, 1943.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with eight urban-type settlements (Komsomolsky, Mulda, Oktyabrsky, Promyshlenny, Severny, Vorgashor, Yeletsky, and Zapolyarny) and seven rural localities, incorporated as the town of republic significance of Vorkuta—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, the town of republic significance of Vorkuta is incorporated as Vorkuta Urban Okrug.

Economy

By the early 21st century, many mines had closed as problems with the high costs of operation plagued the mine operators. Near the end of the 20th century there were labor actions in the area by miners; in the late '80s due to political changes, and during the '90s by those who had not been paid for a year.

Transport

The town is served by Vorkuta Airport. During the Cold War, an Arctic Control Group forward staging base for strategic bombers was located at Vorkuta Sovetsky.

Climate

Mining College in Vorkuta

Vorkuta has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc) with short cool summers and very cold, long, and snowy winters. The average February temperature is about −20 °C (−4 °F), and in July it is about +13 °C (55 °F). Vorkuta's climate is influenced both by its distance from the North Atlantic and the proximity to the Arctic Ocean, bringing cold air in spring. This extends winters well into May and hinders the characteristic interior Russian summer warmth from reaching the city but for rare instances. In spite of this, Vorkuta has less severe winters than areas a lot further south in Siberia courtesy of the minor maritime moderation that reaches it. This also means that temperatures below −50 °C (−58 °F) have never been recorded in any winter month but December. During the winter, above-freezing temperatures are rare, but have occurred in all 12 months. With winters being humid, snowfall is a lot more common than in areas further east and a sizeable snow pack is built up each year. Due to the moderately warm summers, Vorkuta lies below the Arctic tree line.

The polar day in Vorkuta lasts from 30 May to 14 July, the polar night lasts from 17 December to 27 December.

Climate data for Vorkuta
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 1.1
(34.0) 		1.2
(34.2) 		5.3
(41.5) 		12.0
(53.6) 		26.5
(79.7) 		31.0
(87.8) 		33.8
(92.8) 		30.0
(86.0) 		24.2
(75.6) 		15.6
(60.1) 		4.8
(40.6) 		3.5
(38.3) 		33.8
(92.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −15.6
(3.9) 		−16.1
(3.0) 		−9.7
(14.5) 		−5.5
(22.1) 		1.7
(35.1) 		12.6
(54.7) 		18.6
(65.5) 		14.2
(57.6) 		7.9
(46.2) 		−0.8
(30.6) 		−9.9
(14.2) 		−13.9
(7.0) 		−1.4
(29.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) −19.5
(−3.1) 		−20.0
(−4.0) 		−13.9
(7.0) 		−10.0
(14.0) 		−1.9
(28.6) 		7.6
(45.7) 		13.2
(55.8) 		9.7
(49.5) 		4.3
(39.7) 		−3.4
(25.9) 		−13.3
(8.1) 		−17.6
(0.3) 		−5.4
(22.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −23.5
(−10.3) 		−23.9
(−11.0) 		−18.1
(−0.6) 		−14.3
(6.3) 		−5.2
(22.6) 		3.3
(37.9) 		8.2
(46.8) 		5.8
(42.4) 		1.2
(34.2) 		−6.1
(21.0) 		−16.8
(1.8) 		−21.6
(−6.9) 		−9.3
(15.3)
Record low °C (°F) −48.0
(−54.4) 		−49.4
(−56.9) 		−43.1
(−45.6) 		−38.5
(−37.3) 		−25.3
(−13.5) 		−8.4
(16.9) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		−4.8
(23.4) 		−10.5
(13.1) 		−29.0
(−20.2) 		−45.1
(−49.2) 		−52.0
(−61.6) 		−52.0
(−61.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 36
(1.4) 		34
(1.3) 		33
(1.3) 		27
(1.1) 		35
(1.4) 		52
(2.0) 		55
(2.2) 		63
(2.5) 		57
(2.2) 		57
(2.2) 		40
(1.6) 		42
(1.7) 		531
(20.9)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 47
(19) 		66
(26) 		81
(32) 		84
(33) 		53
(21) 		4
(1.6) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		6
(2.4) 		17
(6.7) 		30
(12) 		388
(153.7)
Average rainy days 1 0 1 3 9 16 19 22 19 10 2 1 103
Average snowy days 25 21 23 19 16 4 0 0 4 18 24 26 180
Average relative humidity (%) 81 80 81 79 79 72 74 82 85 88 84 82 81
Source: Pogoda.ru.net

Crumbling permafrost

Vorkuta lies on the edge of the continuous permafrost boundary in Russia, and scientists predict that continued warming could advance the border of continuous permafrost hundreds of miles northward, weakening the earth beneath the vast infrastructure built during the days of the Soviet Union's industrialization of the Arctic.

Vorkuta in 2012

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1943 7,000—    
1959 55,668+695.3%
1970 89,742+61.2%
1979 100,210+11.7%
1989 115,646+15.4%
2002 84,917−26.6%
2010 70,548−16.9%
2021 56,985−19.2%
Source: Census data

After peaking at 115,000 in 1989, Vorkuta experienced a steady population decline, with many parts of the town abandoned. By 2021, the population had declined by 50% to 57,000.

As of the 2021 Census, the ethnic composition of Vorkuta was:

According to the former head of the executive committee of the local branch of the United Russia party, Anton Glushkov, the city's population statistics are very different from the real state of affairs. According to him, "25,000 to 35,000 people" allegedly live in the municipality of the urban district of Vorkuta. The rest, in his opinion, are registered by registration but have already moved to the regions of Russia south of the Arctic Circle. One way or another, Vorkuta is the leading city in the Komi Republic and Russia in terms of population reduction.

Notable people

  • Pavel Kulizhnikov, Multiple gold medalist in World and European championship speed skating, The youngest speed skater to win and world record holder for fastest 500m speed.
  • Nikolay Punin, Husband of poet Anna Akhmatova. Art scholar, writer and editor of Russian magazine publications. Co-founder of Department of Iconography in the State Russian Museum.
  • Andrei Nikolishin, National Hockey League player
  • Bella Ratchinskaia, ballet choreographer

Miscellaneous

One of the largest coal mine disasters in Russia occurred at Vorkuta coal mine on 28 February 2016, when leaking methane gas ignited and killed 32 people, including 26 trapped miners who had been stranded by a similar explosion three days earlier that had killed four miners.

In 2021, Moscow-based photographer Maria Passer photographed abandoned scenes in Vorkuta as part of a photography project that also included the villages of Cementozavodsky and Severny.

References

Notes

  1. ^ Law #16-RZ
  2. ^ Информационный портал администрации Воркуты - История Воркуты 1930-1945 годы (in Russian). Archived from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  3. ^ Глава городского округа (in Russian). Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  4. 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 (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
  5. ^ Law #11-RZ
  6. "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  7. Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (in Russian)
  8. "About city". Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  9. Numminen, Pekka: Vorkuta Pohjois-Venäjällä on Euroopan kylmin kaupunki – ja asukkaat eivät sitä enää kestä , Iltalehti 24 December 2021 (in Finnish). Accessed on 25 December 2021.
  10. "Above the Arctic Circle, a once-flourishing Russian coal-mining town is in rapid decline". Washington Post. December 20, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2021. Many people left their houses and moved from Vorkuta to more southern cities of Russia
  11. "Vorkuta - Russia's Dying City Above the Arctic Circle". Dark Tourist. September 22, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2021. abandoned ghost towns towns that surround the coal-mining center of Vorkuta
  12. "Inside Russia's deep frozen ghost towns". CNN. March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021. abandoned ghost towns towns that surround the coal-mining center of Vorkuta
  13. ^ "История Воркуты"(in Russian)(retrieved August 3, 2004)
  14. "История Воркуты"(in Russian)(retrieved August 3, 2004)
  15. "Историческая справка. МО ГО "Воркута"" Archived February 16, 2016, at the Wayback Machine(in Russian) (retrieved August 3, 2004)
  16. Keller, Bill (August 27, 1990). "At Gulag Cemetery, a Struggle Against Forgetting". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  17. "Vorkuta Miners Hold Authorities Prisoners". Russia Today. www.aha.ru. Retrieved July 18, 2008.
  18. "Vorkuta". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved July 18, 2008.
  19. "Pogoda.ru.net" (in Russian). Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  20. Myers, S.L. (October 20, 2005). "Old Ways of Life Are Fading as the Arctic Thaws". The New York Times. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  21. "Оценка численности постоянного населения по субъектам Российской Федерации". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  22. "Национальный состав населения". Rosstat. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  23. "Очень скоро будет город-призрак" [There will be a ghost town very soon]. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  24. Olga Solovey (June 8, 2018). "Более шести тысяч человек покинули Воркуту в 2017 году" [More than six thousand people left Vorkuta in 2017]. Komi.kp.ru -. Komsomolskaya Pravda. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  25. Чернов, Валерий (March 31, 2017). "Воркута, Ухта, Печора стали лидерами по сокращению численности населения" [Vorkuta, Ukhta, Pechora became leaders in population reduction]. Komi.kp.ru -. Komsomolskaya Pravda. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  26. "Russian Coal Mine Accident in Vorkuta Kills 36, Including 5 Rescuers". Associated Press. February 28, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  27. Street, Francesca (March 5, 2021). "Inside Russia's deep frozen ghost towns". CNN. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.

Sources

  • Государственный Совет Республики Коми. Закон №13-РЗ от 6 марта 2006 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Республики Коми», в ред. Закона №171-РЗ от 26 декабря 2014 г. «Об упразднении населённого пункта Верхняя Седка, расположенного на территории Прилузского района Республики Коми, и внесении в связи с этим изменений в некоторые Законы Республики Коми». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Республика", №44, 16 марта 2006 г. (State Council of the Komi Republic. Law #13-RZ of March 6, 2006 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Komi Republic, as amended by the Law #171-RZ of December 26, 2014 On Abolishing the Inhabited Locality of Verkhnyaya Sedka Located on the Territory of Priluzsky District of the Komi Republic, and on Amending Various Laws of the Komi Republic Accordingly. Effective as of the official publication date.).
  • Государственный Совет Республики Коми. Закон №11-РЗ от 5 марта 2005 г. «О территориальной организации местного самоуправления в Республике Коми», в ред. Закона №171-РЗ от 26 декабря 2014 г. «Об упразднении населённого пункта Верхняя Седка, расположенного на территории Прилузского района Республики Коми, и внесении в связи с этим изменений в некоторые Законы Республики Коми». Вступил в силу 1 апреля 2005 г.. Опубликован: "Республика", №44–45, 17 марта 2005 г. (State Council of the Komi Republic. Law #11-RZ of March 5, 2005 On the Territorial Organization of the Local Self-Government in the Komi Republic, as amended by the Law #171-RZ of December 26, 2014 On Abolishing the Inhabited Locality of Verkhnyaya Sedka Located on the Territory of Priluzsky District of the Komi Republic, and on Amending Various Laws of the Komi Republic Accordingly. Effective as of April 1, 2005.).
  • Adapted from the article Vorkuta, from Wikinfo, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.

External links

Administrative divisions of the Komi Republic
Capital: Syktyvkar • Rural localities
Coat of arms of the Komi RepublicAdministrative districts Flag of the Komi Republic
Cities and towns
Urban-type settlements
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