Apapelgino (russian: Апа́пельгино; Chukchi: ,Leontyev and Novikova, p. 71 ''Apapèḷ'gyn'') is a

rural locality In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...

(a '' selo'') in

Chaunsky District Chaunsky District (russian: Ча́унский райо́н; Chukchi language, Chukchi: , ''Čaan rajon'') is an administrativeLaw #33-OZ and municipalLaw #46-OZ district (raion), one of the administrative divisions of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, si ...

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Chukotka (russian: Чуко́тка), officially the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug,, ''Čukotkakèn avtonomnykèn okrug'', is the easternmost federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia. It is an autonomous okrug situated in the Russian ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, located just to the east of

Pevek Pevek (russian: Певе́к; Chukchi: , ''Pèèkin'' / ''Pèèk'') is an Arctic port town and the administrative center of Chaunsky District in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located on Chaunskaya Bay (part of the East Siberian Sea) on a pe ...

, on the northeastern shores of

Chaunskaya Bay The Chaunskaya Bay or Chaun Bay (russian: Чаунская губа) is an Arctic bay in the East Siberian Sea, in the Chaunsky District of Chukotka, northeast Siberia. There is Port of Pevek. Geography The bay is open to the north and is 140&n ...

. As of June 2005, its population was estimated to be five people.Bema Gold Corporation, p. 87 Constructed as a part of the expansion of the

Pevek Airport Pevek Airport (russian: Аэропорт Певек) is a civilian airport located 15 km northeast of Pevek. It is located on the coast of East Siberian Sea and is one of the few airports in Russia on the polar route capable of handling ai ...

, Apapelgino has been mostly abandoned, although not officially abolished.

Etymology

There are several versions of the origin of Apapelgino's name. The first theory is that it comes from the Chukchi word "" (''apaapaḷgyn''), meaning ''spider's neck'', due to a variety of spiders in this place. Another theory is that it is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsYupik Yupik may refer to: * Yupik peoples, a group of indigenous peoples of Alaska and the Russian Far East * Yupik languages, a group of Eskimo-Aleut languages Yupꞌik (with the apostrophe) may refer to: * Yup'ik people The Yup'ik or Yupiaq (sg ...

word "" (''apy''), meaning ''snow'', and the Chukchi word "" (''velgyn''), meaning ''throat'' or ''mouth''. Finally, the name could have derived from the Koryak word "" (''apiapil''), meaning ''a sacrificial place''.

History

Apapelgino was used primarily to meet the administrative needs of the

, as well as for housing the airport's workers. In the 1950s, the airfield was developed as a part of the

Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...

' plan to create a ring of air bases around the Arctic for the use of its strategic bomber fleet during the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. During the Cold War, this airfield formed a network of forward staging bases inside the

Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...

, the need for which was dictated by geography and weather. The northern parts of the Soviet Union closest to the United States are in the Arctic, with hostile weather conditions. Consequently, Soviet strategic bombers were normally stationed at bases in more temperate parts of the Soviet Union, flying training missions from these forward staging bases. However, the focus on

intercontinental ballistic missile An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...

s as opposed to bombers meant that the airfield became less important and this was reflected by a gradual reduction in the local population. Following the 1957 expansion of the airport, construction of a road linking Apapelgino to Pevek began in 1959; in 1961, a bridge was constructed over the Apapelgyn River to complete the link. As Apapelgino grew, a boiler house, greenhouses for growing vegetables, a complex for the lower secondary school, cafeteria and library, a nursery, kindergarten, and a series of apartment buildings were built. By the beginning of the 21st century, however, the reduction in the population was such that it was decided that the remaining residents would be resettled to Pevek, with most residents leaving in 2001. Nevertheless, some refused to be resettled and, for the fear of losing the privileges allotted to the residents of localities in the process of liquidation, continued to reside in Apapelgino even after central heating was turned off.Regions.ru
Жители посёлка Апапельгино отказались покинуть свои неотапливаемые дома
(''Apapelgino Residents Refuse to Leave Their Unheated Homes'') Most of those residents moved out in 2002.Regions.ru
Жители посёлка Апапельгино покидают свои дома
(''Apapelgino Residents Leave Their Homes'') Even after Apapelgino was mostly abandoned (with only five people remaining in residence as of 2005), the airport still serves as the main transport hub for Northern Chukotka and the local infrastructure is being maintained.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Apapelgino is subordinated to

.Directive #517-rp Within the framework of municipal divisions, Apapelgino is a part of Pevek Urban Settlement within Chaunsky Municipal District.Law #46-OZ

Transportation

Apapelgino is served by the

. The only road connecting Apapelgino with outside world leads to

Climate

Apapelgino has a

Tundra In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless moun ...

climate (''ET'') according to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

.McKnight and Hess, pp. 232–235

Gallery

File:Airport Pevek satellite.jpg, Satellite photograph of Apapelgino and the Pevek Airport File:Апапельгино, ул. Заозёрная.jpg, Zaozyornaya Street File:Апапельгино, ул. Спортивная.jpg, Sportivnaya Street File:Апапельгино,.jpg, Chkalova Street

References

Notes

Sources

*Bema Gold Corporation
Environmental Impact Assessment, Kupol Gold Project, Far East Russia
June 2005. * * * *В. В. Леонтьев и К. А. Новикова (V. V. Leontyev and K. A. Novikova). "Топонимический словарь северо-востока СССР'' (''Toponymic Dictionary of the Northeastern USSR''). Magadan, 1989. *

External links

Apapelgino photo galleryPanoramas of ApapelginoMore photos of Apapelgino
{{Use mdy dates, date=November 2014 Rural localities in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Populated places of Arctic Russia