Sol-Iletsk () is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

Orenburg Oblast Orenburg Oblast (also Orenburzhye) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), mainly located in Eastern Europe. Its administrative center is the city of Orenburg. From 1938 to 1957, it bore the name Chkalov Oblast in honor of Valery Chkal ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, located on the right bank of the Ilek River ( Ural's

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

), south of

Orenburg Orenburg (, ), formerly known as Chkalov (1938–1957), is the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies in Eastern Europe, along the banks of the Ural River, being approximately southeast of Moscow. Orenburg is close to the ...

, the

administrative center An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

of the

oblast An oblast ( or ) is a type of administrative division in Bulgaria and several post-Soviet states, including Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Historically, it was used in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. The term ''oblast'' is often translated i ...

. Population: 22,000 (1975); 11,802 (1897). The climate is arid, sharply continental.

History

It was founded in the 17th century as a

Cossack The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Rus ...

settlement. In the mid-18th century, it was renamed Iletskaya Zashchita () due to the construction of fortifications. The name was then changed to Iletsk () in the 19th century. In 1945, the town was given its present name. A thick bed of rocksalt is worked near this town (hence, the word "" (''sol'') in the town's name, which means "salt" in Russian). The place has also been known as a balneological resort for its

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling ( carbonated/ effervescent). Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at t ...

s, salt, mud, and

brine Brine (or briny water) is a high-concentration solution of salt (typically sodium chloride or calcium chloride) in water. In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawat ...

baths, and its

kumis ''Kumis'' ( , ), alternatively spelled ''coumis'' or ''kumyz'', also known as ''airag'' ( ), is a traditional Fermented milk products, fermented dairy product made from mare milk. The drink is important to the peoples of the Central and East ...

cures.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Sol-Iletsk serves as the

of Sol-Iletsky District, even though it is not a part of it. As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the

Town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

of Sol-IletskLaw #1370/276-IV-OZ—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

. As a municipal division, the territories of the Town of Sol-Iletsk and of Sol-Iletsky District are incorporated as Sol-Iletsky Urban Okrug.Law #3028/833-V-OZ

Penitentiary facilities

Sol-Iletsk houses what is commonly called the Black Dolphin Prison.Структурные подразделения
"
Archive
Federal Penitentiary Service Orenburg Region. Retrieved on April 28, 2012.

References

Notes

Sources

* * * * {{Authority control Cities and towns in Orenburg Oblast Populated places established in 1754 Former urban-type settlements of Orenburg Oblast