Tynda () 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 ...
in
Amur Oblast
Amur Oblast () is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located on the banks of the Amur and Zeya rivers in the Russian Far East. The oblast borders Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the south.
The administrati ...
,
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 northwest of
Blagoveshchensk
Blagoveshchensk ( rus, Благовещенск, p=bləɡɐˈvʲeɕːɪnsk, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Amur Oblast, Russia. It is located at the confluence of the Amur River, Amur and the ...
. It is an important railway junction, informally referred to as the capital of the
Baikal-Amur Mainline. Its population has declined sharply in recent years:
Etymology
The name is of
Evenk origin and is roughly translated as "on the river bank".
History
The settlement of ''Shkaruby'' was founded in 1917 on the present site of Tynda, as a
rest stop
A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, Limited-access road, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary roads. Other names ...
and winter camp on the route from the
Amur
The Amur River () or Heilong River ( zh, s=黑龙江) is a perennial river in Northeast Asia, forming the natural border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China (historically the Outer Manchuria, Outer and Inner Manchuria). The Amur ...
to the newly discovered gold fields on the
Timpton River, a tributary of the
Aldan Aldan may refer to:
People
*Gille Aldan, the first bishop of Galloway, Scotland
*Andrey Aldan-Semenov (1908–1985), Russian writer
*Duke Aldan, a fictional character in ''Langrisser IV'' video game
Places
*Aldan, Russia, a town in the Sakha Repub ...
. In 1928, in conjunction with construction of the highway to
Yakutsk
Yakutsk ( ) is the capital and largest city of Sakha, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one of Russia's most rapidly growing regional cities, with a population of 355,443 at the ...
, it was renamed ''Tyndinsky'' ().
In 1932, plans for what would eventually become the
Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) named Tynda as a possible future hub station. A long rail line, connecting Tynda with BAM station (known as ''Bamovskaya'') near
Skovorodino on the
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway, historically known as the Great Siberian Route and often shortened to Transsib, is a large railway system that connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over , it is the longest railway ...
was constructed between 1933 and 1937, although this was then dismantled during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and the rails reused for other projects closer to the front. In 1941, Tynda was granted
urban-type settlement
Urban-type settlement, abbreviated: ; , abbreviated: ; ; ; ; . is an official designation for lesser urbanized settlements, used in several Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern European countries. The term was primarily used in the So ...
status.
The revival of the construction of the BAM as an ''All-Union Komsomol Project'' in the early 1970s saw the reconstruction of the rail line between Bamovskaya and Tyndinsky, followed by the construction of the BAM east and west of the town. The settlement and its hub station were placed under the patronage of Komsomol brigades from
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, befitting its status as symbolic capital of the BAM. As its population grew due to the construction, the settlement was granted town status and received its present name on November 14, 1975.
The
Amur Yakutsk Mainline (AYaM) also began construction from Tynda, with the section to
Neryungri
Neryungri ( rus, Нерюнгри, p=ˈnʲerʲʊnɡrʲɪ; , ; ) is the second largest town in the Sakha Republic, Russia and the administrative center of Neryungrinsky District. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 61,747.
Etymology
...
completed in 1977. Since 2019 the AYaM runs passenger services as far as
Nizhny Bestyakh
Nizhny Bestyakh (; , ''Allaraa Besteex'') is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Megino-Kangalassky District of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located on the east bank of the Lena River, opposite the republic's capital city of Yakutsk, ...
on the bank of the
Lena River
The Lena is a river in the Russian Far East and is the easternmost river of the three great rivers of Siberia which flow into the Arctic Ocean, the others being Ob (river), Ob and Yenisey. The Lena River is long and has a capacious drainage basi ...
opposite
Yakutsk
Yakutsk ( ) is the capital and largest city of Sakha, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one of Russia's most rapidly growing regional cities, with a population of 355,443 at the ...
.
The full extent of the BAM opened for full use in 1989, with the exception of the
Severomuysky Tunnel. Tynda went into a decline after the BAM was completed, as the utilization of the mainline turned out to be low. Tynda's population has dropped by over 30% since the
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
, from a high of 61,996 inhabitants recorded in the 1989 Soviet Census, to an estimated population of around 38,000 in 2008.
Geography
The town is located at an elevation of
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
, near where the
Getkan joins the
Tynda River, after which the town was named. The Tynda then flows into the
Gilyuy
The Gilyuy () is a river in Amur Oblast, Russia. It is a right tributary of the Zeya, and is 545 km long, with a drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as ...
, a
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 ...
of the
Zeya, a few kilometers east of the town.
Climate
Tynda has a
subarctic climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Dwc'') with severely cold, rather dry winters and warm, very rainy summers.
Administrative and municipal status
Within the
framework of administrative divisions, Tynda serves as 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
Tyndinsky District
Tyndinsky District () is an administrativeLaw #127-OZ and municipalLaw #32-OZ district (raion), one of the twenty in Amur Oblast, Russia. The area of the district is . Its administrative center is the town of TyndaAccording to Law #127-OZ, the a ...
,
[Law #32-OZ] even though it is not a part of it.
As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as Tynda
Urban Okrug — 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 ...
.
[Law #127-OZ] As a
municipal division, this administrative unit also has urban okrug status.
[Law #414-OZ]
City leaders
* 1992-2004 — Mark Borisovich Schultz;
* 2004-2008 — Viktor Anatolyevich Zubovatkin;
* 7 May 2008 - 14 December 2012 — Mark Borisovich Schultz;
* 15 December 2012 - 24 May 2013 — Yevgeny Petrovich Cherenkov, as acting mayor;
* 25 May 2013 - 19 September 2018 — Yevgeny Petrovich Cherenkov;
* 20 September 2018 - 9 December 2022 года — Marina Valentinovna Mikhailova;
* 10 December 2022 – Present — Igor Salnikov, as acting mayor.
Mayoral elections 2013–2018
Following the death of Mayor Schultz in 2012, new elections were announced and held on 19 May 2013. Of the eleven candidates who nominated themselves for the post of mayor of the city, six remained.
Voter turnout was low - 32.4%. The candidate from the
United Russia
The All-Russian Political Party United Russia (, ) is the Ruling party, ruling List of political parties in Russia, political party of Russia. As the largest party in the Russian Federation, it holds 325 (or 72.22%) of the 450 seats in the St ...
party, Yevgeny Cherenkov, became the head of the city, gaining 50.5% of the vote. In September 2018, the post was occupied by
communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
Marina Mikhailova.
The
Blagoveshchensk
Blagoveshchensk ( rus, Благовещенск, p=bləɡɐˈvʲeɕːɪnsk, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Amur Oblast, Russia. It is located at the confluence of the Amur River, Amur and the ...
political observer Yevgeny Ogorodsky, on the eve of the elections, considered that:
After the announcement of the results of the elections for the mayor of the city, political scientist Yevgeny Trofimov commented on the victory of the "
party of power
The term "party of power" refers to a political party that has a close relationship with the executive branch of government such that the party appears to function as an extension of the executive rather than as an autonomous political organizat ...
":
In September 2018, Mayor Cherenkov lost the election to the candidate from the
Communist Party of the Russian Federation
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF; ) is a communist political party in Russia that officially adheres to Marxist–Leninist philosophy. It is the second-largest political party in Russia after United Russia. The youth o ...
, Marina Mikhailova. She voluntarily left the post of mayor of Tynda on 9 December 2022, a few days before a criminal case was opened against her. Mikhailova explained that she departed due to her health. As it turned out later, she was accused of abuse of power during the renovation of Krasnaya Presnya. In July 2021, Tynda received 250 million rubles from the federal budget for major renovations of the main street. In the same year, Mikhailova, as mayor of the city, signed an agreement with the company "Karier-A" to carry out the work. Under the terms of the contract, the contractor agreed to complete the repairs by August 2024. At the same time, the contractor had to be paid money for the work done.
Demographics
Russians
Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...
,
Ukrainians
Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the List of contemporary eth ...
, and
Belarusians
Belarusians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Belarus. They natively speak Belarusian language, Belarusian, an East Slavic language. More than 9 million people proclaim Belarusian ethnicity worldwide. Nearly 7.99&n ...
make up the majority of the town's population. Around 1,500
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
n
loggers
Lumberjack is a mostly North American term for workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees. The term usually refers to loggers in the era before 1945 in the United States, when trees were felled us ...
worked in the region as of 2007, strictly prohibited from speaking with journalists and residing in isolated camps which are closed to all other people.
Economy and transportation

Tynda is the crossing point for the
Baikal-Amur Mainline and
Amur Yakutsk Mainline railways. The town's station is one of the most important on both lines and possesses a large locomotive depot.
Other than railway-related activities, the town's economy relies largely on the
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
industry, with the ''Tyndales'' corporation based here. The M56 motorway to
Yakutsk
Yakutsk ( ) is the capital and largest city of Sakha, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one of Russia's most rapidly growing regional cities, with a population of 355,443 at the ...
also passes through the town.
The town is served by the
Tynda Airport, located to the north. After being closed for a number of years, air services from
Blagoveshchensk
Blagoveshchensk ( rus, Благовещенск, p=bləɡɐˈvʲeɕːɪnsk, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Amur Oblast, Russia. It is located at the confluence of the Amur River, Amur and the ...
via
Zeya resumed in 2007.
Interrupted flight
in the Amurskaya Pravda, August 25, 2007 (Russian)
Notable people
* Narine Arakelian, Armenian interdisciplinary feminist artist
International relations
Twin towns and sister cities
Tynda is twinned with:
* Wenatchee
Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and most populous city of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and has increased to 35,508 as of 2020. Located in the north-central part of the stat ...
, Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
, United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
*
External links
Official website of Tynda
In pictures: Siberian showcase's decline
{{Use mdy dates, date=December 2011
Cities and towns in Amur Oblast
Populated places established in 1917