Apapelgino
Encyclopedia
Apapelgino is a rural locality (selo) in Chaunsky District
of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
, Russia
, located just to the east of Pevek
, on the northeastern shores of Chaunskaya Bay
and was constructed as part of the expansion of Pevek Airport
. Although the airport adjacent to the settlement still functions, Apapelgino has been abandoned to a significant extent and the village as a rural settlement abolished and merged, along with Yanranay
, into Pevek Urban Settlement, in 2010. Population as of 2005: 5.
's plan to create a ring of air bases around the arctic for the use of its strategic bomber fleet during the Cold War
. During the Cold War, this airfield formed a network of forward staging bases inside the Arctic Circle
. The use of strategic bomber forward staging bases 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 missiles as opposed to bombers meant that the airfield became less important and this was reflected by a gradual reduction in the local populus.
Following the expansion of airport itself in 1957, construction began in 1959 of a road that would link Apapelgino to Pevek and in 1961 a bridge was constructed over the river Apapelgyn to complete the link between the two settlements. As the settlement grew, so they acquired include 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.
Although the village itself has been abandoned to a significant extent, with only 5 people remaining in residence as of 2005 according to an environmental impact report for the Kupol Gold Project, the airport still serves as the main transport hub for northern chukotka and the local infrastructure has been strengthened with full repairs having been performed on the Pevek-Apaelgino road.
Chaunsky District
Chaunsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the six in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. It is located on the northern shore of the autonomous okrug and in terms of the administrative divisions borders Shmidtovsky District in the northeast, Anadyrsky District in the...
of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug , or Chukotka , is a federal subject of Russia located in the Russian Far East.Chukotka has a population of 53,824 according to the 2002 Census, and a surface area of . The principal town and the administrative center is Anadyr...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, located just to the east of Pevek
Pevek
Pevek is a town and Arctic port in Chaunsky District, part of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. After Anadyr and Bilibino it is the third largest town in Chukotka. Population: Municipally, the town is subordinated to Chaunsky Municipal district and together with Apapelgino and Yanranay, is...
, on the northeastern shores of Chaunskaya Bay
Chaunskaya Bay
The Chaunskaya Bay or Chaun Bay is an Arctic bay in the East Siberian Sea, in the Chaunsky District of Chukotka, northeast Siberia.The bay is open to the north and is 140 km in length. Its maximum width is 110 km. Its mouth is defined by Cape Shelagsky to the east and an unnamed part of...
and was constructed as part of the expansion of Pevek Airport
Pevek Airport
Pevek Airport is a civilian airport located 15 km northeast of Pevek. It mainly services medium-sized airliners. Its use for military operations is unknown but the runway and facilities are adequate for interceptor operations. The airfield elevation is given either as 3 or 14 meters according...
. Although the airport adjacent to the settlement still functions, Apapelgino has been abandoned to a significant extent and the village as a rural settlement abolished and merged, along with Yanranay
Yanranay
Yanranay is a rural locality in Chaunsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located just to the west of Pevek. Population: 226 in 2005 according to an environmental impact report produced for the Kupol Gold Project, down slightly on the 2003 estimate of 240, most of whom are of...
, into Pevek Urban Settlement, in 2010. Population as of 2005: 5.
Supporting the airfield
The settlement was used primarily to satisfy the administrative needs of the airport as well as housing the airport's workers. In the 1950s, the airfield was developed as part of the Soviet Air ForceSoviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
's plan to create a ring of air bases around the arctic for the use of its strategic bomber fleet during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. During the Cold War, this airfield formed a network of forward staging bases inside the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
. The use of strategic bomber forward staging bases 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 missiles as opposed to bombers meant that the airfield became less important and this was reflected by a gradual reduction in the local populus.
Following the expansion of airport itself in 1957, construction began in 1959 of a road that would link Apapelgino to Pevek and in 1961 a bridge was constructed over the river Apapelgyn to complete the link between the two settlements. As the settlement grew, so they acquired include 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.
Abandonment
By the beginning of the twenty first century however, the reduction in the population was such that it was decided that the settlement would be formally abandoned and the settlement was officially abandoned in May 2001. As part of an Okrug wide program to close isolated and unprofitable settlements, the district paid to have the families living in Apapelgino moved. Of the population, 50 families moved into apartments in Pevek, while another 20 families opted to move out of the Okrug altogether and settle in more central regions. However, when the time came to finally abandon their old homes, all seventy families refused to move, fearing that if they moved from Apaelgino to Pevek, they would then lose the right to an apartment in more temperate central regions. Assurances were given to the inhabitants of Apapelgino, by the then assistant governor of Chukotka, Larissa Ponomareva, that those who wished to leave the Okrug would be assigned an apartment in another region without any delay.Although the village itself has been abandoned to a significant extent, with only 5 people remaining in residence as of 2005 according to an environmental impact report for the Kupol Gold Project, the airport still serves as the main transport hub for northern chukotka and the local infrastructure has been strengthened with full repairs having been performed on the Pevek-Apaelgino road.