Abakan

Lore & Background

Abakansky ostrog, also known as Abakansk, was built at the mouth of the Abakan River in 1675. In the 1780s, the selo of Ust-Abakanskoye was established in this area. It was granted town status and given its current name on 30 April 1931. In 1940, Russian construction workers found ancient ruins during the construction of a highway between Abakan and Askiz. When the site was excavated by Soviet archaeologists in 1941–1945, they realized that they had discovered a building absolutely unique for the area: a large (1500 square meters) Chinese-style, likely Han dynasty era (206 BC–220 AD) palace. The identity of the high-ranking personage who lived luxuriously in Chinese style, far outside the Han Empire's borders, has remained a matter for discussion ever since. Russian archaeologist surmised, based on circumstantial evidence, that the palace may have been the residence of Li Ling, a Chinese general who had been defeated by the Xiongnu in 99 BCE, and defected to them as a result. While this opinion has remained popular, other views have been expressed as well. More recently, for example, it was claimed by as the residence of , a Han throne pretender from the Guangwu era. In the late 18th and during the 19th century, Lithuanian participants in the 1794, 1830–1831, and 1863 rebellions against Russian rule were exiled to Abakan. A group of camps was established where prisoners were forced to work in the coal mines. After Stalin's death, Lithuanian exiles from the nearby settlements moved in. Also Polish exiles were deported to Khakassia, with some descendants still living in the region. In 1994, a local Polish school was founded, which was supported by the local authorities until 2014, and in 1999, a Polish-language faculty was introduced at the local Khakassian State University.

Reader's Guide

Abakan is the capital of the republic. Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as the City of Abakan—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, the City of Abakan is incorporated as Abakan Urban Okrug. The city has Katanov State University of Khakasia. Abakan (together with Tayshet) was a terminal of the major Abakan-Taishet Railway. The city is served by the Abakan International Airport. The 100th Air Assault Brigade of the Russian Airborne Troops was based in the city until circa 1996. Bandy, similar to hockey, is one of the most popular sports in the city. Sayany-Khakassia was playing in the top-tier Super League in the 2012–13 season but was relegated for the 2013–14 season and has been playing in the Russian Bandy Supreme League ever since. The Russian Government Cup was played here in 1988 and in 2012. Abakan has a borderline dry-winter continental (Köppen climate classification Dwb)/cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). Temperature differences between seasons are extreme, which is typical for Siberia. Precipitation is concentrated in the summer and is less common because of rain shadows from nearby mountains. The structure of the local government in the city of Abakan is as follows: council of deputies of the city of Abakan - a representative body of the municipality; the head of the city of Abakan - the head of the municipality; the administration of the city of Abakan - the executive and administrative body of the municipality; auditing commission of the municipality of the city of Abakan - the control and accounting body of the municipality. The council consists of 28 deputies. Deputies are elected in single-member constituencies and on party lists. Elections of deputies of the VI convocation were held on a single voting day in 2018. Head of the city (head of the municipality): Alexey Viktorovich Lyomin. Chairman of the Council of Deputies: Albert Yuryevich Tupikin. In 2021, the annual Nikolai Bulakin Prize of Abakan was established for outstanding services and achievements in the city's development. The award includes a monetary reward of 200,000 rubles and a diploma.

Did You Know?

• The Han dynasty-era palace discovered near Abakan was found in 1940 during highway construction, and excavated from 1941 to 1945.
• Lithuanian exiles from the 1794, 1830–1831, and 1863 rebellions were sent to Abakan, and a Polish school was founded there in 1994.
• Abakan was granted town status on 30 April 1931.