Partizansk () is a town in Primorsky Krai, Russia, located on a spur of the Sikhote-Alin Mountains, about east of Vladivostok, the administrative center of the krai. As of the 2010 census, the population is population 38,659.

Names

The town was formerly known as Suchan ( - literally "City of Su" or ), but its Russian name was changed to Partizansk in 1972 during a general campaign of cleansing Chinese toponyms in Russian Far East.

Geography

A number of creeks flow through the town into the nearby Partizanskaya River, previously known as the Suchan.

History

In the late 19th century, the Vladivostok-based Russian Pacific Fleet was in deep need of a source of coal. The Department of Mines sent a geological expedition to the area south of Ussuriysk, working there from 1888 to 1893. Coal was found, which could be mined and sent to Nakhodka for the needs of the Fleet. In 1896, the Department of Mines made a large order for coal from the Suchan River area, and a settlement for miners was founded. The settlement was originally named Suchansky Rudnik, meaning mining pit of Suchan.

Around this time, Korean settlers moved out of the northern part of the Korean peninsula to avoid famine, with some settling in Partizansk. Pre-1937 Korean settlers to Russia and the Soviet Union are known as Koryo-saram. The Koreans called the area Such'ŏng (). The area eventually become a hub for Korean independence activism against Japan's colonization of Korea. Korean militants such as Han Ch'ang-kŏl () resisted Japan from the nearby mountains. Notable Korean socialist was born in this area. The Koreans were eventually forced to migrate to Central Asia in 1937. As a municipal division, Partizansk Town Under Krai Jurisdiction is incorporated as Partizansky Urban Okrug.

Economy and infrastructure

The economy of the town and its surrounding area remains largely reliant on coal mining; however, the industry is currently in decline, with the previous coal reserves largely exhausted. Previous machine-building, chemical and pharmaceutical works have also been closed.

Timber production has grown in importance in recent years. Light industry also prospers, with a garment factory, a tannery, a food-processing plant, and a brewery currently operating.

The 1970s witnessed some great effort in modernizing the town's industrial sector, crowned with building a power station, which was later named after the town. Thirty years later, the Partizansk Power Station was renovated, and a new generator was installed to boost the output. Despite being one of the less important stations in the energy grid of the krai, especially with the reference to its minor share in the krai's energy output, Partizansk Power Station has a vital role in supplying with electricity the town and the close vicinity.

The town lies on the branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway leading to Nakhodka; this section of the railroad was completed in 1935.

Tourism

A coal deposit in Oleny Klyuch (near mine #1) was for the first time mentioned by Vasily Margaritov, a member of the Geographic Society of Amur Krai. This place is now called "The First Coal" (as it was the first mine in the area). Today, the mine is no longer in operation, and is commemorated with a cast-iron sign placed there in 1932. The sign contains the following text: "In 1883 the first coal was found here. Here the mine begins."

The nearby area also includes a number of cliffs and waterfalls.

Notable residents

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  • Valentin Zamotaykin (1939–1987), Soviet Olympic sailor

Climate

Partizansk has a four-season humid continental climate. Its climate contains vast temperature differences between seasons, in spite of its relatively low latitude and position near the Pacific Ocean. It has slightly warmer summers than Vladivostok due to its inland position, whereas winters are similar in both locations, largely but not completely unaffected by any maritime moderation. The cold temperatures for the latitude are due to the Siberian High's influence. The climate features wet and humid summers as well as dry and snow-light winters.

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References

Notes

Sources

  • Unofficial website of Partizansk