Misplaced Pages

Komi Republic
Republic
Республика Коми
Other transcription(s)
• Komi	Коми Республика
Kozhim river, Yugyd Va National Park
FlagCoat of arms
Anthem: State Anthem of the Komi Republic
Komi Republic
Coordinates: 64°17′N 54°28′E / 64.283°N 54.467°E / 64.283; 54.467
Country	Russia
Federal district	Northwestern
Economic region	Northern
Capital	Syktyvkar
Government
• Body	State Council
• Acting Head	Rostislav Goldstein
Area
• Total	416,774 km (160,917 sq mi)
• Rank	13th
Population
• Total	737,853
• Estimate	840,873
• Rank	61st
• Density	1.8/km (4.6/sq mi)
• Urban	77.5%
• Rural	22.5%
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK )
ISO 3166 code	RU-KO
License plates	11
OKTMO ID	87000000
Official languages	Russian; Komi
Website	http://www.rkomi.ru

The Komi Republic (Russian: Республика Коми; Komi: Коми Республика), sometimes simply referred to as Komi, is a republic of Russia situated in the northeast of European Russia. Its capital is the city of Syktyvkar. The population of the republic at the 2021 census was 737,853, down from 901,189 at the 2010 census.

History

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Komi Republic" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Komi people first feature in the records of the Novgorod Republic in the 11th century, when traders from Novgorod traveled to the Perm region in search of furs and animal hides. The Novgorodians called these lands Zavolochye ("beyond the portage"), from the Russian word volok ("portage"), and the Komi were referred to as "the Chud beyond the portage". The Novgorodians penetrated deep into these lands, and the methods used were typical of those used by later Russians in subsequent campaigns.

The Moscow principality also played an increasing role in the expansion into Komi territories, accompanied by a great increase in monastic activity in the 14th and 15th centuries under the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church. The missionary Stephen of Perm, a native of Ustyug, created the first alphabet for the Komi, known by contemporary Russians as Zyrians (zyriane). He settled in Ust-Vym and became the first bishop of Perm. After Novgorod was annexed by Moscow, the Komi territories came under the influence of Moscow in the late 15th and early 16th century. The site of Syktyvkar, settled from the 16th century, was known as Sysolskoye (Сысольскoe). In 1780, under Catherine the Great, it was renamed to Ust-Sysolsk (Усть-Сысольск) and used as a penal colony.

Russians explored the Komi territory most extensively in the 19th and early 20th centuries, starting with the expedition led by Alexander von Keyserling in 1843. They found ample reservoirs of various minerals, as well as timber, to exploit. After the founding of the Soviet Union in 1922, the Komi-Zyryan Autonomous Oblast was established on August 22, 1921, and on December 5, 1936, it was reorganized into the Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic with its administrative center located at the town of Syktyvkar.

Many of the "settlers" who arrived in the early 20th century were prisoners of the Gulag – sent by the hundreds of thousands to perform forced labor in the Arctic regions of the USSR. Towns sprang up around labor-camp sites, which gangs of prisoners initially carved out of the untouched tundra and taiga. The first mine, "Rudnik No. 1", became the city of Vorkuta, and other towns of the region have similar origins: "Prisoners planned and built all of the republic's major cities, not just Ukhta but also Syktyvkar, Pechora, Vorkuta, and Inta. Prisoners built Komi's railways and roads, as well as its original industrial infrastructure." On 21 March 1996, the Komi Republic signed a power-sharing agreement with the government of Russia, granting it autonomy. The agreement was abolished on 20 May 2002.

Geography

The republic is situated to the west of the Ural Mountains, in the north-east of the East European Plain. The Polar Urals rise in the northeastern part. Forests cover over 70% of the territory, and swamps cover approximately 15%. The Komi Republic is the second-largest federal region by area in European Russia after Arkhangelsk Oblast.

• Area: 415,900 square kilometers (160,600 sq mi)
• Borders (all internal): Nenets (NW/N), Yamalo-Nenets (NE/E), Khanty–Mansi (E), Sverdlovsk (SE), Perm Krai (S), Kirov (S/SW), and Arkhangelsk (W).
• Highest point: Mount Narodnaya (1,894 m)
• Maximum N→S distance: 785 kilometers (488 mi)
• Maximum E→W distance: 695 kilometers (432 mi)

Rivers

Major rivers include:

• Izhma River
• Mezen River
• Pechora River
• Sysola River
• Usa River
• Vashka River
• Vychegda River
• Vym River

Lakes

There are many lakes in the republic. Major lakes include:

• Sindorskoye Lake
• Yam-Ozero Lake

Natural resources

The republic's natural resources include coal, oil, natural gas, gold, diamonds, and timber. Native reindeer are in abundance and have been intentionally bred for human usage by the indigenous population.

Around 32,800 km of mostly boreal forest (as well as some alpine tundra and meadows) in the Republic's Northern Ural Mountains have been recognized in 1995 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Virgin Komi Forests. It is the first natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Russia and the largest expanse of virgin forests in Europe. The site includes two pre-existing protected areas: Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve (created in 1930) and Yugyd Va National Park (created in 1994).

Climate

Winters in the republic are long and cold, and the summers, while short, are quite warm.

• Average January temperature: −17 °C (1 °F) (southern parts) to −20 °C (−4 °F) (northern parts)
• Average July temperature: 11 °C (52 °F) (northern parts) to 15 °C (59 °F) (southern parts)
• Lowest recorded temperature: −58.1 °C (−72.6 °F) (village of Ust-Shchuger)
• Average annual precipitation: 625 mm (24.6 in)

Manpupuner and the 7 Strong Men rock formations

Deemed one of the Seven Wonders of Russia, the Komi Republic is home to Manpupuner (Man-Pupu-Nyer), a mysterious site in the northern Ural mountains, in the Troitsko-Pechorsky District, made out of seven rock towers bursting out of the flat plateau known as the "7 Strong Men". Manpupuner is a very popular attraction in Russia, but not on an international level. Information regarding its origin is scarce. However, it is known that their height and abnormal shapes make the top of these rock giants inaccessible even to experienced rock-climbers.

Administrative divisions

Demographics

Population: 737,853 (2021 Census); 901,189 (2010 Census); 1,018,674 (2002 Census); 1,261,024 (1989 Soviet census).

Settlements

Largest cities or towns in the Komi Republic 2010 Russian Census
	Rank		Administrative Division	Pop.
Ukhta	1	Syktyvkar	City of republic significance of Syktyvkar	235,006	Vorkuta Pechora
	2	Ukhta	Town of republic significance of Ukhta	99,591
	3	Vorkuta	Town of republic significance of Vorkuta	70,548
	4	Pechora	Town of republic significance of Pechora	43,105
	5	Usinsk	Town of republic significance of Usinsk	40,827
	6	Inta	Town of republic significance of Inta	32,080
	7	Sosnogorsk	Town of republic significance of Sosnogorsk	27,757
	8	Yemva	Knyazhpogostsky District	14,570
	9	Vuktyl	Town of republic significance of Vuktyl	12,356
	10	Mikun	Ust-Vymsky District	10,730

Vital statistics

Source: Russian Federal State Statistics Service

Regional vital statistics for 2011

Source:

District	Birth Rate	Death Rate	Natural Growth Rate	Russians as % of Pop	Native Komi and Nenets as % of Pop
Komi Republic	13.0	12.4	0.06%	96.05%	3.95%
Syktyvkar	12.5	10.2	0.23%	97.61%	2.39%
Vorkuta	11.8	9.7	0.21%	92.33%	7.67%
Vuktyl	11.2	12.6	-0.14%	95.27%	4.73%
Inta	11.1	12.6	-0.15%	95.40%	4.60%
Pechora	13.0	13.6	-0.06%	96.89%	3.11%
Sosnogorsk	12.6	14.4	-0.18%	97.02%	2.98%
Usinsk	14.7	9.0	0.57%	86.04%	13.96%
Ukhta	11.0	10.7	0.03%	96.20%	3.80%
Izhemsky	19.1	18.8	0.03%	99.62%	0.38%
Knyazhpogostsky	11.6	15.9	-0.43%	95.50%	4.50%
Koygorodsky	16.2	18.3	-0.21%	97.89%	2.11%
Kortkerossky	16.9	18.6	-0.17%	98.86%	1.14%
Priluzsky	15.6	18.4	-0.28%	98.98%	1.02%
Syktyvdinsky	17.3	13.3	0.40%	98.11%	1.89%
Sysolsky	16.4	17.6	-0.12%	98.37%	1.63%
Troitsko-Pechorsky	14.0	17.9	-0.39%	97.80%	2.20%
Udorsky	15.6	13.1	0.25%	95.33%	4.67%
Ust-Vymsky	12.0	15.8	-0.38%	96.48%	3.52%
Ust-Kulomsky	19.2	18.9	0.03%	98.96%	1.04%
Ust-Tsilemsky	16.1	15.4	0.07%	99.62%	0.38%

Ethnic groups

According to the 2010 Census, ethnic Russians make up 65.1% of the republic's population, while the ethnic Komi make up 23.7%. Other groups include Ukrainians (4.2%), Tatars (1.3%), Belarusians (1%), Ethnic Germans (0.6%), Chuvash (0.6%), Azeris (0.6%), and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population.

Religion

According to a 2012 survey, 30.2% of the population of Komi adheres to the Russian Orthodox Church, 4% are unaffiliated generic Christians, 1% are Rodnovers or Komi native religious believers, 1% are Muslims, 1% are Orthodox Christians not belonging to churches or members of non-Russian Orthodox churches, 1% are Old Believers, and 0.4% are members of the Catholic Church. In addition, 41% of the population declared to be "spiritual but not religious", 14% is atheist, and 6.4% follows other religions or failed to answer the question.

Education

There are over 450 secondary schools in the republic (with ~180,000 students). The most important higher education facilities include Komi Republican Academy of State Service and Administration, Syktyvkar State University and Ukhta State Technical University.

Politics

The head of government in the Komi Republic is the Head of the Republic. As of 2024, the current Head is Rostislav Goldshteyn.

The State Council is the legislature.

Economy

The Komi Republic's major industries include oil processing, timber, woodworking, paper, natural gas and electric power industries. Major industrial centers are Syktyvkar, Inta, Pechora, Sosnogorsk, Ukhta, and Vorkuta.

Komigaz conducts natural gas transportation and distribution. The Yaregskoye oil field is developed by Lukoil.

The petroleum, wood and paper industries made up 94.5% of the Republic’s exports in 2021.

Transportation

Railroad transportation is very well developed. The most important railroad line is Kotlas–Vorkuta–Salekhard, which is used to ship most goods in and out of the republic. The rivers Vychegda and Pechora are navigable. There are airports in Syktyvkar, Ukhta, and Vorkuta.

In 1997, total railroad trackage was 1,708 km, automobile roads 4,677 km.

Sports

Stroitel plays again in the Russian Bandy Super League in the 2017–18 season, after several years in Russian Bandy Supreme League, the second highest division. In 2015 a bandy federation for the republic was founded. In 2016 the authorities presented a five-year plan to develop bandy in the republic. There was an application in place to host the 2021 Bandy World Championship, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then cancelled after many participants pulled out after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

See also

• Komi-Permyak Okrug
• Komi mythology
• Udoria
• Extreme points of Europe
• Valery Leontiev
• List of rural localities in the Komi Republic

References

Notes

1. Президент Российской Федерации. Указ №849 от 13 мая 2000 г. «О полномочном представителе Президента Российской Федерации в федеральном округе». Вступил в силу 13 мая 2000 г. Опубликован: "Собрание законодательства РФ", No. 20, ст. 2112, 15 мая 2000 г. (President of the Russian Federation. Decree #849 of May 13, 2000 On the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in a Federal District. Effective as of May 13, 2000.).
2. Госстандарт Российской Федерации. №ОК 024-95 27 декабря 1995 г. «Общероссийский классификатор экономических регионов. 2. Экономические районы», в ред. Изменения №5/2001 ОКЭР. (Gosstandart of the Russian Federation. #OK 024-95 December 27, 1995 Russian Classification of Economic Regions. 2. Economic Regions, as amended by the Amendment #5/2001 OKER. ).
3. Lw #XII-20/5
4. Komi ASSR. Administrative-Territorial Structure, p. 5
5. Constitution of the Komi Republic, Article 69
6. ^ Constitution, Article 8
7. Official website of the Komi Republic. Sergey Gaplikov Archived June 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
8. "Сведения о наличии и распределении земель в Российской Федерации на 01.01.2019 (в разрезе субъектов Российской Федерации)". Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
9. ^ "Оценка численности постоянного населения по субъектам Российской Федерации". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
10. "26. Численность постоянного населения Российской Федерации по муниципальным образованиям на 1 января 2018 года". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
11. "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
12. Official throughout the Russian Federation according to Article 68.1 of the Constitution of Russia.
13. Constitution of the Komi Republic, Article 67
14. Komi
15. ^ Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1 [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
16. ^ Forsyth, James (September 8, 1994). A History of the Peoples of Siberia: Russia's North Asian Colony 1581-1990. Cambridge University Press. pp. 2–5. ISBN 978-0-521-47771-0.
17. Коми Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика. Great Soviet Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
18. Anne Applebaum, Gulag: A History (Random House, Inc., 2004: ISBN 1-4000-3409-4), pp. 78, 82.
19. "Russia Signs Power-Sharing Treaty with Komi Republic". Jamestown. March 21, 1996. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
20. Chuman, Mizuki. "The Rise and Fall of Power-Sharing Treaties Between Center and Regions in Post-Soviet Russia" (PDF). Demokratizatsiya: 146.
21. Google Earth
22. Walker, T. R., Crittenden, P. D., Dauvalter, V. A., Jones, V., Kuhry, P., Loskutova, O., ... & Pystina, T. (2009). Multiple indicators of human impacts on the environment in the Pechora Basin, north-eastern European Russia. Ecological Indicators, 9(4), 765-779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2008.09.008
23. Walker, T. R., Habeck, J. O., Karjalainen, T. P., Virtanen, T., Solovieva, N., Jones, V., ... & Patova, E. (2006). Perceived and measured levels of environmental pollution: interdisciplinary research in the subarctic lowlands of northeast European Russia. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 35(5), 220-228. https://doi.org/10.1579/06-A-127R.1
24. Russian Federal State Statistics Service. Всероссийская перепись населения 2020 года. Том 1 [2020 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1] (XLS) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
25. Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек [Population of Russia, Its Federal Districts, Federal Subjects, Districts, Urban Localities, Rural Localities—Administrative Centers, and Rural Localities with Population of Over 3,000] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (in Russian).
26. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров [All Union Population Census of 1989: Present Population of Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and Okrugs, Krais, Oblasts, Districts, Urban Settlements, and Villages Serving as District Administrative Centers]. Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики . 1989 – via Demoscope Weekly.
27. "База данных показателей муниципальных образований". www.gks.ru. Archived from the original on April 9, 2013.
28. "Перепись-2010: русских становится больше". Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
29. ^ "Arena: Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia" Archived September 22, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Sreda, 2012.
30. 2012 Arena Atlas Religion Maps. "Ogonek", № 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. Retrieved 21/04/2017. Archived.
31. "Geology and field development - Financial economics of the Arman oil field in Kazakhstan" (PDF). Lukoil. 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
32. "Ренессанс в Коми" [Renaissance in the Komi Republic]. rusbandy.ru. November 28, 2017.
33. "В Коми разработана Стратегия развития хоккея с мячом на "пятилетку"" [Komi has developed a five-year plan for bandy development]. sportrk.ru. March 4, 2016. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
34. "Республика Коми подала заявку на проведение ЧМ-2021 по хоккею с мячом" [Komi Republic bids to host the 2021 Bandy World Championship]. sport.ru. February 4, 2017.
35. "Herrarnas bandy-VM i Ryssland ställs in - ryssarna stängs av från mästerskap i Sverige". March 2022.

Sources

• 17 февраля 1994 г. «Конституция Республики Коми», в ред. Закона №67-РЗ от 23 октября 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в Конституцию Республики Коми». Вступил в силу 10 марта 1994 г. (за исключением отдельных положений). Опубликован: "Красное знамя", №45, 10 марта 1994 г. (February 17, 1994 Constitution of the Komi Republic, as amended by the Law #67-RZ of October 23, 2015 On Amending the Constitution of the Komi Republic. Effective as of March 10, 1994 (with the exception of several clauses).).
• Государственный Совет Республики Коми. Закон №XII-20/5 от 6 июня 1994 г. «О государственном гимне Республики Коми», в ред. Закона №44-РЗ от 4 июля 2006 г «О внесении изменений и дополнения в Закон Республики Коми "О Государственном гимне Республики Коми"pp». Вступил в силу 11 июня 1994 г. (за исключением отдельных положений). Опубликован: "Красное Знамя", No.109, 11 июня 1994 г. (State Council of the Komi Republic. Law #XII-20/5 of June 6, 1994 On the State Anthem of the Komi Republic, as amended by the Law #44-RZ of July 4, 2006 On Amending and Supplementing the Law of the Komi Republic "On the State Anthem of the Komi Republic". Effective as of June 11, 1994 (with the exception of certain clauses).).
• "Коми АССР. Административно-территориальное деление на 1 июля 1968 г." Коми книжное издательство. Сыктывкар, 1968. (Komi ASSR. Administrative-Territorial Structure as of July 1, 1968)

Further reading

• Pearson, M., Ojanen, P., Havimo, M., Kuuluvainen, T. & Vasander, H. (eds.) 2007. On the European Edge: Journey through Komi Nature and Culture. University of Helsinki Department of Forest Ecology Publications 36. 216 pp. ISBN 978-952-10-3898-3.
• Strogoff, M., Brochet, P. & Auzias, D. 2005. Guidebook Komi Republic. Avant-Garde Publishers, Moscow. 176 pp. ISBN 5-86394-255-X.

External links

• (in Russian) Official site of the Republic of Komi Archived September 30, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
• (in Russian) All news of the Republic of Komi
• (in Russian) Website of Syktyvkar City - The Capital of the Republic of Komi
• (in Russian) Official website of the Vorkuta City
• Official site of the Syktyvkar State University)
• (in Russian) Official site of the Syktyvkar State University)
• (in Russian) Official site of the Ukhta State Technical University
• (in Russian) Snowboarding in Komi Republic
• (in Russian) History Komi
• Historic-demographic note on the Nenets of the Komi Republic Archived March 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
• Virgin Komi Forests at Natural Heritage Protection Fund

v t e Administrative divisions of the Komi Republic
Capital: Syktyvkar • Rural localities
	Administrative districts	Izhemsky Knyazhpogostsky Kortkerossky Koygorodsky Priluzsky Syktyvdinsky Sysolsky Troitsko-Pechorsky Udorsky Ust-Kulomsky Ust-Tsilemsky Ust-Vymsky
	Cities and towns	Inta Mikun Pechora Sosnogorsk Syktyvkar Ukhta Usinsk Vorkuta Vuktyl Yemva
	Urban-type settlements	Blagoyevo Borovoy Izyayu Komsomolsky Kozhva Kozhym Krasnozatonsky Mezhdurechensk Mulda Nizhny Odes Oktyabrsky Parma Promyshlenny Puteyets Sedkyrkeshch Severny Shudayag Sindor Troitsko-Pechorsk Usogorsk Verkhnyaya Inta Verkhnyaya Maksakovka Vodny Vorgashor Voyvozh Yarega Yeletsky Zapolyarny Zheshart

• Komi Republic
• States and territories established in 1936
• Members of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
• Regions of Europe with multiple official languages
• Republics of Russia