Susuman is a city in Russia, the administrative center of the
Susuman region and the corresponding urban district of the Magadan
region of Russia. The city of regional significance, until 2015
formed the urban settlement of the city of Susuman. Located on
the banks of the Berelykh River (Kolyma basin).
In June 1977,
a mammoth named Dima was found in the Susuman region in the valley
of the Kirgilyakh stream.
The name of the city comes from the name of the Susuman river, the left tributary of the Berelyokh - Kuhuman in Even, huguman means "snowstorm", "drift", "wind" - "windy" river.
For the first time, the Kukhuman River was mentioned
in the works of N.M.Beryozkin, who passed through this area in 1901.
The modern spelling of the river "Susuman" (a hydronym from the
Even kuhuman "snowstorm, snow, wind") first appeared on the route
map of the astronomer-geodesist KA Salishchev in 1929. In the 1930s,
geological exploration parties of the Dalstroy trust were often used
by the way through the valley of the Susuman River.
In 1932,
a schlich analysis of samples taken by the party of geologist E. T.
Shatalov in the Susuman valley was carried out, which showed that
there is placer gold in the basins of the Susuman and Berelekh
rivers. In the same year, at the mouth of the Evrashkalakh stream,
the right tributary of the Susuman river in its lower course, on a
large dry larch, Shatalov made a paddle with the inscription: "City
of Susumansk", as if foreseeing the future of this place. Later, the
results of Shatalin confirmed the geological parties of K. A.
Shakhvarstova, Kh. I. Kalugin, A. L. Lisovsky.
In the late
summer of 1936, in search of rich hayfields, prisoners from the
Elgen state farm of Dalstroy entered the valley of the Susuman
River, where a new camp with a state farm estate was laid. Thus, the
Susuman camp, named after the Susuman River, became the first
enterprise to settle in the valley.
Since 1937, by the forces
of the GULAG prisoners, active construction of the village began,
which continued during the war years.
In August 1937, on the
basis of the GULAG camp, the first gold-mining enterprise of the
region was organized - the Maldyak mine.
In 1938, the Western
Mining Administration (GPU) "Dalstroy" was organized with the center
in the village of Susuman, which included three already existing
mines: "Maldyak", "Udarnik" and "Stakhanovets". Then the Chai-Urya,
Kontrandya, Linkovy and Kuranakh mines were organized. Since that
time, Susuman has become the center of the mining industry in the
western region of the Magadan region.
In 1957, the Western
GPU was abolished and all the mines were transferred to the
subordination of the branch GPU of the Magadan Economic Council, and
3 years later the Susuman GPU was created to manage the mines
operating at the sites of the Susuman region. On January 1, 1970,
the Susumanskiy GPU was reorganized, calling it the Susumanskiy
mining and processing plant (SGOK, SuGOK).
SuGOK was awarded
the Order of the October Revolution by the Decree of the Presidium
of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in 1971 for the early fulfillment
of the tasks of the five-year plan for gold mining, as well as the
improvement of the organization of the production process and the
introduction of new technology. 6 years later, in 1977, SuGOK was
divided into 2 enterprises: Susumansky GOK and Berelekhsky GOK.
From 1937 to 1999, the Susumans mined 1,052 tons of gold.
In 1939, the newspaper "Miner of the North" was founded in the
village.
From 1949 to 1956, the administration of one of the
largest Soviet GULAG camps, Zaplag, was located in Susuman.
On December 12, 1964, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme
Soviet of the RSFSR, signed by Chairman of the Presidium of the
Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR N. Ignatov and Secretary S. Orlov, the
working settlement of Susuman, Susuman Rural District of Magadan
Region, was transformed into a city of regional subordination. The
first meeting of the Susuman City Council of Working People's
Deputies took place on December 30, 1964. A member of the CPSU, NS
Ivanov, was elected chairman of the City Council.
The
industrial environment of Susuman was made up of several large
enterprises: SuGOK, a repair and mechanical plant (SRMZ) - the
oldest enterprise in the city, created on the basis of repair shops
and located in the Zarechye region, a building materials plant
(brick plant), a brewery, a bakery and a meat and dairy plant ...
The city opened 5 secondary schools, kindergartens "Romashka",
"Firefly", "Chaika", a music school, a mining college, a hospital,
and a polyclinic. There were two cinemas - the wooden Taiga and the
stone Luch, built in the 1950s and 1970s, respectively, and three
houses of culture. The first house of culture was built in 1940 at
the initiative of the head of the Western Mining and Industrial
Administration A.P. Senatov.
Within the city there was a
state farm "Susuman", which arose in 1937 on the banks of a small
river Talon, which provided the population of the region with
vegetables and animal products. In the microdistrict Berelekh was
located one of the largest motor depots in the region - No. 5,
organized by order for "Dalstroy" in 1937 on the 646th kilometer of
the Kolyma highway. The car park then consisted of three units, and
there were nine employees.
In order to implement the decision to increase the production of
automotive vehicles in the northern version, by order of the
Minister of the Automotive Industry of the USSR No. 226 dated July
14, 1971, it was envisaged to create a permanent northern automobile
testing station (SAIS) in the North of the USSR. The city of Susuman
was chosen to host this station.
The first cubic meters of
soil were dug out in 1976, and at the same time the first piles were
driven under the foundation of SAIS, the objects of which were then
built by the Susuman Construction Department, using progressive
construction technology in permafrost regions; in December 1981, the
state commission accepted the SAIS into operation. Almost all car
factories in the country that produce cars and trucks have
cooperated with SAIS.
In the first year of Susuman's
existence as a city, a local bus service was organized on a
schedule, connecting the city center, Zarechye, Berelekh, Yasnaya
Polyana and the food processing plant. In addition to this, a taxi
was organized in Volga cars. Also, Susuman, located at the Kolyma
highway, has a constant external bus connection: with Magadan,
Ust-Nero, and with many villages in the region.
The first
coat of arms of the city of Susuman was adopted by the Executive
Committee of the Susuman District Council of Working People's
Deputies on March 1, 1974.
The city has an airport of local
airlines, flights from which connect Susuman with the regional
center. The runway of the airfield allows servicing such aircraft as
An-24, Yak-40. In 2020, the use of less powerful aircraft, such as
TVS-2MS and An-28, was noted.
The climate of the
area is assessed as severe, the average annual temperature is minus
11.9 ° С. According to the Köppen climate classification, Susuman is
dominated by a humid continental climate with dry winters and warm
summers (Dwb index). The transition of daily temperatures through 0
° С towards a decrease occurs already at the end of the second,
beginning of the third decade of September. Usually the coldest
month is January. The coldest period of winter is late December -
mid January. At this time, in addition to general radiation cooling,
stagnation of cold air masses occurs. These factors are complemented
by the high-latitude position and elevation of Susuman relative to
sea level by 650 m. As a result, local areas of extremely low air
temperature are formed here, which can reach -63 ° C, and in some
places up to -67 ° C. There is much less rainfall in winter than in
summer.
The absolute minimum of minus 60.6 ° С was recorded
on January 6, 1971, the absolute maximum - + 35 ° С - was recorded
on July 27, 2010.