Mys Shmidta

This article is about the settlement. For the headland, see Cape Schmidt.
Mys Shmidta (English)
Мыс Шмидта (Russian)
-  Urban-type settlement[1]  -


Mys Shmidta during winter


Location of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in Russia
Mys Shmidta
Location of Mys Shmidta in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Coordinates: 68°52′06″N 179°22′24″W / 68.86833°N 179.37333°W / 68.86833; -179.37333Coordinates: 68°52′06″N 179°22′24″W / 68.86833°N 179.37333°W / 68.86833; -179.37333
Administrative status (as of June 2012)
Country Russia
Federal subject Chukotka Autonomous Okrug[1]
Administrative district Iultinsky District[1]
Municipal status (as of October 2010)
Municipal district Iultinsky Municipal District[2]
Urban settlement Mys Shmidta Urban Settlement[2]
Administrative center of Mys Shmidta Urban Settlement[2]
Statistics
Area (urban settlement) (October 2010) 137.81 km2 (53.21 sq mi)[2]
Population (2010 Census) 492 inhabitants[3]
Population (January 2014 est.) 238 inhabitants[4]
Density 4/km2 (10/sq mi)[5]
Time zone PETT (UTC+12:00)[6]
Founded 1931[7]
Urban-type settlement status since 1962[7]
Postal code(s)[8] 689350
Dialing code(s) +7 42739[9]

Mys Shmidta (Russian: Мыс Шми́дта, lit. Cape Schmidt) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Iultinsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located about 5 kilometers (3 mi) southeast of the cape of the same name on the shore of the Chukchi Sea (a part of the Arctic Ocean), south of Wrangel Island, about 650 kilometers (400 mi) from Anadyr, the administrative center of the autonomous okrug. The cape, but not the settlement, was formerly known as North Cape (or Cape North). Cape Billings is located to the west of it and Cape Vankarem is to the east. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 492;[3] down from 705 recorded in the 2002 Census.[10]

It was founded in 1931[7] as a part of the Soviet Union's development of its Arctic air defenses. Changes in the manner in which national defenses are constructed in recent decades have led to a decline in the settlement's importance, although it remains Chukotka's most important main northern sea port after Pevek.

Geography

View of Cape Schmidt from the Chukchi Sea
Main article: Cape Schmidt

The settlement is positioned on a spit which separates the Akatan Lagoon from the open sea and protects the airport from the full effects of the Arctic Ocean. A little distance to the northwest is the cape from which the settlement gets its name and just beyond this lies the rural Chukchi locality of Ryrkaypiy. Cape Yakan is located further to the west.

History

Cape North, as Cape Schmidt was then called,[11] was first reached by James Cook in 1778 when he sailed through the Bering Strait and into the Chukchi Sea, demonstrating to people in Europe and North America that Russia and Alaska were separated.[12]

The modern settlement was founded in 1931[7] as a part of the Soviet Union's attempts to develop the extreme northeast of the country. The settlement itself, its airport, and the nearby cape were all named after Otto Schmidt, with Mys Shmidta forming the central base for the enterprises involved in the mining of tin and gold.[13] The surrounding area from Tiksi and Pevek to Nordvik and Maria Pronchishcheva Bay experienced a comparative boom as the first icebreakers began carrying goods and people along the Northern Sea Route.

In 1954, the airfield was developed as part of the plan to create a ring of the Soviet Air Force 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.[14] The northern parts of the Soviet Union closest to the United States are in the Arctic, with hostile weather conditions.[14] 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.[14]

In 1962, Mys Shmidta was granted urban-type settlement status.[7]

The focus on intercontinental ballistic missiles as opposed to bombers meant that the airfield became less important and eventually closed for military use in the early 1990s. Around the same time, mining on an industrial scale also ceased. These two events caused a major outflow of people, as illustrated in the table below.

Demographic changes
1970 1979 1989 2002 2010
1,818 3,307[15] 4,587[16] 705[10] 492[3]

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Mys Shmidta is directly subordinated to Iultinsky District.[1] As a municipal division, the urban-type settlement of Mys Shmidta is incorporated within Iultinsky Municipal District as Mys Shmidta Urban Settlement.[2]

Climate

The overall climate of Shmidtovsky District is more severe than in neighboring Alaska and varies significantly throughout the year. The settlement, by the very nature of its position, is at the mercy of Arctic conditions, which leave it stranded throughout the winter and can pose a danger to shipping during the brief summer as supply ships try to make their delivery. The importance attached to the summer months from a logistical standpoint was well illustrated in 1983, when winter set in earlier than predicted and resulted in Mys Shmidta and a number of other coastal ports in the Russian Far East shutting early due to ice.[17] Although unloading was delayed due to ice for a fortnight, the first supply ship convoy to Mys Shmidta arrived as planned.[18] However, a severe drop in temperature through August, much earlier than usual, caused a significantly greater concentration of ice in the De Long Strait and strong northerly winds forcing the semi-permanent Ayon ice sheet onto the northern coast of Chukotka.[17] By October, the ice had thickened to such a degree that a convoy of ships, including the freighter Nina Sagaydak, Kamensk-Uralsky, together with the icebreakers Kapitan Sorokin and Vladivostok, was held fast by October in sea ice about half way between Mys Shmidta and Vankarem.[18] This proved chaotic with several ships drifting freely in the ice, hulls grinding against one another.[17] Although the ships eventually separated, the damage cause to the Nina Sagaydak proved too severe and she sank; the first ship to be sunk by ice in Soviet waters since the Vitimles in 1963.[17] The remaining ships were freed by icebreakers and towed to the edge of the sea ice. This situation placed great strain on the settlement's resources as it struggled to deal with such a large amount of shipping and the associated problem of how to store a much larger than usual quantity of cargo, much of which was not intended to be frozen, while authorities readied the winter snow roads.[17]

Climate data for Mys Shmidta
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 9.8
(49.6)		 5.2
(41.4)		 8.9
(48)		 8.1
(46.6)		 16.1
(61)		 28.3
(82.9)		 30.0
(86)		 29.2
(84.6)		 22.7
(72.9)		 11.9
(53.4)		 8.6
(47.5)		 6.9
(44.4)		 30
(86)
Average high °C (°F) −22.6
(−8.7)		 −22.4
(−8.3)		 −19.4
(−2.9)		 −13.0
(8.6)		 −2.0
(28.4)		 5.7
(42.3)		 8.7
(47.7)		 7.4
(45.3)		 3.2
(37.8)		 −4.4
(24.1)		 −11.9
(10.6)		 −19.4
(−2.9)		 −7.51
(18.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) −25.6
(−14.1)		 −25.7
(−14.3)		 −23.6
(−10.5)		 −17.1
(1.2)		 −5.1
(22.8)		 2.2
(36)		 4.8
(40.6)		 3.9
(39)		 0.6
(33.1)		 −7.0
(19.4)		 −14.9
(5.2)		 −22.3
(−8.1)		 −10.82
(12.53)
Average low °C (°F) −29.1
(−20.4)		 −29.2
(−20.6)		 −27.2
(−17)		 −21.4
(−6.5)		 −8.2
(17.2)		 −0.3
(31.5)		 2.1
(35.8)		 1.7
(35.1)		 −1.5
(29.3)		 −9.9
(14.2)		 −18.1
(−0.6)		 −25.6
(−14.1)		 −13.89
(6.99)
Record low °C (°F) −45.7
(−50.3)		 −46.1
(−51)		 −45.7
(−50.3)		 −39.0
(−38.2)		 −32.5
(−26.5)		 −11.3
(11.7)		 −4.7
(23.5)		 −7.1
(19.2)		 −17.8
(0)		 −37.0
(−34.6)		 −39.6
(−39.3)		 −45.4
(−49.7)		 −46.1
(−51)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 14
(0.55)		 14
(0.55)		 8
(0.31)		 11
(0.43)		 15
(0.59)		 17
(0.67)		 31
(1.22)		 40
(1.57)		 36
(1.42)		 31
(1.22)		 27
(1.06)		 18
(0.71)		 262
(10.3)
Average rainy days 0 0.1 0.1 0.4 4 11 16 18 14 3 1 0.2 67.8
Average snowy days 16 15 14 16 15 4 1 1 8 20 20 17 147
Average relative humidity (%) 84 83 83 85 88 87 87 89 88 85 86 85 85.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 4 55 173 254 208 256 233 133 83 55 9 0 1,463
Source #1: pogoda.ru.net[19]
Source #2: NOAA (sun only, 1961–1990)[20]

Economy

Mys Shmidta, 1961. The first recovered image from the Corona spy satellite (note that north is roughly toward the bottom of the picture).

The settlement is populated mostly by indigenous people, whose economy is driven mainly by reindeer herding and low level gold mining. However, there is little mining done in the vicinity of Mys Shmidta.[21]

There remains a meteorological station in Mys Shmidta.

Transportation

Port

The port at Mys Shmidta is generally open between July and September, although the waters surrounding the port are shallow which limits the type of ships that can serve the area. The port is operated by the Russian firm Almazzoloto.[22]

Though it has shrunk since the days of the Cold War, Mys Shmidta is still the main northern sea port in Chukotka along with Pevek.[23] Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, imports all but ceased in the early to mid-1990s, although in 1991 Mys Shmidta, importing nearly 30,000 tons of mainly American fuel, dealt with significantly more cargo than ports such as Pevek. The decline in the overall volume of cargo passing through Mys Shmidta continued throughout the 1990s, with less than 50,000 tons being handled in 1997 and just over 1,000 tons the following year,[23] This is in part due to the declining economy of the region, which has caused a fall in investment in the port infrastructure, which, in turn, limits the maximum potential turnover of the port.

It is difficult to see where future cargo exports might come from.[23] While gold is mined in Bilibino,[23] with lower-level mining maintained at Iultin and Polyarny, these activities do not produce significant cargo volumes for the northern sea route, nor does the extraction of any other minerals in the area. Although part of the Northern Sea Route's series of ports, Mys Shmidta, as a port, will be dominated by imports of food and coal for the settlement and the surrounding rural localities.

A federal government decision in 1997 led to the establishment of an emergency radio station in Mys Shmidta as well as other northern Sea route ports to specifically monitor distress and salvage frequencies.[24]

Air transport

Ilyushin Il-18 taking off from the Mys Shmidta Airport

Immediately to the southwest of the settlement is the Mys Shmidta Airport. It is now employed solely for civilian usage providing flights to Anadyr. Flights are provided by Chukotavia.

Roads

Mys Shmidta is not connected to any other part of Chukotka by permanent road. Transport must either be by air or along unpaved roads. One such unpaved road is linking Mys Shmidta with Egvekinot.[21] There is also a 435-kilometer (270 mi) road between Mys Shmidta and Komsomolsky, of which 235 kilometers (146 mi) is unpaved and the remaining 199 kilometers (124 mi) is a snow road.[21]

Tourism

Mys Shmidta is the starting point for any tourist wishing to explore Wrangel Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The nature reserve's headquarters are based in Mys Shmidta.[25]

See also

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Directive #517-rp
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Law #149-OZ
  3. 1 2 3 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 (2010 All-Russia Population Census) (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  4. ↑ Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Territorial Branch of the Federal State Statistics Service. Численность постоянного населения Чукотского автономного округа по муниципальным образованиям на 1 января 2014 года (Russian)
  5. ↑ The value of density was calculated automatically by dividing the 2010 Census population by the area specified in the infobox. Please note that this value may not be accurate as the area specified in the infobox does not necessarily correspond to the area of the entity proper or is reported for the same year as the population.
  6. ↑ Правительство Российской Федерации. Федеральный закон №107-ФЗ от 3 июня 2011 г. «Об исчислении времени», в ред. Федерального закона №248-ФЗ от 05 апреля 2016 г. «О внесении изменений в Федеральный закон "Об исчислении времени"». Вступил в силу по истечении шестидесяти дней после дня официального опубликования (6 августа 2011 г.). Опубликован: "Российская газета", №120, 6 июня 2011 г. (Government of the Russian Federation. Federal Law #107-FZ of June 31, 2011 On Calculating Time, as amended by the Federal Law #248-FZ of April 05, 2016 On Amending Federal Law "On Calculating Time". Effective as of after sixty days following the day of the official publication.).
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Russian Academy of Sciences. Institute of Geography. Information about Mys Shmidta (Russian)
  8. ↑ Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (Russian)
  9. ↑ Futé, p. 31
  10. 1 2 Russian 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 [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian). Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  11. ↑ Beaglehole, p. 621
  12. ↑ Serreze & Barry, p. 5
  13. ↑ Leontyev & Novikova, p. 262
  14. 1 2 3 Globalsecurity.org. Mys Shmidta
  15. ↑ "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 г. Национальный состав населения по регионам России. (All Union Population Census of 1979. Ethnic composition of the population by regions of Russia.)". Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 года (All-Union Population Census of 1979) (in Russian). Demoscope Weekly (website of the Institute of Demographics of the State University—Higher School of Economics. 1979. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
  16. ↑ Demoscope Weekly (1989). "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 [All-Union Population Census of 1989] (in Russian). Институт демографии Национального исследовательского университета: Высшая школа экономики [Institute of Demography at the National Research University: Higher School of Economics]. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 Barr & Wilson
  18. 1 2 Martyshin
  19. ↑ "Weather And Climate – Climate Cape Schmidt" (in Russian). Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Climate Normals for Cape Smidta". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  21. 1 2 3 Fute, p. 141ff
  22. ↑ Ragner, p. 87
  23. 1 2 3 4 Ragner, pp. 37–38
  24. ↑ Ivanov et al.
  25. ↑ United Nations Environment Programme. Natural System Of Wrangel Island Reserve, Chukotka, Russian Federation, p. 7

Sources

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