Leninabad region, Tajikistan: districts and cities

The modern Sughd region of Tajikistan, the administrative center of which is the city of Khujand, until 1991 was called the Leninabad region of Tajikistan, its regional center was called Leninabad.

Geographical position

The situation, from the point of view of political geography, which occupies the Leninabad region (Tajikistan), is estimated as profitable, despite the fact that the region has no access to the sea. Nevertheless, the development and prosperity of Khujand was facilitated by its geographical location. He is the only city that stretches on the bank of the largest river of Central Asia - the Syr Darya - and was at the intersection of the Great Silk Road. This contributed to the development of trade relations with the developed countries of the East and West in the old days.

Leninabad region (Sughd) is surrounded by mountain ranges of Tien Shan and Gissar-Altai. From the north lie the Kuramin range and Mogoltau mountains, in the south - the Turkestan range and the Zeravshan mountains. Borders with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Between the Kuramin and Turkestan ranges is the western region of the Ferghana Valley, on which the area is located.

On its territory are two rivers. The largest Syr Darya and Zeravshan in Central Asia, which originates from a mountain glacier bearing the same name. Both Zeravshan and its tributaries have good food from the melting of glaciers, large hydropower reserves. Used to irrigate the plains.

History of Khujand

Khudzhand for thousands of years was the center of civilization in Central Asia. The location of the city contributed to its rapid development and prosperity. Ancestor of the oldest cities, such as Samarkand, Khiva, Bukhara, he made an important contribution to the development of this region of Central Asia.

Through it passed the Great Silk Road. Khujand merchants, returning from distant countries, brought not only overseas goods, but also knowledge. The city flourished, agriculture and livestock were the main occupation of the inhabitants of the surrounding settlements. Crafts developed in him. Trade took a special place.

A rich eastern city, it has repeatedly been invaded by invaders, who dreamed of conquering and plundering it. But history preserved the testimony of the conquest of the province by the armies of Alexander the Great, who preserved the city and contributed to its development. He received the new name Alexandria Eshata (Extreme).

The invasion of the Mongol-Tatars completely erased him from the face of the Earth. But the city was again restored. This was facilitated by his favorable location.

As part of the Russian Empire

Centuries passed, the city gradually stopped in development and began to play an insignificant, provincial role in the life of Central Asia. The leading position was occupied by Samarkand, Bukhara, Kokand. The population worked in agriculture, and only a small part traded in crafts, in particular weaving silk fabrics.

In 1866 Khujand was conquered by the Russian army and incorporated into the Russian Empire. The construction of the railway has breathed new life into it. It became the center of the intersection of roads connecting the Fergana, Zeravshan valleys and the Tashkent oasis.

Workers of railway workers, engineers for the construction and servicing of railway stations were sent to the city. Together with them doctors and teachers came. A school and a hospital were opened. Small handicraft industrial enterprises appeared. This was facilitated by natural resources, in particular oil, non-ferrous metals.

In the USSR

Despite the considerable development of the city, it remained a backward margin of the Russian Empire with small handicraft enterprises, mainly weaving. The greatest flourishing of Leninabad region has reached the USSR. New enterprises were being built, old ones were reconstructed. Qualified personnel came to the region: engineers, workers, doctors, teachers, scientists who studied natural resources. Schools, hospitals, vocational schools were opened, which trained new personnel, including those from the local population.

The city of Khujand was renamed Leninabad. It became an administrative center, the district consisted of 8 cities with developed infrastructure and industry. On the territory of the region began to mine coal, oil, zinc, lead, tungsten, molybdenum, antimony and mercury. The largest mining and processing enterprises were built. In Leninabad was built a large combine of silk fabrics.

More than a third of the entire industrial output of the republic was given by the Leninabad region. The Tajik SSR in her person received an industrial and economic leader.

Cities of Leninabad (Sugd) region

Thanks to the settlements located on its territory, the leading positions in the economy of Tajikistan were occupied by the Leninabad region. The cities included in its composition had large industrial enterprises, some of them were unique.

In total, the region consisted of 8 cities, including Leninabad. Many of them have an ancient history and played a significant role in earlier years. Most of the cities were the industrial backbone of the Leninabad region:

• Istaravshan (Ura-Tube). It is located in the foothills of the Turkestan Range in 78 kilometers from the regional center. Resides in it 63 thousand people.
• The city of Isfara, is located in the foothills of the Turkestan range on the Isfara River. There are 43 thousand people.
• Kayrakum (Khojent). It is located in the territory of the Karakum reservoir. There are 43 thousand people.
• The city of Penjikent is located on the Zarafshan River, at an altitude of 900 meters above sea level. The population is 36.5 thousand people.

Khujand

Leninabad, modern Khujand, one of the most beautiful cities in the Ferghana Valley. Framed by mountain spurs, flooded with sun, drowning in gardens and flowers, it is a real oasis. The Syr Darya and the Karakum reservoir make its climate mild, and the southern heat is easily transferred. The mountains protect it from hot desert winds in summer and from cold winters.

The city of Leninabad and Leninabad region occupied one of the leading positions in the economy of the Tajik SSR, which contributed to their prosperity. Infrastructure of the city was developing. New residential areas, schools, hospitals, kindergartens, palaces of culture, sports facilities were built. The city opened a pedagogical institute, many technical schools and colleges. To improve the transport supply, trolleybus lines were laid.

Much attention was paid to monuments of architecture, restoration work was carried out. In the vicinity of the city archaeological excavations were carried out. The Museum of History and Local Lore, the theater of musical comedy was opened. The Botanical Garden of the Academy of the Tajik SSR was founded.

Leninabad became the industrial center of Central Asia. A large number of large enterprises worked: a combine of silk fabrics, a grenade, a cotton gin, a glass container, an electrotechnical plant, a dairy and canning plants, and much more.

Taboshar Town

On the territory of the region is a small cozy town Taboshar. The Leninabad region (Tajikistan) has several such towns and villages, which had an important strategic significance for the USSR. Next to Taboshar there are rich deposits of polymetallic ores containing mainly zinc and lead, along with silver, gold, copper, bismuth and a number of other metals were extracted from them.

Nearby there is a "tailing dump" - burial of wastes of processing of ores. Here, more than 20 years, extracted uranium, which was processed in neighboring Chkalovsk. In the city since 1968 the plant "Star of the East" operated, where they produced parts and engines for strategic missiles. Now they are mothballed, since with the collapse of the USSR most of the inhabitants moved to Russia and other countries. The city was inhabited by deported citizens from Western Ukraine, the Baltic states and Volga Germans.

The town for today has only 13.5 thousand inhabitants, most of whom are unemployed. Once it was a crowded, cozy and beautiful town with blackberry bushes, flowers in the front gardens, and in the spring the city was buried in a haze of flowering apricots, over which butterflies and dragonflies circled.

Chkalovsk

The Leninabad Mining and Chemical Combine, built in 1946, gave birth to a city called Chkalovsk. Leninabad region received another city in its composition. Today there live about 21 thousand people. After the collapse of the USSR, about 80% of its former residents left the settlement.

The plant gave rise not only to the city, but also to the first atomic reactor and the first Soviet atomic bomb, which was stuffed with enriched uranium obtained at the plant. Raw materials came from all the deposits of Central Asia and the Fergana Valley, which were many.

On the site of the city a cozy village was built, in which the builders and workers of the plant lived. With its development, the settlement also grew, which was given the status of the city in 1956. In Chkalovsk there were the best schools, kindergartens, polyclinics, cinemas and even two theaters.

Drowning in greenery and flowers, with a developed infrastructure - this city was remembered by its inhabitants, who left it. The state of the current Buston, this name has received in our time, leaves much to be desired. Once powerful enterprises do not work, houses do not always have water, often turn off electricity, which forces the remaining residents to leave their place of residence.

Districts of Leninabad region

The geographical location of the Leninabad region, the Syr Darya and Zarafshan rivers , the Karakum reservoir created favorable conditions for farming. Throughout the territory of the area there are gardens and fields, on which a large number of vegetables are grown. Even in Soviet times plants for processing fruit and vegetable products were built here. There are 14 agricultural districts in the region. Below is a list of areas and number of residents (thousands of people):

• Aininsky - 76.9;
• Asht - 151.6;
• Bobo-Gafurovsky - 347.4;
• Devastich - 154.3;
• Gorno-Matchinsky-22.8;
• Jabbar-Rasulovsky - 125.0;
• Zafarabad - 67.4;
• Istaravshan - 185.6;
• Isfara - 204,5;
• Kanibadamsky - 146.3;
• Matchinsky - 113.4;
• Penjikent - 231.2;
• Spitamensky - 128.7;
• Shahristansky - 38,5.

The leading position in the processing of livestock products in the republic was occupied by the Leninabad Oblast, the regions of which were engaged in the production of milk, meat - this is the main orientation of livestock. In the foothills, they cultivate goats and rams. Much attention is paid to cotton cultivation.

Khojent district

Renaming did not pass by and the biggest, Khojent district. The Leninabad region became the Sughd region, the city of Leninabad is called Khujand, the Khojent district was named Bobo-Gafurovsky. Its administrative center is Gafurov settlement.

The region is located in the Fergana Valley and is the most developed and large agricultural area in Leninabad (Sughd region). In the north, its border passes with the Tashkent region, in the south - with Kyrgyzstan. On the territory there is a large ginning plant and small food enterprises.

The area adjoins the regional center, therefore it is oriented to agricultural production. It supplies Khujand residents with vegetables and fruits, which are large in the region, as well as with milk and meat.