The Northern Port on the Yenisei

Igarka is a very important port in the lower reaches of the Yenisei. It is located in the Krasnodar Territory, which since 1928 and to this day remains the main northern point for ships from around the world.

Country record holder

The Yenisei River is the pride of Russia. Each inhabitant of the country uses the epithet "father" together with the name of this reservoir. It belongs to the second place in the area of basins in the Russian Federation and the seventh among the largest systems of the world. This blue ribbon flows from the south to the north and divides Siberia by its channel to the west and east.

The channel takes its beginning from the outlet of the Big and Small Yenisei, in the capital of the Republic of Tyva - Kyzyl. Finish the river for 3487 km from this point, under the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Today this system is a strategically important object for navigation of Russia. The waterway has a dozen modern marinas. The northernmost port on the Yenisei, Igarka, accepts even sea vessels.

The secret of the name

In ancient times, different nations respected the greatness of this stream. Each of the tribes that lived on the banks of the pond, called the current similar names. For example, the Evenks gave him the name "ene", which translated as "big water".

Ket, who lived in these territories later, adopted this name. But according to their rules, it was necessary to add a geographical term to the name. Therefore, the native word "ene" (that is, the "river") was joined by the native "ses" (which also sounds like "big water"). As a result, the name "Eneses" was obtained, which in the exact translation from two different dialects means "river river".

In the XVI century, no one knew that there would be a large port on the Yenisei. People who lived on these shores, engaged only in fishing.

Discoverers

The Cossacks started using the river as a waterway. Then came the first written mention of it, which date back to the end of the XVI century. In 1601 Kondraty Kurochkin made a detailed description of this reservoir.

In his work, he noted that the channel is suitable not only for fishing, but also for navigation. After this, settlements began to appear on the banks of the river one by one. Within a few years, cities have emerged that still exist. The most famous are Yeniseisk and Krasnoyarsk. There, the ports of the Yenisei River were formed.

For many years shipping has been actively developing. By the beginning of the 20th century, 26 steamers were launched on the river. But on the waves there were not only commercial and cargo ships. On holidays on the water swim excursion vessels, which were intended to familiarize all who wish with monuments of local nature.

The Cossacks can be thanked not only for the start of the shipping business in this basin, but also for the introduction of the name that contemporaries use to this day. Later, the local name "Yenese" began to sound in Russian as "Yenisei".

The main myth of the city

The first port on the Yenisei was built already under the leadership of a new, Soviet government. Parking for ships is located in the village of Igarka.

The history of this settlement is very closely connected with water. Thanks to this element, the town received its name. According to one version, this land acquired its name in honor of the strait on which it is located.

The reservoir, in turn, is named for the local fisherman Egor Shiryaev. The man had the glory of a skillful hunter and a man of luck. Neighbors with love called the peasant Igarka. To the glory of the clever fisherman lived on, his nickname was called the strait. And although there is no documentary evidence of this version, local people are very fond of this legend.

This land first appeared on the map in 1725. In detail the straits were drawn by the forwarders Fedor Minin and Khariton Laptev in the 1740s. At that time there were only a few yards on the territory.

The way to fame

More than 150 years later, namely in 1876, mankind began to develop the Northern Sea Route. Ships that arrived, unloaded the goods directly to the shore, which at that time served as an improvised port on the Yenisei. In addition, the places where the vessels were moored were of little use for the transportation of cargo, so also these operations took place in different territories. Often during the transfer, the goods were lost in the water. There were cases when the captains, without waiting for the river caravans and barges, sailed.

The construction of the port, which could take different ships, was necessary. In 1923, they made their first attempts to implement the plan. First the wharf tried to organize in Ust-Port. During the operation, the sailors realized that this place was uncomfortable.

Later they planned to start work in the Angutinsky channel. But these plans were broken by the captain of the steamer "Tobol" PF Ocheretko, who proposed to build the northern port on the Yenisei in the Igarka channel.

From the village to the national wharf

This decision was not spontaneous. The sailor knew these waters well and measured the depth in advance. The results he received were sent to Sibvodput.

Then the engineers started to work. They studied the strait for a long time and gave positive feedback. Having thoroughly studied the future project, the specialists were allowed to build near the town of Igarka.

June 15, 1929, the authorities gave the official permission for the construction. The project was part of the plan of the Soviet Five-Year Plan, which fell out for 1928-1932. This was the first large timber export port on the Yenisei.

After the start of construction work, the population increased. Already in 1931, the number of residents reached 3000. It was then the point gave the status of the city. To develop new areas, political, military and other prisoners were sent to these lands. It was their forces that built new objects. The quay was active, with every year the volume of traffic increased. Vessels from more than 20 different countries moored on this shore. Then the city port on the Yenisey received the glory of the sea gate leading to Europe.

Decline period

Despite the fact that the pier started as a timber export facility, in the USSR there were grandiose plans for this territory. In 1956, the authorities developed a large-scale plan for the reconstruction of the city. This point was to become not only a maritime center, but also an industrial one.

In 1962, a misfortune happened in Igarka. A terrible fire burned hundreds of buildings to the ground. Nevertheless, everything was restored from scratch.

Dozens of wood processing plants worked on the territory of the city. Their products attracted even more foreign vessels. In the best of times, the sea port on the Yenisei could immediately receive about 25 large cargo ships. The rest of the production was sent by alloy with the flow.

By the volume of work Igarka yielded only to another shipping city - Arkhangelsk.

Now the turnover of this item has curtailed. By 2015, the population barely reaches 5000, whereas in 1989 this figure was almost 20,000.

Despite this, Igarka can interest tourists.

The pilgrimage site

The Permafrost Museum will help to look behind the scenes, which is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. This is the only complex in the world that has a dungeon in the thickness of the permafrost soil.

Back in 1930 on the territory where today the complex is located, there was a scientific laboratory. Many years later, on March 19, 1965, one of the halls of the center was opened for a public visit. This happened on the initiative of Doctor of Mineralogy Alexander Pchelintsev.

The highlight of the complex is not only its exhibits, but also the way they are presented. All the rooms are at a depth of 14 meters. At the same time, the air temperature ranges from -5 to -60 degrees. Sections of the walls are conserved messages from the past. They ideally preserved the leaves and trees that grew on earth about 50,000 years ago.

The port on the Yenisei with the Permafrost Museum can also tell about the history of the native land. How the first people appeared on this earth, how the colonies were built, how one of the greatest marinas appeared, can be told in detail by the guides. There are exhibits that tell us about the sad history of repression and political persecution in the city.

A tourist who visits this museum has the opportunity to touch a distant past.