Alagir

Alagir (Russian: Алаги́р; Iron Ossetic: Алагир) is an industrial town and the administrative center of Alagirsky District in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Russia, located on the west bank of the Ardon River, 54 kilometers (34 mi) west of the republic's capital Vladikavkaz. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 20,949. Etymology The name is derived from Ossetian Uællag 'Upper' and Ir 'Ossetia'. History The town was established in 1850 by Prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov, the Viceroy of the Caucasus, near an ancient silver/lead mine in the nearby Alagir Gorge. It was built up as a fortification around a smelting plant and became a major mining center. By the end of the 19th century, it had been increasingly populated by Georgians and Russians who came to work there. During the Russian Civil War, in January 1919, Alagir was a scene of intense fighting, which resulted in heavy casualties in Georgian population and difficult flight of the survivors through the mountainous passes into Georgia. The Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin commented on the incident, blaming "counter-revolutionaries" for atrocities in Alagir, which Georgians tend to attribute to the Ossetian radicals. Alagir was granted town status in 1938. During World War II, on November 5, 1942, the German III Panzer Corps and Romanian 2nd Mountain Division (under von Kleist) captured the town and held it until it was recovered by the Soviet forces in early January 1943. Administrative and municipal status Within the framework of administrative divisions, Alagir serves as the administrative center of Alagirsky District. As an administrative division, it is, together with two rural localities, incorporated within Alagirsky District as Alagir Town Under District Jurisdiction. As a municipal division, the town of Alagir (without the rural localities) is incorporated within Alagirsky Municipal District as Alagirskoye Urban Settlement. Economy The town's economy is still dominated by mining and mineral extraction, but it also has significant woodworking, canning, and manufacturing industries. Demographics Major ethnic groups comprising the town's population, as of 2002, are: Ossetians: 91.1% Russians: 6.2% Notable people Stanislav Cherchesov, association football manager and former player Aslan Dudiyev, professional association football player Khetag Gazyumov, freestyle wrestler Igor Kupiejew, professional freestyle wrestler Sergey Menyaylo, politician; Head of North Ossetia-Alania, former Governor of Sevastopol Wakanohō Toshinori, sumo wrestler References Notes Sources Закон №34-РЗ от 9 июля 2007 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Республики Северная Осетия-Алания», в ред. Закона №44-РЗ от 12 ноября 2013 г. «О внесении изменений в Приложение к Закону Республики Северная Осетия–Алания "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Республики Северная Осетия–Алания" и Закон Республики Северная Осетия–Алания "Об установлении границ муниципального образования Алагирский район, наделении его статусом муниципального района, образовании в его составе муниципальных образований — городского и сельских поселений"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Северная Осетия", №148(24949), 16 августа 2007 г. (Law #34-RZ of July 9, 2007 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, as amended by the Law #44-RZ of November 12, 2013 On Amending the Appendix to the Law of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania" and the Law of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formation of Alagirsky District, Granting It the Status of a Municipal District, Establishing Municipal Formations—Urban and Rural Settlements—Within Its Structure". Effective as of the official publication date.). Закон №11-РЗ от 5 марта 2005 г. «Об установлении границ муниципального образования Алагирский район, наделении его статусом муниципального района, образовании в его составе муниципальных образований — городского и сельских поселений и установлении их границ», в ред. Закона №44-РЗ от 12 ноября 2013 г. «О внесении изменений в Приложение к Закону Республики Северная Осетия–Алания "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Республики Северная Осетия–Алания" и Закон Республики Северная Осетия–Алания "Об установлении границ муниципального образования Алагирский район, наделении его статусом муниципального района, образовании в его составе муниципальных образований — городского и сельских поселений"». Вступил в силу с 1 марта 2005 г. Опубликован: "Северная Осетия", №43 (24344), 15 марта 2005 г. (Law #11-RZ of March 5, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formation of Alagirsky District, Granting It the Status of a Municipal District, Establishing Municipal Formations—Urban and Rural Settlements—Within Its Structure and on Establishing Their Borders, as amended by the Law #44-RZ of November 12, 2013 On Amending the Appendix to the Law of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania" and the Law of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania "On Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formation of Alagirsky District, Granting It the Status of a Municipal District, Establishing Municipal Formations—Urban and Rural Settlements—Within Its Structure". Effective as of March 1, 2005.). External links Official website of Alagir (in Russian) Directory of organizations in Alagir (in Russian)