Cherdyn, Perm Krai

Cherdyn (Russian: Че́рдынь; Komi: Чердін) is a town and the administrative center of Cherdynsky District in Perm Krai, Russia, located on the Kolva River. Population: 4,920 (2010 census); 5,756 (2002 census); 6,535 (1989 Soviet census). History Local authorities advertise Cherdyn to tourists as the capital of the ancient Principality of Great Perm. This information is based on an 1835 study by the Swedish historian A. M. Strinnholm, as well as the 1815 study by the Russian historian Nikolay Karamzin. Strinnholm mentioned that the last trip of Scandinavian Vikings to Bjarmia (a.k.a. Great Perm) happened in 1222. Four well-equipped ships of Haakon IV of Norway burned Bjarmian towns to the ground. After that, the fur trade between the Great Perm and Western Europe was possible only via the Novgorod Republic, which controlled the Russian North. After the Russian principalities began to be united by the grand princes of Moscow, the princes of Perm, who already had Russian names, became their vassals, in addition to answering to Novgorod. Great Perm–Cherdyn supplied a great deal of silver paid as tribute of Moscow, which in turn was paid to the Golden Horde. Tensions between Moscow and Novgorod led to a war in 1471, after which Novgorod was annexed by Moscow. The following year, Cherdyn, Pokcha, and all other towns of Great Perm were annexed into the Russian state. The main fort of the Muscovites was built in Pokcha, located 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) to the north of Cherdyn. It was burned by indigenous tribes in the beginning of the 16th century. Cherdyn, as well as all of Perm, was still governed by the dynasty of local princes of Great Perm until 1505. After that, the grand prince sent a governor from Moscow, and he chose Cherdyn as his residence. In 1535, Cherdyn was granted town rights. It was the starting point of an early river route to Siberia. Following the establishment of the Babinov Road—a more traveled overland route—the town quickly lost its significance. Many Polish insurgents of the January Uprising were exiled in Cherdyn in the 1860s. Administrative and municipal status Within the framework of administrative divisions, Cherdyn serves as the administrative center of Cherdynsky District, to which it is directly subordinated. As a municipal division, the town of Cherdyn is incorporated within Cherdynsky Municipal District as Cherdynskoye Urban Settlement. Geography Climate Cherdyn has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc), with very cold winters and warm summers. Precipitation is moderate and is somewhat higher in summer and fall than at other times of the year. Notable people In 1934, during the times of Stalin, Cherdyn was the place to which poet Osip Mandelstam was sentenced to internal exile with his wife Nadezhda. References Notes Sources Законодательное собрание Пермской области. Закон №416-67 от 28 февраля 1996 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Пермского края», в ред. Закона №504-ПК от 9 июля 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Пермской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Пермского края"». Вступил в силу с момента опубликования. Опубликован: "Звезда", №38, 12 марта 1996 г. (Legislative Assembly of Perm Oblast. Law #416-67 of February 28, 1996 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Perm Krai, as amended by the Law #504-PK of July 9, 2015 On Amending the Law of Perm Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Perm Krai". Effective as of the moment of publication.). Законодательное собрание Пермской области. Закон №1735-355 от 10 ноября 2004 г. «Об утверждении границ и о наделении статусом муниципальных образований Чердынского района Пермского края», в ред. Закона №175-ПК от 7 марта 2013 г. «О внесении изменений в отдельные Законы Пермской области, Коми-Пермяцкого автономного округа об утверждении границ и о наделении статусом муниципальных образований Пермского края». Вступил в силу через десять дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Бюллетень Законодательного Собрания и администрации Пермской области", №12, I часть, 9 декабря 2004 г. (Legislative Assembly of Perm Oblast. Law #1735-355 of November 10, 2004 On Establishing the Borders and on Granting the Status to the Municipal Formations of Cherdynsky District of Perm Krai, as amended by the Law #175-PK of March 7, 2013 On Amending Various Laws of Perm Oblast, Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug on Establishing the Borders and on Granting the Status to the Municipal Formations of Perm Krai. Effective as of the day which is ten days following the day of the official publication.). Further reading Brumfield, William. Cherdyn: Architectural Heritage in Photographs, (Moscow: Tri Kvadrata, 2007) ISBN 978-5-94607-074-4 (in English and in Russian) External links Official website of Cherdyn (in Russian) Cherdyn Business Directory (in Russian)