Novokuznetsk

The history of our city is inextricably linked with the history of the annexation and development of Siberia by the Russian state.

The population is 549,103 (2020).

By the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of July 2, 2020, the city was awarded the title “City of Labor Valor”.

In 1618, a detachment of Russian servicemen on the banks of the Tomi River "at the mouth of the Kondom" was put a new prison, called Kuznetsky. In 1620, the fortress was moved to the high right bank of Tomi.

The name of the settlement is due to the fact that among the indigenous inhabitants of these places, the northern Shores, blacksmithing was widespread: they mined and melted ore, forged iron utensils and weapons. In Russian documents of the XVII century they are called Kuznetsk people or Kuznetsk Tatars, and the area of their residence - Kuznetsk Land.

The settlement was called Kuznetsk or Kuznetsk-Siberian to distinguish it from Kuznetsk Penza province. Since 1622, the city of Kuznetsk was part of the Biyskaya watchline, which protected the border region of southern Siberia from raids by Kyrgyz and Dzungarian khans. After the uprisings of 1648 and 1682, the Moscow Streltsy were exiled here. In 1846 the fortress was abolished. By the end of the XIX century Kuznetsk had the character of a rural settlement.

Ostrog, and later the city of Kuznetsk became the administrative center of the newly annexed lands to Russia and the southernmost military outpost of the state in Siberia. At the head of the city and county was the voivode, who did all the business in the Ezhai hut.

Kuznetsk had its own customs, salt shop, powder cellar, as well as the Savior-Transfiguration Cathedral built in 1621. The population of the city consisted mainly of Streltsy, Cossacks and other service people, their wives and children.

The Kuznetsk garrison participated in the collection of yasak (tribute) from the local population, in the construction of new prisons and fortresses in the annexed territory and stood on the protection of the Kuznetsk lands from nomad raids. In addition, residents were engaged in bread-growing, fishing, fur fishing, various crafts. For almost the entire first century since its foundation, Kuznetsk remained a border town, a warrior city. The construction of the Kolyvan-Kuznetsk fortified line contributed to the stabilization of the military situation in the region and the transition of the city to peaceful life: the population of the city increased significantly (1698 - about 800, and in 1744 - more than 3,000 people), agriculture and trade developed.

In the second half of the XVIII century. changing the appearance of the city. In 1775, the villages of Gorbunovo (now Kuibyshevsky district) and the village of Chernousovo (Bessonovo) - now the Central district - were founded. In the wooden Kuznetsk stone construction begins: 1775-1780. erected Odigitrievskaya Church of the second generation (the temple where F. M. Dostoevsky married in 1857, destroyed in 1919), the first stone private house of the local merchant I. Muratov (since 1779). The county treasury has survived to this day. But for the most part Kuznetsk remained still a city of wooden buildings, which, together with the patriarchal way of life, increasingly turned it into a semblance of a large village, performing the functions of an administrative center and a center of local trade.

A noticeable revival in the measured life of Kuznetsk was made by the construction of a powerful fortress on the Ascension Mountain, which was caused by the danger of a military conflict with China. Built between 1800 and 1820. Kuznetsk fortress met the most modern requirements of fortification art of its time and later became a symbol of our city. But in the changed military-political situation there was no need to use the fortress as a military facility. After the withdrawal of the military garrison from it, the fortress begins to fall into desolation. From complete destruction it was saved by the construction of the Kuznetsk prison castle on the site of the former barracks. The Barnaul Tower was also rebuilt, rebuilt into the Gate Church in the name of St. John. Elijah.

Kuznetsk, for two centuries, repeatedly changing its administrative and territorial subordination, since 1804 finally became a district (in 1822 - 1898 district) city within the Tomsk province. At the same time, Kuznetsk complains of his own coat of arms, with the image of a forge. Public self-government of cities, introduced in Russia by Catherine II, in Kuznetsk was formed in the 80s of the XVIII century in the form of periodically elected city Duma and magistrate. After the gradation of Siberian cities in terms of population, Kuznetsk was classified as middle (1831). In 1846 the fortress was abolished. At the end of the XIX century the city had the character of a rural settlement. Now instead of the former self-government bodies, a town hall was introduced, later replaced by the city economic administration (1864), and after the reforms of Alexander II, the Duma was reintroduced, and with it the government (1877). To replace the highest official - voivode, at the end of the XVIII century. came the town hall, replaced in turn by district (then county) servicemen. In connection with the social and economic life of the city, the specifics of trade and merchant business, there was a need for literate people. The first experience of the organization of education in Kuznetsk in the form of a solemnly opened public school in 1790 did not last long: after 6 years it had to be closed. A new attempt to introduce public (all-class) education in Kuznetsk was more successful: opened in 1826, the male district school became the first, but not the only educational institution in the city. By the middle of the century, two parish schools were added - male and female, and at the beginning of the XX century. in Kuznetsk there were already five educational institutions. In 1906, the People’s House was opened in the city, where a public library and a literary and dramatic society were located. But in the twentieth century. Kuznetsk was a modest city even by Siberian standards. Remoteness from industrial centers and highways affected the economic appearance of the city. The population of just over 3,500 was still largely associated with agricultural occupations (especially livestock and gardening). A significant role was played by latrines: export fishing, work on gold mines, etc. The brewery of I. Krasimovich, the State Alcohol Warehouse and the steam mill were considered large industrial establishments of the city, and several dozen enterprises of the handicraft type were focused on meeting the immediate needs of the population. Trade played a more prominent role in the life of the city. The bazaar square with stationary shops and numerous shops was the business center of the city, and since 1891 it has organized annual fairs.

The beginning of the First World War was remembered by the riots of reserve ranks gathered in Kuznetsk from all over the county, which to some extent was a harbinger of future social cataclysms.

In 1914 the village of Sad-gorod (now the district of Tochilino) appeared.

The events of February 1917 also changed the lives of the Kuznetsk people: numerous rallies and meetings were held, elections to the Zemsk administration and the county People's Assembly were held, the first Kuznetsk newspaper was published. After the October Revolution in Kuznetsk, Soviets came to power led by A.G. Petrakov (March 1918).

Soviet power in the city lasted only about three months and fell in July of the same year under the blows of the White Czechs and the local counter-revolution, many of the leadership of the Soviets died. The overthrow of Soviet power was accompanied by the restoration of the City Duma, the Zemstvo Council, the permission of free trade, etc. Most of the population welcomed the restoration of the old order in the hope of a better life. However, the Kolchak regime did not bring the expected results, dissatisfaction with the constant requisitions and mobilization in the White Guard units grew. All this led to the emergence of a partisan movement in the Kuznetsk region. In Kuznetsk itself, on the night of 2 to 3 December 1919, an armed uprising of the lower ranks of the local garrison against Kolchakism took place. In the city was created a revolutionary committee headed by A. Ivanov, who for the consolidation of Soviet power turned to the partisans for help. In mid-December, a detachment of G. Rogov entered the city. The guerrillas carried out a “bloody cleansing” that resulted in the massacre of a significant part of the population; they set fire to all the churches in the city, leaving behind a deeply tragic mark in the memory of the blacksmiths.

After the arrival of the Red Army, a new life began in the city.

Management bodies arose, but the administrative center of the Kuznetsk Territory in 1925 was moved first to Kolchugino, and then to Shcheglovsk. The features of the NEP appeared in the city: production artels began to work, a brewery was leased. Construction of the city began in 1929 according to the plan of the German architect E. May, in the left bank part - according to the plans of architects B. E. Svetlichny, G. M. Blind and others. And on the other side of Tomi, the construction of a new socialist city, a satellite city of the plant, began. The firstborn of Soviet industrialization, the KMC, had to be built as soon as possible. Thousands of enthusiasts and Komsomol members came to Kuznetskstroy, agitated the inhabitants of the surrounding villages (in 1930 – 14 thousand people). The construction of the plant under the project of the American company "Frein" was led by talented engineers - Bardin I. P., Kazarnovsky G., etc.

The head of Kuznetskstroy became Frankfurt S. M. Despite all the difficulties, the Kuznetsk plant already April 3, 1932 issued the first cast iron, in September - the first steel, and in December - the first rolled. Such a rapid pace was unprecedented in world practice.

By the decision of VTSIK of the USSR on July 3, 1931 No. 10 working village Sad-gorod was transformed into the city of Novokuznetsk. Its population exceeded 50,000 people. March 2, 1932 was the unification of Kuznetsk and Novokuznetsk in one city - Novokuznetsk, which on May 5 became Stalin. In 1939, Kuznetsk was annexed to it, after which the united city was called Stalinsk-Kuznetsk for some time, and then again Stalinsk. Only in November 1961 the name Novokuznetsk was returned to the city. By the end of the 30s, more than 20 industrial enterprises, 4 mines, factories, production artels worked in the city. At the same time, the city grew and improved. People from dugouts moved to new buildings, the cultural life of the city developed. In 1933, the first theater was opened, the first tram was launched, the first sound cinema "Kommunar" appeared. In the prewar years there is a regular building, there are residential multi-storey houses and public buildings. The population reached 170,000. In this eventful life of people crept a new terrible disaster. The moloch of Stalin’s repressions of 1937 swept through the fates of many citizens. Frankfurt S.M., Hitarov R.M. and many other honest workers were shot.

In 1941, there is the formation of urban areas of the city: Molotovsky (now Central), Kuibyshevsky, Kuznetsky.

The beginning of the Great Patriotic War gave a powerful impetus to the development of industry in Novokuznetsk. Only for the first three war years, more than a hundred industrial facilities were put into operation in the city, including aluminum, fepposalloy, metal construction plants; Kuznetskaya CHPP, 36 agregates and other objects of black metallurgy, the Abashevskaya mine, new coal horizons. Old people, women and teenagers worked in production workshops. People worked without any rest.

A great contribution to the victory was made by KMC: in the shortest possible time, the production of armored steel was mastered, the technology of armor rolling was developed, from which 50,000 tanks, 45,000 aircraft, 100 million shells were made - almost half of all military production of the country. The city became one of the centers of evacuee industrial enterprises from the European part of the country, the number of which by the end of 1941 reached 55. The miners of the city also contributed to the victory. Increased production of coking coal saved the country’s metallurgy from fuel starvation. From the first days of the war, hospital trains with seriously wounded soldiers began to come to Stalinsk. In total, 11 evacuation hospitals were deployed in the city. The victory was also helped by art workers. In Stalinsk were located the Moscow Operetta Theater, Novosibirsk Theater "Red Torch".
The Great Patriotic War affected every Novokuznetsyan: 64 thousand people were drafted into the army during the war, more than 14 thousand of them did not return home. 52 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The labor merits of the city residents during the war were appreciated by high government awards: the Order of Lenin, the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of Kutuzov of the 1st degree was awarded to the combine, the city - the Order of the October Revolution (1981).
In the period of the restoration of the national economy, all plants increased production, acquired their own social base. In the postwar years, large-scale housing construction began in the city. Modern view received avenues of Metallurgists and Kurako, streets Kutuzov and Suvorov, microdistricts of old Kuznetsk, housing is being built in the mining villages of Abashevo and Baidayevka.

In the late 1950s, construction of a new metallurgical giant, Zapsib, began in the city. On Komsomol tours, demobilized soldiers, boys and girls of the central cities of the Union came to the Antonov site.

1959. The working village of Zavodsky was formed and transformed into a separate district of Zavodsky (in 1962).
Their birthday Zapsibovtsy celebrate July 27, this day in 1964, the new plant gave the first cast iron. In 1971, the company received the Order of Lenin for labor merits.

1960. Settlements of Abashev and Baydayev mines separated into a separate district of the city - Ordzhonikidze.

In the 70-80s, the KMC ice stadium, swimming pools, circus, Heroes Boulevard, a new part of Kirov Street, new schools and kindergartens entered the life of the city.
Today, Novokuznetsk is a powerful industrial center of Siberia.

The city has more than 1,200 industrial enterprises of various forms of ownership, of which about 50 are among the leading and largest in their industries.
The giant metallurgical plants – KMC, ZSMK, NKAZ and KZF – despite the difficult economic situation of recent years, managed to preserve not the industrial potential, but also the labor collectives of their plants, significant for the socio-political and social life of the city.

A significant contribution to the economy of the region is also made by a machine-building plant, a metal construction plant, Universal, reinforced concrete products and others. Widely known in the country and abroad software "Organika", enterprises of food (liquor, brewing, dairy plants) and light (garment factories, etc.) industry.

In 1986, the city holiday "City Day" was established - July 3 (usually celebrated on the first July weekend).