Magadan

The settlement of Magadan was founded in 1929 in the Ola river valley,Vazhenin, p. 4 near the settlement of Nagayevo. During the Stalin era, Magadan was a major transit centre for inmates sent to Gulag forced labour camps. From 1932 to 1953, it was the administrative centre of the Dalstroy organisation—a vast forced-labour gold-mining operation and forced-labour camp system. The first director of Dalstroy was Eduard Berzin, who between 1932 and 1937 established the infrastructure of the forced labour camps in Magadan. Berzin was executed in 1938 by Stalin, towards the end of the Great Purge.Kapuscinski, Imperium, 2019, pp. 200-204

The town later served as a port for exporting gold and other metals mined in the Kolyma region.{{cite book|author=Козлов, А. Г.|title=Магадан. Конспект прошлого|publisher=Магаданское книжное издательство |date=1989 |isbn=5-7581-0066-8|page=16}} Its size and population grew quickly as facilities were rapidly developed for the expanding mining activities in the area. Town status was granted to it on July 14, 1939.{{citation needed|date=May 2010}}

Magadan was visited by U.S. Vice President Henry Wallace in May 1944. He took an instant liking to his NKVD host, admired handiwork done by the enslaved political prisoners, and later glowingly called the town a combination of Tennessee Valley Authority and Hudson's Bay Company.John C. Culver, John Hyde, American Dreamer: The Life and Times of Henry A. Wallace, 1 Sep 2001

Magadan is the administrative centre of the Magadan Oblast.Law #1292-OZ Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with the urban-type settlements of Sokol and Uptar, incorporated as the "town of oblast significance of Magadan"—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, the town of oblast significance of Magadan is incorporated as Magadan Urban Okrug.Law #489-OZ

{{Historical populations|1939|27313|1959|62225|1970|92105|1979|121250|1989|151652|2002|99399|2010|95982|2021|90757|type=|footnote=Source: Census data}}

Kolyma_road01010038.jpg|R504 Kolyma Highway near Magadan

Russian route R-504 map.svg|R504 Kolyma Highway

Magadan-port.jpg|Port of Magadan

Весенний аэропорт Магадан.jpg|Sokol Airport

Магадан._Депо.jpg|former Train Station of Magadan-Palatka line

The Port of Magadan is the second largest seaport in the North-East of Russia after Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky located on Nagaev Bay and Sea of Okhotsk.{{Cite web|url=https://www.morport.com/index.php|title=Главная страница | Ассоциация морских торговых портов|website=www.morport.com|accessdate=May 5, 2022}} It operates all year round with the help of icebreakers. There is currently no operating railway in Magadan. However, the Magadan-Palatka line was operational between 1941 and 1956. Russian Railways are considering the possibility of building a railway from the Nizhny Bestyakh of the Amur-Yakutsk railway to Magadan by 2035, which will contribute to the development of an area with huge mineral deposits.{{Cite news|url=https://news.mail.ru/economics/43126159/|title=РЖД изучают возможность строительства железной дороги до Магадана|date=August 27, 2020|website=news.mail.ru|accessdate=May 5, 2022|archive-date=August 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801134005/https://news.mail.ru/economics/43126159/|url-status=dead}} Magadan is the final destination of the federal highway R504 Kolyma Highway, which connects the region with Yakutia and other parts of Russia. Anadyr Highway, currently under construction, will provide access to Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.{{Cite web|url=https://magadanmedia.ru/news/457983/|title=Дорогу Колыма – Омсукчан – Омолон – Анадырь начали строить в Магаданской области - MagadanMedia|website=magadanmedia.ru|accessdate=May 5, 2022|archive-date=November 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115210504/https://magadanmedia.ru/news/457983/|url-status=dead}} Sokol Airport and Magadan-13 airport provide access to air transport for numerous destinations in Russia with the former being for big aircraft and the latter is mainly for small aircraft.

Magadan is also the home of the Magadan/Sokol Flight Information Region (FIR) and Magadan Oceanic FIR, which controls the Northeastern part of the Russia and its Arctic airspace.{{cite web|title=AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT OPERATIONAL CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR THE ARCTIC AREA|url=https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/mission_support/ato_intl/documents/Arctic_ATM_Contingency_Plan/Arctic_ATM_Contingency_Plan_1Ed-%202011-12-09.pdf|publisher=Federal Aviation Administration|date=2011-12-09}}{{cite web|title=North-East Air Navigation, Magadan|url=https://gkovd.ru/en/branches/north-east-air-navigation/|publisher=GKOVD}} Most of the westbound transpacific flights from North America to Asia will use those FIRs.{{cite web|title=User Preferred Routes within Magadan ACC Airspace|url=https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/mission_support/ato_intl/documents/cross_polar/CPWG29/CPWG29_ANSP_Update_State_ATM_FRA_UPR.pdf|work=GKOVD|publisher=FAA|year=2020}}

The principal sources of income for the local economy are gold mining and fisheries. Recently, gold production has declined.[http://www.mineweb.net/whats_new/603909.htm Russian gold mine production declined four tonnes in 2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620200405/http://www.mineweb.net/whats_new/603909.htm |date=June 20, 2017 }}, Mineweb, 31 January 2007 Fishing production, although improving from year to year, is still well below the allocated quotas, apparently as a result of an aging fleet.[http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/imr-ri.nsf/en/gr124495e.html New Russian Fishing Quotas Distribution System, Strategis international market reports]{{dead link|date=May 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, 28 August 2004 Other local industries include pasta and sausage plants, and a distillery.[http://www.kommersant.com/p-52/r_396/Magadan_Region/ Magadan Region from Kommersant, Russia's Daily Online] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025044008/http://www.kommersant.com/p-52/r_396/Magadan_Region/ |date=October 25, 2007 }}. Retrieved 22 January 2007. Although farming is difficult owing to the harsh climate, there are many public and private farming enterprises.

The Central Intelligence Agency wrote a report on Ship Repair Yard No. 2 near Magadan in June 1965.{{cite web|title=Magadan Ship Repair Yard No. 2 |url=https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp78t05161a000300010028-6 |date=June 1965}} Magadan was repeatedly reported as a base for the Soviet Navy during the Cold War.See Military Balance 1990-91, p.42.

Магадан кинотеатр «Горняк».jpg|Gornyak Cinema

Магаданская научная библиотека им. А. С. Пушкина.jpg|Pushkin Library

Magadan, theater, pic1.jpg|Magadan Theatre

Laika ac View from the Hotel Magadan (6457750839).jpg|Magadan Hotel

Политехникум Магадан.jpg|Polytechnic Magadan

It has a number of cultural institutions, including the Regional Museum of Anthropology, a geological museum, a regional library and a university. Magadanskaya Pravda is the main newspaper.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

The town figures prominently in the gulag literature of Varlam Shalamov and in the eponymous song by Mikhail Krug.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} Actor of film and stage Georgiy Zhzhonov worked at Magadan Theatre for two years after being released from a gulag in May 1945.{{cite web | title=Georgiy Zhzhonov's Russian Cross | website=ФОНД РУССКИЙ МИР | date=21 March 2015 | url=https://russkiymir.ru/en/publications/188298/ | access-date=17 August 2022 | archive-date=June 5, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150605091119/http://russkiymir.ru/en/publications/188298/ | url-status=dead }}

Magadan was home to {{Interlanguage link|Eastern Syndrome|ru|Восточный синдром}} a Soviet and Russian rock group founded there in 1986.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

The town was a focal point of the Long Way Round TV series of a motorcycle journey made by Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman and their team in 2004.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

Валаам - Гефсиманский скит.jpg|Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh

Магаданский Троицкий собор. Фасад.jpg|Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity

Собор Святого Духа в Магадане.png|Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

Magadan-church-winter.jpg|Church of the Nativity

The town features the recent Orthodox Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity (completed in 2008), and the Roman Catholic Church of the Nativity (completed in 2002{{cite web |title=Magadan, Russian Federation: Catholic Parish of the Nativity of Jesus

|website=The Catholic Travel Guide

|url=https://thecatholictravelguide.com/destinations/russian-federation/magadan/

|access-date=2020-09-07}}), among others.

Laika ac Magadan (6457749985).jpg|Magadan Coat of Arms

Laika ac Lenin in Magadan (6457761441).jpg|Lenin monument

Мемориальный_комплекс_жертвам_политических_репрессий.jpg|Mask of Sorrow

Магадан, парк, памятник Ленину - panoramio.jpg| Lenin monument

The Mask of Sorrow memorial, a large sculpture in memory of Stalin's victims, was designed by Ernst Neizvestny. The Church of the Nativity ministers to survivors of the labor camps. It is staffed by several priests and nuns.

Чаша. Марчеканская сопка.jpg|skiing in Marchekanskaya

Магадан Дворец спорта.jpg|Magadan Palace of Sports

The {{ill|Magadanka River|ru|Магаданка}}, a 192 km long river flowing to the Sea of Okhotsk, passes the city. The city is located on the isthmus of the Staritsky Peninsula by the Nagaev Bay.

magadan, Gertner Bay.jpg|View of Gertner Bay, Cape Red and Kekurny Island

Freezing_the_waters_of_the_Sea_of_Okhotsk._Magadan.jpg|Nagaev Bay

Каменный_венец_в_профиль.jpg|Gorokhovoe Pole

Laika ac Magadan beach (6457763827).jpg|Magadan beach, July 2011

Ecologically situated in the Northeast Siberian taiga, the town's arboreal flora is made up of conifer trees, such as firs and larches, and silver birches.[https://www.lonelyplanet.com/russia/russian-far-east/outer-far-east Sakha Republic & Magadan Region is pine trees and rushing rivers] by the Lonely Planet The city is surrounded by mountains to the west and northeast. Permafrost and tundra cover most of the region. The growing season is only one hundred days long.[https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/travel/the-sea-of-okhotsk/ THE SEA OF OKHOTSK] by the National Geographic

The city of Magadan is on the same longitude as the suburbs of Greater Western Sydney, Australia, which lie on the eastern end of the 150th meridian east line, bordering the 151st meridian and is on the same latitude as Southern Scandinavia, and the far north of Scotland.

The climate of Magadan is subarctic (Köppen climate classification Dfc). Winters are prolonged and very cold, with up to six months of sub-zero high temperatures, so that the soil remains permanently frozen; although they are still much milder than those of interior eastern Siberia. Average temperatures on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk range from {{convert|−22|C}} in January to {{convert|+12|C}} in July. Average temperatures in the interior range from {{convert|−38|C}} in January to {{convert|+16|C}} in July. Due to the wet nature of October and November, a snowpack is built up early, which then lasts throughout the winter even while the influence from the Siberian High lowers precipitation throughout those months.

• Highest temperature: {{convert|27.8|C}} on July 15, 2021
• Lowest temperature: {{convert|-37|C}} on December 20, 1995
• Warmest month: {{convert|14.1|C}} in July, 2009
• Coldest month: {{convert|-25.0|C}} in January, 1933
• Warmest year: {{convert|-1.3|C}} in 2017
• Coldest year: {{convert|-5.0|C}} in 1967
• Highest daily Precipitation: {{convert|108|mm}} in July, 2014
• Wettest month: {{convert|306|mm}} in July, 2014
• Wettest year: {{convert|1004|mm}} in 1950
• Driest year: {{convert|226|mm}} in 1947

{{Weather box

|location=Magadan (1991–2020, extremes 1930–present)

|metric first=yes

|single line=yes

|Jan record high C = 2.4

|Feb record high C = 3.2

|Mar record high C = 5.8

|Apr record high C = 9.7

|May record high C = 22.3

|Jun record high C = 24.5

|Jul record high C = 27.8

|Aug record high C = 26.1

|Sep record high C = 20.2

|Oct record high C = 13.8

|Nov record high C = 6.6

|Dec record high C = 3.6

|year record high C =

|Jan high C = −13.3

|Feb high C = −12.5

|Mar high C = −7.5

|Apr high C = −1.1

|May high C = 5.4

|Jun high C = 11.5

|Jul high C = 15.1

|Aug high C = 15.1

|Sep high C = 10.8

|Oct high C = 2.1

|Nov high C = -7.0

|Dec high C = −12.3

|year high C =

|Jan mean C = -15.6

|Feb mean C = -15.4

|Mar mean C = -10.9

|Apr mean C = -4.1

|May mean C = 2.2

|Jun mean C = 8.0

|Jul mean C = 12.1

|Aug mean C = 12.2

|Sep mean C = 7.8

|Oct mean C = -0.7

|Nov mean C = -9.5

|Dec mean C = -14.5

|year mean C =

|Jan low C = −17.8

|Feb low C = −17.8

|Mar low C = −13.9

|Apr low C = −6.9

|May low C = −0.2

|Jun low C = 5.5

|Jul low C = 9.9

|Aug low C = 9.9

|Sep low C = 5.3

|Oct low C = -3.0

|Nov low C = −11.7

|Dec low C = −16.6

|year low C =

|Jan record low C = −34.6

|Feb record low C = −33.3

|Mar record low C = −30.8

|Apr record low C = −23.5

|May record low C = −10.8

|Jun record low C = -3.0

|Jul record low C = 2.0

|Aug record low C = -1.0

|Sep record low C = −6.3

|Oct record low C = −21.1

|Nov record low C = −26.9

|Dec record low C = −37.0

|year record low C =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 18

|Feb precipitation mm = 14

|Mar precipitation mm = 21

|Apr precipitation mm = 24

|May precipitation mm = 40

|Jun precipitation mm = 52

|Jul precipitation mm = 67

|Aug precipitation mm = 102

|Sep precipitation mm = 85

|Oct precipitation mm = 75

|Nov precipitation mm = 61

|Dec precipitation mm = 27

|year precipitation mm = 586

|Jan snow depth cm = 26

|Feb snow depth cm = 24

|Mar snow depth cm = 25

|Apr snow depth cm = 24

|May snow depth cm = 9

|Jun snow depth cm = 0

|Jul snow depth cm = 0

|Aug snow depth cm = 0

|Sep snow depth cm = 0

|Oct snow depth cm = 5

|Nov snow depth cm = 23

|Dec snow depth cm = 31

|year snow depth cm = 31

|Jan humidity = 65

|Feb humidity = 64

|Mar humidity = 65

|Apr humidity = 71

|May humidity = 78

|Jun humidity = 82

|Jul humidity = 86

|Aug humidity = 83

|Sep humidity = 78

|Oct humidity = 69

|Nov humidity = 66

|Dec humidity = 64

|year humidity = 73

|Jan rain days = 0.1

|Feb rain days = 0.3

|Mar rain days = 0.3

|Apr rain days = 2

|May rain days = 11

|Jun rain days = 17

|Jul rain days = 21

|Aug rain days = 20

|Sep rain days = 19

|Oct rain days = 10

|Nov rain days = 2

|Dec rain days = 0.1

|year rain days = 103

|Jan snow days = 16

|Feb snow days = 16

|Mar snow days = 16

|Apr snow days = 17

|May snow days = 12

|Jun snow days = 0

|Jul snow days = 0

|Aug snow days = 0

|Sep snow days = 1

|Oct snow days = 14

|Nov snow days = 19

|Dec snow days = 16

|year snow days = 127

|Jan sun = 77.3

|Feb sun = 132.6

|Mar sun = 211.4

|Apr sun = 235.9

|May sun = 226.3

|Jun sun = 228.5

|Jul sun = 196.0

|Aug sun = 175.6

|Sep sun = 157.3

|Oct sun = 142.9

|Nov sun = 79.9

|Dec sun = 50.2

|year sun =

|source 1 = Погода и Климат{{cite web

| url = http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/25913.htm

| title = КЛИМАТ МАГАДАНА

| access-date = 8 November 2021

| publisher = Погода и Климат

| language = ru}}

| source 2 = NOAA

{{cite web

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/RussianFederation/CSV/Magadan_25913.csv

| title = Magadan Climate Normals 1991-2020

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = 7 November 2021}}

|date=August 2024

}}

• North-Eastern State University (СВГУ, formerly Northern International University)

• Anton Belyaev (b. 1979), musician, lead singer of Therr Maitz
• Anya Garnis (b. 1982), professional dancer, raised in Magadan, but not born there.
• Nikolai Getman (1917–2004), artist
• Dimitry Ipatov (b. 1984), ski jumper
• Inna Korobkina (b. 1981), actress
• Vadim Kozin (1903–1994), tenor
• Nina Lugovskaya (1918–1993), artist
• Sasha Luss (b. 1992), fashion model
• Gena Marvin (b. 2000s), performance artist
• Viktor Rybakov (b. 1956), former European amateur boxing champion
• Pavel Vinogradov (b. 1953), cosmonaut
• Yelena Vyalbe (b. 1968), Olympic cross-country skier

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Russia}}

Magadan is twinned with:

• {{Flagicon|United States}} Anchorage, United States (1991)
• {{Flagicon|China}} Tonghua, Jilin, China (1992)
• {{Flagicon|Bulgaria}} Zlatitsa, Bulgaria (2012)
• {{Flagicon|China}} Shuangyashan, China (2013)
• In 2022 Jelgava, Latvia (2006) suspended the cooperation agreements with Magadan due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[https://www.jelgava.lv/en/news/jelgava-suspends-cooperation-agreement-with-twin-cities-magadan-russia-and-baranovichi-belarus/ Jelgava suspends cooperation agreement with twin cities Magadan (Russia) and Baranovichi (Belarus)]

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{RussiaBasicLawRef|mag|magadan}}
• {{Cite Russian law

|ru_entity=Магаданская городская Дума

|ru_type=Решение

|ru_number=49-Д

|ru_date=1 июля 1999 г.

|ru_title=О установлении общегородского праздника "День города Магадана"

|ru_effective_date=

|ru_published_in=

|ru_published_date=

|ru_url=

|en_entity=Magadan Town Duma

|en_type=Decision

|en_number=49-D

|en_date=July 1, 1999

|en_title=On Establishing Town Holiday "Day of the Town of Magadan"

|en_effective_date=

|en_url=

}}

• {{RussiaAdmMunRef|mag|adm|law}}
• {{RussiaBasicLawRef|mag}}
• {{RussiaAdmMunRef|mag|mun|list|magadan}}
• Ryszard Kapuscinski, Imperium, Granta, 2019, {{ISBN|9781783785254}}
• McGregor, E & Boorman, C: Long Way Round. Time Warner Books, 2004. {{ISBN|0-7515-3680-6}}
• David J. Nordlander: Origins of a Gulag Capital: Magadan and Stalinist Control in the Early 1930s, Slavic Review, Vol. 57, No. 4 (Winter, 1998), pp. 791–812

• {{Wikivoyage inline}}
• {{commons category-inline}}
• Б. П. Важенин (B. P. Vazhenin). "Магадан: к историческим истокам названия" (Magadan: The Historical Sources of Its Name). Российская академия наук, Дальневосточное отделение. Магадан, 2003.
• [http://kolymskiy.narod.ru/Magadan_F.html Map of Magadan] {{in lang|ru}}
• Documentary *** GOLD*** - lost in Siberia [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apbN2qypLM8 GOLD - lost in Siberia / GOUD - vergeten in Siberië / ЗОЛОТО/БОЛЬ - потеряно в Сибири (1994)] by Gerard Jacobs and Theo Uittenbogaard (VPRO/The Netherlands/1994) was filmed in the summer of 1993 in Magadan, along the Road of Bones, through Ust-Umshug and Susuman and at the Sverovostok Zoloto gold mine, Siberia, by the first foreign film crew ever, visiting the Kolyma District -which had been under control of the Soviet secret service-, under the company name Dalstroj, for over 60 years.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110408012047/http://lifekino.ru/component/content/article/3-films/246-the-road-up-to-the-kolyma-river-eng The road up to the Kolyma river.] Documentary: repressed in Magadan recall. To watch the video.

{{Magadan Oblast}}

{{Russian Far East}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2011}}

Category:Cities and towns in Magadan Oblast

Category:Port cities and towns in Russia

Category:Populated coastal places in Russia

Category:Sea of Okhotsk

Category:Russian Far East

Category:Russian and Soviet Navy bases

Category:Cities and towns built in the Soviet Union

Category:Populated places established in 1929

Category:1929 establishments in Russia

Category:1929 establishments in the Soviet Union