Kotelnich

Kotelnich ( _ru. Коте́льнич) is a river port town in Kirov Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Vyatka River near its confluence with the Moloma, along the route of the Trans-Siberian Railway, 124 km south-west of Kirov. Population: ru-census|p2002=28245|p1989=36841

The settlement of Koksharov ( _ru. Кокшаров) was first mentioned in 1143. It was renamed Kotelnich in 1181. Town status was granted to it in 1780.

The strip of the Vyatka's right bank on which Kotelnich stands is a part of a pareiasaur remains site, which is one of the largest in the world.

History

XII - XVI: foundation & joining the russian state

Ancient literary monuments and archaeological excavations have demonstrated that Kotelnich was founded in the end of XII century. The aboriginal people there was the Maris (Cheremis) according to P. I. Rychkov and N. M. Karamzin. Though a real place and time of its first beginning is a controversial question; in the XIII-XIV centuries Kotelnich wasn't mentioned by any russian chronicler. The first documents that prove the city status of Kotelnich date from the middle of XV. For a long time Vyatka region was a strong antagonist of Moscow and its attempts to consolidate all the isolated russian lands. Resistance was broken soon, and Kotelnich was conquered in 1459 together with many other towns of the region. By 1489 its rebellious population was resettled to distant places and the city itself became an ordinary fortress on the north-east border of the Moscow state. It covered the rich northern lands from ruinos raids of tatars. In 1542 a 4-thousand tatar troop was defeated near Kotelnich.

In the middle of XVI the region was divided into four parts with Kotelnich in the head of one part. A deputy was sent from Moscow, but it wasn't powerful enough to resist a great amount of robber bands that filled the locality. In 1558 the system of vice-regency was liquidated and much power was given to a local group representative bodies.

In the end of the XVI century there was built a Siberian Route that passed through Kotelnich. A listing conducted in 1595 revealed a population of 430 citizens.

XII - XIX: beginnings of the fair; complicated growth

Time of Troubles was a significant moment: the town was captured by armed bands that devastated churches, raped women and turned Kotelnich into a local center of the uprising for the "tzar Dmitri" (False Dmitriy I). After the liberation in december 1609 Kotelnich has fallen into decay; it became the smallest town in Vyatka region. Though during the next forty years its economy restored that led to the opening of a large fair Alekseevskaya (in honour of tzar Alexei Mikhailovich). Population ascertained by listing in 1654 was five times more than in 1629 because of increasing number of new settlers inspired by an abundance of unoccupied land. Great contribution was also made by colonization activity of monasteries. This development was interrupted by epidemic of mortal ulcer in 1658. A weight of new local and state duties diminished the human prosperity. Eventually in 1686 Kotelnich including its three big churches was completely burnt down.

In the XVIII century its population and economy grew slowly restrained by recruit enrolment and money exactions for the building of Saint Petersburg and attendant projects. However the churches were rebuilt despite the prohibition on stone construction. In the days of Catherine II Kotelnich became a center of a district that remains until the present moment. It also received an emblem and self-government rights, including elections of city chief and formation of a local council (duma). By 1795 its population was past one thousand people for the first time (448 men and 606 women). Kotelnich began to develop as a connecting link between Perm, Kazan, Kostroma and Vyatka. There was opened the first post-office, small public college with 30 pupils, city hospital for 10 patients and a private pharmacy (1831).

XIX century was rather successful. The fair in Kotelnich acquired a great interregional significance. In various years it was included in the best ten fairs in Russia due to a great volume of sales. Basic products sold in this market were horses and sewing-machines. Still wide popularity of the fair didn't stimulate the internal trade or productive work in Kotelnich. Town earned sufficient money from leasing warehouses and trade spaces. By the end of the century (1897) population of the town increased to 4240 people and the territory to 1,8 km².

XX: revolutions and wars; definitive stagnation

In the XX Kotelnich developed as a transport junction. A main railway from Saint Petersburg to Vyatka went through Kotelnich in 1902–1905 when the bridge across the river was built. As a result the fair Alekseevskaya lost its significant role. The beginning of the century was also marked by the appearance of water-supply, 36 cabmen, oil-lamps on the streets, telephone communication and 22 prostitutes.

Workers and soldiers in Kotelnich joined the protest actions during the First World War. Disorder of 6 thousand mobilized citizens was suppressed roughly with 10 people killed and 12 injured. Bolshevik power in 1917 came to Kotelnich comparatively late, by armed means. During the civil war Kotelnich passed from hand to hand many times. Terrible fire in 1926 destroyed two thirds of the town and left more than 7 thousand people homeless. Kotelnich hardly didnt't become a small rural settlement after that. Local legislative committee was forced to persuade the republican power to keep its city status and to rebuild what was destroyed.

In 1926 a fair was conducted for the last time and most trade businesses were closed. During the next 10 years there were built several small and middle-size industrial enterprises like building materials factory, sawing and brick plants. Council of working and red-army deputees wasn't quite successful in execution of its functions that lead to a frequent changes of local leadership. Housing well-being decreased to 2,8 meters per one person. Kotelnich was often left without an electricity because the capacity of local electric power station was low. Delivery of foodstuffs reduced and death-rate grew quickly. Many people refused to work. 239 were subjected to repression for political reasons by 1952 (more than a half was shot). Kotelnich became a place of exile for many notable priests.

From July 1941 it was an evacuational point where thousands of people from north-west Russia were moved. By February 1943 the population of the town mounted to 32,5 thousand. There wasn't much space to settle all the evacuees. Many families from the western regions were lodged together with local ones in their own apartments. Though it was to send many people to the rural locality. There were organized four evacuational hospitals, and 50 thousand fighters recovered there and returned to the battle-front; 619 died. 654 natives of Kotelnich parished in the battles of World War II.

First post-war years were depressive. A strong crisis was experienced in production and dwelling. It was so until the late sixties when many plants were reconstructed or newly built. The biggest are "Micrometer", a ferro-concrete and furniture plants (21 enterprise in all). By eightees each citizen had a little more than 13 sq meters of dwelling space. Several schools, colleges and cultural establishments appeared at that time.

Reforms conducted in the end of the century lead to a rapid decrease of population, employment and industrial production. The capacities of local plants were used only on one fifth. Modern russian economy is based on raw materials and leaves a little chance to Kotelnich to grow in any important sphere.

References