Nalchik

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Nalchik (English) Нальчик (Russian) Налшык (Circassian) Нальчик  (Balkar)
-  City[citation needed]  -
Location of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic in Russia
Nalchik Location of Nalchik in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic
Coordinates: 43°29′N 43°37′E / 43.483°N 43.617°E / 43.483; 43.617Coordinates: 43°29′N 43°37′E / 43.483°N 43.617°E / 43.483; 43.617
Coat of arms	Flag
City Day	September 1[1]
Administrative status (as of October 2008)
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Kabardino-Balkar Republic
Administratively subordinated to	city of republic significance of Nalchik[2]
Capital of	Kabardino-Balkar Republic[citation needed]
Administrative center of	city of republic significance of Nalchik[2]
Municipal status (as of January 2011)
Urban okrug	Nalchik Urban Okrug[3]
Administrative center of	Nalchik Urban Okrug[3]
Head[4]	Zalimgeri Khagasov[4]
Representative body	City Council[5]
Statistics
Area	150 km2 (58 sq mi)[citation needed]
Population (2010 Census, preliminary)	240,095 inhabitants[6]
- Rank in 2010	79th
Population (2002 Census)	274,974 inhabitants[7]
- Rank in 2002	69th
Density (January 1, 2010)	2,234.3 /km2 (5,787 /sq mi)[8]
Time zone	MSK (UTC+04:00)[9]
Founded	1724[citation needed]
Postal code(s)	360000, 360005, 360032, 360901, 360903, 360904[10]
Dialing code(s)	+7 8662[11]
Official website
Nalchik on WikiCommons

Sosruko tower in Nalchik

Nalchik Springs

Nalchik (Russian: На́льчик; IPA: [ˈnalʲtɕɪk]; Kabardian: Налшык; Balkar: Нальчик) is the capital city of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Russia, situated at an altitude of 550 meters (1,800 ft) in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains; about 100 kilometers (62 mi) northwest of Beslan in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania.^[12] It covers an area of 131 square kilometers (51 sq mi). Population: 240,095 (2010 Census preliminary results);^[6] 274,974 (2002 Census);^[7] 234,547 (1989 Census).^[13]

History

The territory of modern-day Nalchik was inhabited by native Balkars and Kabardians as far back as 1743, but the modern city dates from the early 19th century when the expanding Russian Empire built a fort there in 1818; this date is seen at the top of the city's coat of arms. A military settlement was founded on the site in 1838. Nalchik remained relatively unimportant until after the Russian Revolution of 1917, when it was given the status of a city in 1921. It was promoted to become the administrative center of the Kabardian autonomous oblast.

The city is named after the Nalchik River, on the shores of which it is located. The word "Nalchik" literally means "small horseshoe" in Kabardian (or Circassian, a Northwest Caucasian language) and Karachay-Balkar (a Turkic language). It is a diminutive of nal, the Turkic and Turkish word for "horseshoe" derived from Arabic (نعل) with the same meaning.^[14]

During World War II, Nalchik was occupied by Nazi Germany and Romania^[15] between 28 October 1942 to 3 January 1943. The city was heavily damaged during the conflict. Nalchik's Jewish population, mostly "Mountain Jews", remained unharmed, as they were able to blend in easily with their neighbors.^[16]

Nalchik was chosen the "second cleanest city of Russia" in 2003.

On October 13, 2005, Nalchik was attacked by a large group of Yarmuk Jamaat militants led by Shamil Basayev and Anzor Astemirov. Buildings associated with the Russian security forces were targeted, killing at least 14 civilians and wounding 115. 35 policemen were killed in the fighting and 89 militants, including prominent leader Ilias Gorchkhanov, were killed while another 59 were arrested.

Administrative and municipal status

Administratively, along with four rural localities, it is incorporated as the city of republic significance of Nalchik—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.^[2] Municipally, the city of republic significance of Nalchik is incorporated as Nalchik Urban Okrug.^[3]

Ethnic groups

The population of the city includes (2006 data):

• Kabardians(Adiga) (42.3%)
• Russians (28.3%)
• Balkars(Taulu) (15.2%)
• others (13.2%)

Economy and education

Nalchik is a balneological and mountain climatotherapy resort, with several sanatoriums. It also serves as an industrial center of the republic (non-ferrous metallurgy, light industry, construction materials manufacturing, machine building).

Nalchik is home to the following facilities of higher education:

• Kabardino-Balkar State University^[17]
• Kabardino-Balkar Institute of Business
• North Caucasian State Institute of Arts^[18]
• Kabardino-Balkar State Agricultural Academy^[19]

Climate

Sports

PFC Spartak Nalchik is an association football club based in Nalchik, playing in the Russian Premier League. The 2008 World Women's Chess Championship has also been held in Nalchik on August 28–September 18, 2008.^[22]

Notable people

• Yuri Temirkanov, orchestra conductor, born 1938
• Dima Bilan, singer, born 1981
• Andre Geim, physicist
• Andrei Kolkoutine painter, born in 1957
• Eldar Kuliev, film director, screenwriter, born 1951
• Alim Kouliev, actor, theater director, born 1959
• Azamat Kuliev, painter, born 1963
• Katya Lel, singer, born in 1974
• Naum Shamilov, noted Russian Spanish musician

Twin towns and sister cities

• Amman, Jordan
• Kayseri, Turkey
• Reno, Nevada, United States
• Vladikavkaz, Russia

References

Notes

Sources

• Парламент Кабардино-Балкарской Республики. Закон №12-РЗ от 27 февраля 2005 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Кабардино-Балкарской Республики», в ред. Закона №120-РЗ от 19 декабря 2011 г «О внесении изменений в законодательные акты Кабардино-Балкарской Республики в связи с внесением поправок в Конституцию Кабардино-Балкарской Республики». Вступил в силу на следующий день после опубликования. Опубликован: "Кабардино-Балкарская правда", б/н, 1 марта 2005 г. (Parliament of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic. Law #12-RZ of February 27, 2005 On the Administrative and Territorial Structure of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, as amended by the Law #120-RZ of December 19, 2011 On Amending the Legislative Acts of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic Due to the Amendments of the Constitution of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic. Effective as of the day following the publication date.).
• Парламент Кабардино-Балкарской Республики. Закон №13-РЗ от 27 февраля 2005 г. «Об статусе и границах муниципальных образований в Кабардино-Балкарской Республики», в ред. Закона №7-РЗ от 18 января 2011 г «О внесении изменений в Закон Кабардино-Балкарской Республики "Об статусе и границах муниципальных образований в Кабардино-Балкарской Республики"». Вступил в силу на следующий день после официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Кабардино-Балкарская правда", б/н, 1 марта 2005 г. (Parliament of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic. Law #13-RZ of February 27, 2005 On the Status and the Borders of the Municipal Formations in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, as amended by the Law #7-RZ of January 18, 2011 On Amending the Law of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic "On the Status and the Borders of the Municipal Formations in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic". Effective as of the day following the official publication date.).

External links

• Kabardino-Balkar Republic
• Nalcik. Official Website of Kabardino-Balkaria (Russian)
• Интернет-портал города Нальчик / Internet Portal of Nalchik (Russian)
• Map of Nalchik (Russian)
• Nalchik airport Information (Russian)
• 1998 Stadium Incident—CNN News
• KavkazWeb.net&nbsp Nalchik. KavkazWeb.net (Russian)
• Travel agency"Luxx tour"/ The most comprehensive survey of hotels and tourist routes in the Caucasus (Russian)

v t e Administrative divisions of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic Capital: Nalchik Cities and towns Baksan · Chegem · Maysky · Nalchik · Nartkala · Prokhladny · Terek · Tyrnyauz Districts Baksansky · Chegemsky · Chereksky · Elbrussky · Leskensky · Maysky  · Prokhladnensky · Tersky  · Urvansky  · Zolsky