Kem
Кемь
Town[1]
Lenina street, 23a, Kem, Karelia, Russia
Lenina street, 23a, Kem, Karelia, Russia
Flag of Kem
Flag
Coat of arms of Kem
Coat of arms
Location of Kem
Map
Kem is located in Russia
Kem
Kem
Location of Kem
Kem is located in Karelia
Kem
Kem
Kem (Karelia)
Coordinates: 64°57′N 34°35′E / 64.950°N 34.583°E / 64.950; 34.583
CountryRussia
Federal subjectRepublic of Karelia[1]
Administrative districtKemsky District[1]
First mentioned1450
Town status since1785
Elevation
10 m (30 ft)
Population
 (2010 Census)[2]
 • Total13,051
 • Estimate 
(2018)[3]
11,182 (−14.3%)
 • Capital ofKemsky District[1]
 • Municipal districtKemsky Municipal District[4]
 • Urban settlementKemskoye Urban Settlement[4]
 • Capital ofKemsky Municipal District,[5] Kemskoye Urban Settlement[4]
Time zoneUTC+3 (MSK Edit this on Wikidata[6])
Postal code(s)[7]
18661x
Dialing code(s)+7 81458
OKTMO ID86612101001
Websitekem.onego.ru/kem/

Kem (Russian: Кемь; Finnish and Karelian: Kemi) is a historic town and the administrative center of Kemsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the shores of the White Sea where the Kem River enters it, on the railroad leading from Petrozavodsk to Murmansk. It had a population of 13,051 as of 2010, which was down from previous years.

History

Historical affiliations

Novgorod Republic 1450–1478
Grand Duchy of Moscow 1478–1547
Tsardom of Russia 1547–1721
 Russian Empire 1721–1917
Russia Russian Republic 1917
Soviet Russia 1918–1922
 Soviet Union 1922–1991
 Russian Federation 1991–present

Kem was first mentioned as a demesne of the Novgorod posadnik Marfa Boretskaya in 1450, when she donated it to the Solovetsky Monastery (situated in the White Sea several kilometers off shore).[citation needed] In 1657, a wooden fort was erected there. Also wooden is the town's remarkable cathedral, built in 1711–1717. It is a fine example of the tented roof-construction so popular in old Russian architecture. The cathedral's iconostasis features precious 17th-century icons from Novgorod.

Town status was granted to Kem in 1785.[citation needed]

View of Kem in 1916

On April 10, 1918 the town was reached by Finnish troops during the Viena expedition in an attempt to join White Karelia to Finland.

In 1926–1939, Kem was used as departure place for boats headed to Solovetsky Islands carrying political prisoners. During the Cold War, the town was the site of the Poduzhemye air base, a key interceptor aircraft airfield covering Karelia.

Geography

Climate

Kem has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfc).[8] It has a significant maritime influence compared with areas further east in the country with cool summers and less severe winters. The temperature regime has more in common with maritime areas on similar parallels in the Nordic countries to the west. It is some way above polar climate due to the milder summers with three months above 10 °C (50 °F) in mean temperature.[9]

Climate data for Kem
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 8.7
(47.7) 		6.5
(43.7) 		12.0
(53.6) 		19.6
(67.3) 		29.2
(84.6) 		32.5
(90.5) 		32.6
(90.7) 		32.9
(91.2) 		25.6
(78.1) 		16.6
(61.9) 		11.4
(52.5) 		6.9
(44.4) 		32.6
(90.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −6.9
(19.6) 		−6.4
(20.5) 		−1.6
(29.1) 		3.4
(38.1) 		9.1
(48.4) 		14.9
(58.8) 		18.5
(65.3) 		16.3
(61.3) 		11.8
(53.2) 		5.4
(41.7) 		−0.8
(30.6) 		−4.4
(24.1) 		4.9
(40.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) −10.3
(13.5) 		−9.9
(14.2) 		−5.3
(22.5) 		−0.3
(31.5) 		5.1
(41.2) 		10.9
(51.6) 		14.5
(58.1) 		13.0
(55.4) 		8.7
(47.7) 		3.1
(37.6) 		−3.3
(26.1) 		−7.6
(18.3) 		1.6
(34.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −14.1
(6.6) 		−13.5
(7.7) 		−9.1
(15.6) 		−4.1
(24.6) 		1.7
(35.1) 		7.1
(44.8) 		11.2
(52.2) 		9.8
(49.6) 		5.9
(42.6) 		0.7
(33.3) 		−5.9
(21.4) 		−10.9
(12.4) 		−1.8
(28.8)
Record low °C (°F) −40.3
(−40.5) 		−35.1
(−31.2) 		−32.5
(−26.5) 		−25.8
(−14.4) 		−12.2
(10.0) 		−2.6
(27.3) 		2.0
(35.6) 		0.6
(33.1) 		−4.1
(24.6) 		−17.0
(1.4) 		−26.3
(−15.3) 		−34.2
(−29.6) 		−40.3
(−40.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 26
(1.0) 		19
(0.7) 		23
(0.9) 		26
(1.0) 		48
(1.9) 		56
(2.2) 		59
(2.3) 		63
(2.5) 		54
(2.1) 		52
(2.0) 		41
(1.6) 		31
(1.2) 		498
(19.6)
Source: Pogoda.ru.net

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Kem serves as the administrative center of Kemsky District, to which it is directly subordinated.[1] As a municipal division, the town of Kem, together with three rural localities, is incorporated within Kemsky Municipal District as Kemskoye Urban Settlement.[4]

In popular culture

Kem was the filming location for the 2006 film The Island.

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Law #871-RZK
  2. ^ Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1 [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года [2010 All-Russia Population Census] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
  3. ^ "26. Численность постоянного населения Российской Федерации по муниципальным образованиям на 1 января 2018 года". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d Law #813-RZK
  5. ^ Law #825-ZRK
  6. ^ "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  7. ^ Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (in Russian)
  8. ^ "Kem', Russia Climate Summary". Weatherbase. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  9. ^ "Kem', Russia Climate Summary". Weatherbase. Retrieved March 22, 2015.

Sources

External links

Media related to Kem (town) at Wikimedia Commons

Administrative divisions of the Republic of Karelia
Russian North
Authority control databases
Categories