Nalchik Нальчик
City
Other transcription(s)
• Kabardian	НалщӀэч
• Balkar	Нальчик
Bochka Bar, Pobeda Cinema, Cathedral of Equal to the Apostle Mary Magdalene, Fountain at the Place de la Concorde in the Lenina Street, Monument to the Nalchans who died in the Great Patriotic War, Trees in a park, Snow in a memorial, Statue of Lenin, Central Mosque, KBSU Main Building
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Nalchik
Nalchik Location of Nalchik Show map of Russia Nalchik Nalchik (Kabardino-Balkaria) Show map of Kabardino-Balkaria
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
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Kabardino-Balkaria
Founded	1724
City status since	1921
Government
• Body	City Council[1]
• Head[2]	Taymuraz Akhokhov[2]
Area [3]
• Total	67 km2 (26 sq mi)
Elevation	512 m (1,680 ft)
Population  (2010 Census)[4]
• Total	240,203
• Estimate  (2018)[5]	239,300 (−0.4%)
• Rank	78th in 2010
• Density	2,234.3/km2 (5,787/sq mi)
Administrative status
• Subordinated to	city of republic significance of Nalchik[6]
• Capital of	Kabardino-Balkar Republic
• Capital of	city of republic significance of Nalchik[6]
Municipal status
• Urban okrug	Nalchik Urban Okrug[7]
• Capital of	Nalchik Urban Okrug[7]
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK [8])
Postal code(s)[9]	360000, 360005, 360032, 360901, 360903, 360904
Dialing code(s)	+7 8662[10]
OKTMO ID	83701000001
City Day	September 1[11]
Website	admnalchik.ru

Nalchik (Russian: Нальчик; Kabardian: НалщӀэч /naːɮɕʼakʲ/; Karachay-Balkar: Нальчик /naltsɯk/) is the capital city of the Kabardino-Balkarian 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 (Beslan is in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania).^[12] It covers an area of 131 square kilometers (51 sq mi). Its population has fluctuated over the years, with the following numbers: 240,203 (2010 Census);^[4] 274,974 (2002 Census);^[13] 234,547 (1989 Census).^[14]

History

The territory of modern-day Nalchik was formerly known as Slabada. It was inhabited by native Kabardians, Balkars, Chechens, Adeki, and Cherkese, until around 1743; groups occasionally clashed over and dispute their claims to the land. The modern city dates from the early 19th century when the expanding Russian Empire built a fort there together with settling Mountain Jews in 1818; this date is seen at the top of the city's coat of arms. With the founding of the city of Nalchik, the disputes among the native groups calmed and life improved for the people in the region.

In 1838, a Russian military settlement was founded in the city, and after the Russian Revolution of 1917, in the year 1921, Nalchik was given the status of administrative center of Kabardin Autonomous Oblast. During the Russian Empire, the settlement was the administrative capital of the Nalchiksky Okrug of the Terek Oblast.

Nalchik Arc De Triumph

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 na'l, a common Middle Eastern word (Arabic, Persian, Turkish) for "horseshoe", possibly from the ancient Scythian, 'nalak" (horseshoe). The city of Nalchik was named this way because of how it is shaped as surrounded by the mountains of the land, and the Nalchik River is named after the city it runs across.

Concord Square

During World War II, on 2 November 1942, Nalchik was occupied by Romanian mountain troops (Vânători de munte) under the command of Brigadier General Ioan Dumitrache, its capture earning the Romanian General the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.^[15] The city was heavily damaged during the conflict. General Dumitrache went to great length ordering his troops to protect local population during the time Nalchik was occupied by Romanian forces. Professor A. N. Dainaco, the Mayor of Nalchik at that time, thanked General Dumitrache for liberating the city. Although he was accused of war crimes, General Dumitrache was fully exonerated after the war by a joint Soviet and Romanian judicial commission.^[16]

Due to the harsh treatment of Jewish People by the Soviet Union, there has been a mass exodus of Jews from Nalchik over the decades, reducing the population that is left to a small percentage of what once was.

The historic River Nalchik was at its strongest until the 1950s, until the outflow from the mountains began to decrease.

In 1990, there was a 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Nalchik.

Street scene on the Nalchik Outskirts with a view of the mountain range

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. Thirty-five policemen were killed in the fighting and eighty-nine militants, including prominent leader Ilias Gorchkhanov, were killed while another fifty-nine were arrested.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with four rural localities, incorporated as the city of republic significance of Nalchik—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.^[6] As a municipal division, the city of republic significance of Nalchik is incorporated as Nalchik Urban Okrug.^[7]

Ethnic groups

Cathedral of Equal to the Apostle Mary Magdalene

Central Mosque of Nalchik

The population of the city in 2006 included the following breakdown by ethnicity:^{[citation needed]}

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

2002 census data is as follows:^[17]

• Kabardians (47.3%)
• Russians (31.8%)
• Balkars (11.4%)
• Ossetians (1.9%)
• Ukrainians (1.0%)

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-Balkarian State University^[18]
• North Caucasian State Institute of Arts^[19]
• Kabardino-Balkarian State Agricultural Academy^[20]

Climate

Nalchik has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfa) with hot summers and no dry season. The warm season lasts from late May to mid-September and the cold season from December to March. Most forms of precipitation are light rain and thunderstorms, as well as light snow and moderate snow. Wind speeds are typically calm to a light breeze through the year.

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.^[23]

Notable people

• Khadzhimurat Akkayev, Olympic weightlifter, born 1985
• Astemir Apanasov, Circassian singer, musician, composer, and actor
• Viktor Belenko, Soviet pilot who defected with a MiG-25, landing in Hakodate, Japan
• Dima Bilan, singer, born 1981
• Felix Frankl, Austrian and Soviet mathematician, physicist and aerodynamics (1905–1961)
• Andre Geim, Soviet, British and Netherlands physicist; Nobel laureate
• Muhadin Kishev, Soviet and Spanish artist, born 1938
• Andrei Kolkoutine painter, born 1957
• Azamat Kuliev, painter, born 1963
• Eldar Kuliev, film director, screenwriter, born 1951
• Alim Kouliev, actor, theater director, born 1959
• Katya Lel, singer, born in 1974
• Alexander Litvinenko, ex-FSB officer turned anti-Putin activist, born 1962, poisoned with polonium-210 and died 2006.
• Leo Mol, Soviet and Canadian artist and sculptor (1915–2009)
• Nikolay Pavlov, professional footballer, born 1987
• Yuri Temirkanov, orchestra conductor, born 1938
• Mikhail Zalikhanov, academician of Russian Academy of Sciences, born 1939

Twin towns and sister cities

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