The city, which was honored with a high mission to become the capital of the Amur Region, is a record holder in its own way. This is the only settlement in the Russian Federation that is located right on the border, and Heihe - its Chinese sister - is only half a kilometer away. Therefore, the history of Blagoveshchensk is inextricably linked with its great neighbor - China.
Foundation of the settlement
The history of Blagoveshchensk begins (in a summary) in 1856, which is considered the year of the foundation of the settlement. True, Russian travelers appeared here much earlier, back in 1644, it was the team of Vasily Poyarkov.
In 1653, the famous Russian explorer Erofei Khabarov also ended up in these places, even planning to start building a prison. But the signing of the Nerchinsk Treaty canceled these plans for almost two hundred years.
In 1856, the first batch of soldiers and Cossacks appeared, whose task was to prepare a bridgehead for the fortress, organize a military post, and build houses for potential residents. A year later, the Trans-Baikal Cossacks arrived here with their families (about a hundred people).
Education and development of the city
The period was quite difficult, since it was necessary to build diplomatic relations between the Russians and the Chinese who originally lived in these lands. From July 1858, according to the decree of Emperor Alexander II, the history of Blagoveshchensk began as a city, and from December of the same year - as the center of the Amur Region.
The second half of the 19th century was marked for this Far Eastern city by the rapid development of the economy, industry and agriculture. Gold mining became the main city-forming direction (this lasted practically until 1917 and the establishment of the power of the Soviets).
XX century - time of military conflicts
The beginning of the century for the inhabitants of Blagoveshchensk was marked by a military conflict with the Chinese side, in connection with which the townspeople armed themselves. The opposite side began the bombing, in response, it was decided to expel the Chinese residents of the Russian city to their historical homeland.
The events of October 1917 echoed on the outskirts of the Russian Empire, important events took place almost daily:
- November 1917 - the establishment of the power of the Soviets in Blagoveshchensk;
- 1918 - the uprising of the Cossacks against the Reds;
- 1919 - Japanese occupation and mass executions;
- since 1920 - a peaceful life, but on the terms of a border town.
The further history of Blagoveshchensk is inseparable from the history of the Soviet Union, until the end of the 1980s the city was considered a border city, and therefore entry into it was restricted for Soviet citizens and prohibited for foreigners.
