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Nalchik

[nahl-chik; Russ. nahl-chyik]

Nalchik, city (1989 pop. 235,000), capital of Kabardino-Balkar Republic, S European Russia, on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus. A health and tourist resort, it is the gateway to the Mt. Elbrus region. It also also has considerable industry, notably a molybdenum-tungsten mill; semiconductors, electrical machinery and equipement, and chemicals are also produced. Nalchik was founded in 1817 as a Russian stronghold, and made a city in 1921. In Oct., 2005, the city was the scene of simultaneous attacks by Islamic militants on multiple security targets and the airport that left scores dead; the attackers had links to Chechen rebels.

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Nalchik

City (pop., 2006 est.: 271,447), southwestern Russia. It lies along the Nalchik River where the river leaves the Caucasian foothills. Founded as a Russian fortress in 1818, it gained importance after the Russian Revolution of 1917. It is a popular holiday, climbing, and health resort, and it has a university and research institute. It contains considerable industry, including engineering and hydrometallurgy.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

Nalchik

Nalchik (На́льчик; Kabardian: Налшык; Balkar: Нальчик) is a city in the Caucasus region of southern Russia and capital of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic. The city is situated at an altitude of in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. It covers an area of . Population:

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.

During World War II, Nalchik was occupied by Nazi Germany and Romania between 28 October 1942 to 3 January 1943. The city was heavily damaged during the conflict.

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

Ethnic groups

Population of the city include (2002 data):

Kabardians (42.3%)
Russians (31.3%)
Balkars (13.2%)
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:

Sports

PFC Spartak Nalchik is a football club based in Nalchik, playing in the Russian Premier League. The 2008 World Women's Chess Championship has also been announced to be held in Nalchik, 28 August - 18 September 2008.

October 2005 attack on Nalchik

On October 13, 2005, buildings in Nalchik associated with the Russian security forces were attacked by a large group of armed men. At least 136 people were reported to have been killed in the fighting.

October 13, 2005 was a Thursday, and while the city was shut down for the most part on Friday, October 14, the market partially reopened on Saturday, and the city was 'up and running' to almost full capacity on the following Monday.

Although the Western press largely blamed this attack on the Chechens, it was actually a local group, Yarmuk Jamaat, composed of Kabardian and Balkar men who carried out the attack. The swell in security forces in and around Nalchik after these attacks was substantial.

Notable people

Osman Mazukabzov, internet entrepreneur, creator of a variety of popular websites, including http://www.KavkazWeb.net, born 1976
Yuri Temirkanov, orchestra conductor, born 1938
Dima Bilan, famous Russian singer, born 1981
Yefrem Amiramov, Poet, Musician, born in 1956
Andrei Kolkoutine painter, born in 1957
Katya Lel, Singer, born in 1974
Andrey Lefler, Singer, born in 1987