Mogocha


Mogocha is a town and the administrative center of Mogochinsky District in Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia, located at the confluence of the Mogocha and Amazar Rivers, northeast of Chita, the administrative center of the krai. Population:

Etymology

The name "Mogocha" is derived from the river on which it stands, whose name comes from the Evenki word mongochi. This meaning of this word is ambiguous; it can be translated as golden valley, but also as belonging to the Mongo tribe.

History

It was founded in 1910, with the construction of the local section of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Rail traffic began in 1914. In addition to its status as a supply point for the railway, from the 1920s and 1930s it became the base for gold mining in the surrounding area. Town status was granted to it in 1950.
From 1947 until 1953, Mogocha was site for the Klyuchevlag prison labor camp of the gulag system. The camp held up to 3,000 prisoners at any one time, mainly used as forced labor for molybdenum and gold mining in the villages to the southwest of the town.
During the deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations in the 1950s, a large airbase was created near Mogocha, which hosted several helicopter regiments until the 1990s. The remoteness of Mogocha combined with the harsh climatic conditions, gave rise to the Soviet military slang expression God created Sochi, and Satan Mogocha.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and subsequent economic crisis, Mogocha lost around one third of its population, a common occurrence for cities in the Russian Far East. At the same time, a significant number of Chinese citizens and companies have moved to the region.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Mogocha serves as the administrative center of Mogochinsky District, to which it is directly subordinated. As a municipal division, the town of Mogocha, together with four rural localities, is incorporated within Mogochinsky Municipal District as Mogochinskoye Urban Settlement.

Economy

Other than railway-related industries, there is logging and timber milling conducted in the surrounding area.

Transportation

Mogocha has a station on the Trans-Siberian Railway. The town's small airport, which had opened in 1937, was closed during the 1990s.

Climate

Mogocha has a subarctic climate with bitterly cold, dry winters and mild, rainy summers.