Time zones in Russia are established by the Federal Law adopted in the fall of 2014. Before its approval, there were 9 zones, today there are 11. According to international numbering, they are in the range from 2 to 12. Moscow time (hereinafter MSK) refers to the third time zone. Changes were adopted at the legislative level, so that each subject of the Russian Federation belongs to one zone. The exception is Yakutia (three time zones). So who is the first to celebrate New Year in Russia?
Uelen, Chukotka village
The globe is divided into two hemispheres: Western and Eastern. The line along which the border runs is the 180th meridian. The international agreement established: the new day begins here. The 180th meridian passes through the water basin and only twice crosses the land - Fiji Islands and the Chukchi Peninsula. That is why every Russian schoolchild knows: in our country, the day begins with Chukotka. It originates at the point of the 180th meridian, the border of which from the territory of the Bering Strait is conditionally transferred to land. In which villages does morning come first? The “frontier of the day” is the easternmost villages of Uelen and Naukan.
Here lies the answer to the question of who is the first to celebrate the New Year in Russia. For the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, located in the time zone MSK + 9, it arrives at 15:00 Moscow time. Near Cape Dezhnev is the easternmost settlement of our country - the Uelen village, where about 650 people live. It stretched along the pebble strip separating the lagoon from the Chukchi Sea, and is located at the very foot of the hill, the slope of which is visible at any time due to the black hillocks on them. The inhabitants of the village are the Eskimos, Chukchi and Russians engaged in fishing and sea hunting. It is curious that in this small settlement Yu. S. Rytkheu, a famous writer, was once born.
Naunkan Village
In fact, the easternmost village where the Eskimos lived was Naunkan. Founded presumably in the 14th century, the village was located directly on Cape Dezhnev. To the question of where the New Year is celebrated first in Russia, until 1958 they always answered: "In Naunkan."
But it was 1958 that became the last in the life of the inhabitants of the village. It was abolished by resettling 400 people throughout the autonomous region. Now, only a few monuments have been preserved on the cape in the place where once one of Dezhnev’s bumps crashed. Yes, the memory of the most famous natives of the village, including the famous engraver Khukhutan and the poetess Z.N. Nenlumkina.
The first city of Russia to celebrate the New Year
Together with Chukotka, the first one of Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden is met by the capital of the ChAO - Anadyr. The most northeastern city of the Russian Federation, located on the banks of the river of the same name. It was founded as an outpost in 1889 and was called Novo-Mariinsk. Already in the 30s he became the administrative center of the district, and in 1965 acquired the status of a city. Today its population exceeds 15 thousand people, Russians, Chukchi and Eskimos prevail. By the way, local residents call the capital ChAO Kagyrgym, which in Chukchi means "mouth", or Vien ("entrance"). The city is really located in a small neck, from where a path to the upper part of the estuary opens.
Residents of the city, living in permafrost, call the rest of Russia the mainland, emphasizing their remoteness. The distance to the capital of the Russian Federation is more than 6 100 km. Residential houses built on stilts are painted in bright colors, which against the background of the gray tundra looks quite impressive. The facades are decorated with drawings of animals, people, shamanic tambourines. The city has virtually no unemployment. In addition to reindeer husbandry, hunting and fishing, residents mine coal and gold, work at a fish factory and the largest wind farm - Anadyr Wind Farm. So, which city of Russia will be the first to celebrate the New Year? Of course, Anadyr. But it is not the only one located in the time zone of MSK + 9.
Other cities of ChAO
Two more cities are located in the Autonomous Okrug, where its residents are the first to celebrate the New Year in Russia. These are Bilibino and Pevek. The first has the status of a city since 1993 and is located even further from the capital of the Russian Federation - at a distance of 6500 km. Previously, it was called Karalvaam - by the name of the river on the banks of which it is located. The place was founded in connection with the discovery of placer gold deposits by geologists and is now considered one of the most expensive cities in the country. At the moment, its population exceeds 6.3 thousand people.
Answering the question about which city of Russia will celebrate the New Year first, it should be said about the most northern - Pevek, founded in 1933. He received his current status in 1967. Its population is 4.5 thousand people. This is an important port located on the shores of the strait, which connects the East Siberian Sea and Chaun Bay. At its time, tin deposits were discovered on its territory and two ITC institutions were founded. Today Pevek is one of the gold mining regions. However, after the closure of tin mines in the 90s, the population of the city began to decline sharply due to employment problems. By the way, during the New Year's Eve, the polar night prevails in the city, lasting until January 16.
The main city of Kamchatka
In the time zone MSK + 9, the Kamchatka Territory is also located. The capital of the administrative district is Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. This is the answer to the question of which city of Russia is the first to celebrate the New Year. Almost 180.5 thousand inhabitants of the capital of the region raise glasses with champagne before others in Russia. Among them, about 80% are Russians, just over 3.5% are Ukrainians. The remaining nationalities make up less than 1%. Among them are Tatars, Azerbaijanis, Belarusians, Koryaks, Chuvashs and others.
The city is located in the southeast of the peninsula, on the hills, on the very shore of the Avacha Bay. There are four volcanoes in sight, two of them are active. Kamchatka (especially its eastern coast) is a seismically dangerous place, so most of the buildings are built on five floors. Recently, there are skyscrapers that can withstand an earthquake of 10 points. The peculiarity of the peninsula is that there are no land communications with the mainland. To get to Vladivostok, for example, is possible only by plane or ship.
