Olyokminsk

It was founded in 1635 as an ostrog by the Cossacks led by Pyotr Beketov, sited on the left bank of the Lena opposite the mouth of the Olyokma River. The outpost was later moved a few kilometers upstream, to a location less prone to flooding in spring. As the junction for river traffic on the Lena and Olyokma, it was the base for Russian expeditions further east and eventually became a trade center on the river route to Yakutsk. Town status was granted to it in 1783. Decembrists Nikolay Chizhov and Andrey Andreyev were exiled here. During World War II, an airfield was built here for the Alaska-Siberian (ALSIB) air route used to ferry American Lend-Lease aircraft to the Eastern Front. ==Geography==

The town is located on the left bank of the Lena River. To the north rises the Lena Plateau and to the south, beyond the right bank of the Lena, lies the Olyokma-Chara Plateau. ==Administrative and municipal status==

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Olyokminsk serves as the administrative center of Olyokminsky District. ==Economy and infrastructure==

Timber processing and a power plant are the focus of the town's economy, along with farming in the surrounding area. Transportation Olyokminsk is served by the Olyokminsk Airport . ==Culture and sights==

The town is notable for a number of surviving pre-20th century wooden architecture, including the Alexander Nevsky Chapel (1891) and Cathedral of Our Savior (1860). ==Climate==

Olyokminsk has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc). Winters have temperatures averaging from in January, while summers have average temperatures from in July. In the summer months of June, July, and August, it is not uncommon for temperatures to surpass during the day. Precipitation is significantly higher in summer than at other times of the year. Although summers are similar to republic capital Yakutsk, winters are less severe courtesy of the lower latitude. As a result, Olyokminsk is rare for the Sakha Republic cities in that it has recorded above-freezing temperatures during January and February. Those episodes are rare and very short-lived. On August 6, 1986, Olyokminsk recorded its highest ever temperature of . The record low for Olyokminsk was in 1907. July is the only month when temperatures never dropped below and December is only month when temperatures have never reached . ==References==