It was previously known as Nizhniye Kresty (until 1963). In 1989 the population of Chersky peaked on 11,176 inhabitants; however, like most Soviet settlements in the Arctic, it has been largely abandoned after the dissolution of the Soviet Union as most of its residents left. A similar depopulation happened in Magadan Oblast and Chukotka, and in lighter scale in the Russian Far East.
History
It was founded as Nizhniye Kresty (Нижние Кресты) in 1931.[citation needed] In 1963, it was granted urban-type settlement status[2] and renamed Chersky, after Jan Czerski, a Polish geographer who organized several expeditions in the surrounding area in the 1880s.[11] From the 1950s to the early 1990s, Chersky hosted logistical wing for drifting ice stations, which ran a supply route via Zhokhov Island.
Despite being located inside the Arctic circle, Chersky has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classificationDfc). Although severe, the climate sees less extremes in temperature than localities such as Yakutsk, Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk that are located more south, but further away from ocean. Summers are generally cool, although temperature may occasionally rise above 30 °C. Unusual for such a cold place, temperatures above 0 °C have been recorded in every month of the year.
^ abAccording to Article 7 of the Law #77-I, lower-level administrative divisions with the status of a settlement have their administrative centers in an inhabited locality with the status of an urban-type settlement. According to the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Divisions of the Sakha Republic, Chersky is the administrative center of the Settlement of Chersky.
^ abcdefghiRegistry of the Administrative-Territorial Divisions of the Sakha Republic
^Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 г. Национальный состав населения по регионам России [All Union Population Census of 1979. Ethnic composition of the population by regions of Russia] (XLS). Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 года [All-Union Population Census of 1979] (in Russian). 1979 – via Demoscope Weekly (website of the Institute of Demographics of the State University—Higher School of Economics.
^Прохоров, А. М., ed. (1978). "Черский Иван Дементьевич". «Большая Советская Энциклопедия» (В 30 томах). Vol. 29. Москва: Советская энциклопедия. p. 112.
^The selo of Petushki is listed under the administrative jurisdiction of Chersky in the 2009 edition of the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Divisions of the Sakha Republic, but is not mentioned in Law 173-Z #353-III as a part of Chersky Urban Settlement within the municipal divisions framework. It was slated for liquidation in 2005; however, it had never been abolished officially.
Sources
Official website of the Sakha Republic. Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Divisions of the Sakha Republic. Nizhnekolymsky District. (in Russian)
Государственное Собрание (Ил Тумэн) Республики Саха (Якутия). Закон №173-З №353-III от 30 ноября 2004 г. «Об установлении границ и о наделении статусом городского и сельского поселений муниципальных образований Республики Саха (Якутия)», в ред. Закона №1058-З №1007-IV от 25 апреля 2012 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Республики Саха (Якутия) "Об установлении границ и о наделении статусом городского и сельского поселений муниципальных образований Республики Саха (Якутия)"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Якутия", №245, 31 декабря 2004 г. (State Assembly (Il Tumen) of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic. Law #173-Z No. 353-III of November 30, 2004 On Establishing the Borders and on Granting the Urban and Rural Settlement Status to the Municipal Formations of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, as amended by the Law #1058-Z No. 1007-IV of April 25, 2012 On Amending the Law of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic "On Establishing the Borders and on Granting the Urban and Rural Settlement Status to the Municipal Formations of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
Государственное Собрание (Ил Тумэн) Республики Саха (Якутия). Закон №172-З №351-III от 30 ноября 2004 г. «Об установлении границ и о наделении статусом муниципального района муниципальных образований Республики Саха (Якутия)», в ред. Закона №1535-З №597-V от 27 ноября 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в статьи 1 и 2 Закона Республики Саха (Якутия) "Об установлении границ и о наделении статусом муниципального района муниципальных образований Республики Саха (Якутия)"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Якутия", №245, 31 декабря 2004 г. (State Assembly (Il Tumen) of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic. Law #172-Z No. 351-III of November 30, 2004 On Establishing the Borders and on Granting the Municipal District Status to the Municipal Formations of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, as amended by the Law #1535-Z No. 597-V of November 27, 2015 On Amending Articles 1 and 2 of the Law of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic "On Establishing the Borders and on Granting the Municipal District Status to the Municipal Formations of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic". Effective as of the day of the official publication.).