December 14, 2001
A chapel was opened in Victory Square in memory of the fallen defenders of the Fatherland. The chapel was built by the Birobidzhanstroy joint-stock company in a few months. It has become a place of remembrance for our fellow countrymen who gave their lives for their Motherland. The chapel serves the patriotic education of the younger generation.
On the outer walls of the building there are mosaic panels with the faces of saints – St. George the Victorious, Innocent of Moscow and Innocent of Irkutsk. In the chapel itself there is an icon of the Sovereign Mother of God.
Day in the history of the Jewish Autonomous Region. Photo: Photo: Regional Library
December 14, 1941
The newspaper “Birobidzhan Star” (12+) on December 14, 1941, in the section “Across the region and the city” wrote about the work of the music and ballet school:
“More than a hundred children of different ages are diligently studying in violin, viola, piano, trumpet, and ballet classes. A group of teenagers is learning to play the oboe, flute, trombone, and brass instruments of the brass band.
The teaching staff takes an active part in helping the front. Part of the earnings is transferred to the defense fund, a lot of warm clothes have been collected for the Red Army, gifts are being sent to the active army, books are being collected for the wounded. The subscription to the cash and clothing lottery was 30% of monthly earnings.
The school is now preparing its first big paid concert by students. T. Horowitz will perform with his violin ensemble. The ballet class prepared two numbers: classical and national dance. The concert program includes solo and duet performances by violinists, pianists, and choral singing. The concert will take place in the coming days. The entire collection will go to the defense fund.”
Day in the history of the Jewish Autonomous Region. Photo: Photo: Regional Library
The same newspaper says about the hunting of hunters who hunt squirrels, raccoons, roe deer and red deer: “In this hunting season, 100 wapiti are allowed to be shot in our region…” Hunters hand over the meat to a procurement point and from there the meat is supplied to canteens and restaurants: “Visitors to the city restaurant will soon receive dishes prepared from delicious red deer meat. The restaurant menu often includes dishes made from roe deer meat. Our taiga is an inexhaustible source of supplying workers with furs and meat. Information about successful hunting is coming from various places in the region.”
December 14, 1947
The newspaper “Birobidzhan Star” wrote on December 14, 1947 about preparations for the elections of deputies of the local government. The meetings of parliamentary candidates with their voters were described. The note by a participant in the hike (6+) I. Kravchenko “Skiers-agitators” talked about what task the skiers-agitators faced and what route the agitators took Birobidzhan – Valdgeim – Krasny Vostok – Pronkino – Yellow Yar:
“After meeting with voters in the village of Yellow Yar, the team of skier-campaigners returned to the city. During the hike, we covered 85 kilometers. Despite the severe frosts, all participants in the hike felt good. We visited four villages and six houses that are located far from the villages. We held four general and 70 individual conversations with voters. In each village, in each house, we were warmly welcomed and warmly thanked for our visit.”
The entire newspaper is devoted to preparations for elections to local Soviets; it provides figures and facts about what happened in this territory before 1928 and now, that is, in 1947:
“Before 1928, in the territory where the Jewish Autonomous Region now extends, there were only two industrial enterprises – the Tunguska timber plant in the village of Nikolaevka and the Sutar gold mines. Now there are 63 operating and eight enterprises under construction of the union, regional and local subordination.”
The article by L. Patkin, editor of the regional newspaper “Stalinsky Call” (12+), provides the memoirs of an old resident of the city of Obluchye, who has lived there since 1911. This is what 70-year-old A.D. says. Parharidi:
— Where the city with a large population now lies, there was wilderness, taiga, and swamp. There were several houses here. The station was located in a small wooden hut. Nearby, in the best houses, lived a contractor, a gendarmerie captain, and a merchant. And in the barracks of 200 people each, workers huddled in incredible cramped conditions and dirt. There was one paramedic for the entire line. Electric light burned only in the houses of the local nobility. The arrows on the tracks were illuminated by candles. The locomotive fleet consisted of low-power locomotives, the so-called “cuckoos”. From Obluchye to Bira, trains took 7-8 hours.
In the same issue of the newspaper it was reported that fishing industry region is represented by: Nikolaev and Birobidzhan (Golovino village), Teploozersky and Bidzhan (Kailan village) fish hatcheries and fishing artels:
“The region’s fishermen exceeded the state fishing plan and pledged to catch 5.5 thousand pounds of fish in excess of the plan by the end of the year. Fish hatcheries have raised about 350 million fry during their existence.”
