April 24, 1937
On this day, a meeting of writers of the Jewish Autonomous Region together with the literary archive took place. Comrade made a report at the meeting. Rabin.
Clippings from the newspaper “Birobidzhan Star”. Photo: Photo: Regional Library
In the newspaper “Birobidzhan Star” (12+) in the note “Collection of Writers” it was written about it like this:
“…Comrade Rabin pointed out to writers the main and most important thing in writing – improving the quality of works. The fact is that all materials relating to the Jewish Autonomous Region are of such interest to the press of the Soviet Union, as well as abroad, that raw, unprocessed literary works are often published, in which artistic simplicity and brightness of the image are largely absent. Therefore, Comrade Rabin called on literary workers to pay attention to the quality of literary works and to work on themselves.
The meeting decided, instead of publishing individual almanacs and collections, to firmly group itself around the magazine “Forpost” (16+) and to present in the anniversary issue the best and most accomplished works, by which it will be possible to determine the growth and quality of the work of the writers themselves.”
April 24, 1945
Monument to I.R. Paper in the park near the Dalselmash plant. Photo: Photo: EAOMedia news agency archive
On this day, the communist, machine operator of the Birobidzhan wagon factory (later the Dalselmash plant) Joseph Romanovich Bumagin, who repeated the immortal feat of Alexander Matrosov during the storming of Breslau, died. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Bumagin was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. A working village in the regional center was named after the hero; it was given to the best pioneer squads.
April 24, 1964
In accordance with the resolution of the bureau of the regional committee of the CPSU, a regional economic conference was held, which discussed the issue of further improving economic work at industrial enterprises. The conference adopted recommendations to improve production profitability.
April 24, 1970
The Smidovichi district party committee sent information to the regional party committee, which noted that 23 NOT plans with an economic effect of 93.9 thousand rubles were introduced at enterprises and construction sites in the district in 1968-1970. The NOT plans cover 18 workshops, 74 sites and 751 workplaces. For 1970, seven NOT plans were developed with an economic effect of more than 70 thousand rubles.
April 24, 1979
Clippings from the newspaper “Birobidzhan Star”. Photo: Photo: Regional Library
The newspaper “Birobidzhan Star” (12+) published an interesting article by Viktor Gorelov about the toponyms of the Jewish Autonomous Region – “Our region in names.” The publication also touches on the history of the development of the region since the mid-19th century.
“The toponymy of our region is extremely varied. Some names are clear and understandable to us, the roots of others are hidden in a foreign culture, an unfamiliar language.
A large group of toponyms originates in the linguistic culture of the Amur region aborigines.
The first settlement in the region was the village of Pashkovskaya (now the village of Pashkovo). The name was given in honor of the 17th century Nerchinsk governor A. Pashkov. Dezhnevo, Golovino, Kvashnino are derived from the names of the brave explorers Dezhnev, Golovin, Kvashnin. A village in the Obluchensky district bears the name of the scientist naturalist Radde.”
The Cossack centurion Kukel was serving on the Amur at that time. The memory of him is preserved in the name Kukelevo, one of the villages of the Leninsky district. His contemporary was the chairman of the council of the main administration of Eastern Siberia, Lieutenant General Wenzel. The village of Ventselevo in the same district bears his name.
The village of Ekaterino-Nikolskoye is named after the wife of N.N. Muravyov-Amursky, Ekaterina Nikolaevna.
Samara, Nizhne-Spasskoye, Stolbovoye, Soyuznoye, Kazanka, Lazarevo – these names were transferred by Russian peasant settlers from the European provinces of Russia. Yellow Yar, Dubovoe, Teploye Lake are named after the characteristic features of the area.
In the name of the founder of the Soviet state V.I. Lenin named the regional center – the village of Leninskoye and one of the large districts. The village of Smidovich and the Smidovichsky district are named in honor of the fiery Bolshevik-Leninist P. G. Smidovich. The memory of the outstanding figures of our party S. M. Kirov and M. I. Kalinin will forever remain in the names of the villages.
The Amur Jewish Land Partnership founded Amurzet, the center of the Oktyabrsky district. Nayfeld and Birofeld – “new field” and “field near Bira” – are translated from the Hebrew names of these villages. Waldheim means “forest house”.
The territory of the present Jewish Autonomous Region was inhabited by small groups of Tungus who called themselves Birars. Their linguistic culture gave many geographical names. A number of toponyms have the root “bir” – Bira, Birakan, Sagdy-Bira, Birary. One of the groups of the Nanai branch called biroy water or a camp on high water – birue. Birakan – low water, river. Here “kan” is a diminutive suffix.”
Names with the suffix “kan” are also widespread. In our region there are Budukan and Kimkan.
A number of local place names have the root “ja”, “ji”. These are Bijan, Biranja, Khuldzhiuri (the old name of Kuldur). “Jah” is water, but not the main artery of the zone, but a secondary one.
A number of toponyms in our region are based on the Mongol-Tungus language culture: Karadub, Ikura, Kirga, Ditur. And the name of the Amur supposedly comes from the Mongolian “Kharamuren” (black river). Possibly, from the Nanai Mamu, or the Turkic “a-mur”, both elements, which in ancient times denoted the concept of “river”.
Another notable toponym of the region is Khingan. This is the name given to the mountain range that crosses the region and the river that flows into the Amur. This name also came from the Turkic-Mongolian linguistic culture.”
