Kurilsk (Kuril’sk)
Ainu have been known to inhabit the present site of Kurilsk since the 2nd millennium BCE, with their settlement known as Shana, and under Russian rule as Syana (Сяна). Russian colonists first appeared on Iturup in the late 18th century, with the Japanese erecting a military post in 1800. Tensions between Russian and Japanese colonists in the area led to the Treaty of Shimoda, which saw the southern Kuril Islands officially placed under Japanese rule in 1855, remaining so until the end of World War II.
Under Japanese administration that ended in 1945, the village of Shana was the central settlement of the island. As of August 15, 1945, the population of the village was 1,001.
In 1947, the village was given its present name and granted town status by the Soviets. All Japanese villagers were exiled; however, the Japanese do not recognize it to have been legally dissolved and the city office of Nemuro in Hokkaido takes care of its family registry.
Map - Kurilsk (Kuril’sk)
Map
Country - Russia
Flag of Russia |
The East Slavs emerged as a recognisable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries CE. The first East Slavic state, Kievan Rus', arose in the 9th century, and in 988, it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire. Rus' ultimately disintegrated, with the Grand Duchy of Moscow growing to become the Tsardom of Russia. By the early 18th century, Russia had vastly expanded through conquest, annexation, and the efforts of Russian explorers, developing into the Russian Empire, which remains the third-largest empire in history. However, with the Russian Revolution in 1917, Russia's monarchic rule was abolished and replaced by the Russian SFSR—the world's first constitutionally socialist state. Following the Russian Civil War, the Russian SFSR established the Soviet Union (with three other Soviet republics), within which it was the largest and principal constituent. At the expense of millions of lives, the Soviet Union underwent rapid industrialization in the 1930s, and later played a decisive role for the Allies of World War II by leading large-scale efforts on the Eastern Front. With the onset of the Cold War, it competed with the United States for global ideological influence; the Soviet era of the 20th century saw some of the most significant Russian technological achievements, including the first human-made satellite and the first human expedition into outer space.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
RUB | Russian ruble | ₽ | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
CE | Chechen language |
CV | Chuvash language |
KV | Komi language |
RU | Russian language |
TT | Tatar language |