This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the Russian Wikipedia.

Kingisepp (English) Кингисепп (Russian)
-  Town[citation needed]  -
Kingisepp museum
Location of Leningrad Oblast in Russia
Kingisepp
Coordinates: 59°22′N 28°36′E / 59.367°N 28.6°E / 59.367; 28.6Coordinates: 59°22′N 28°36′E / 59.367°N 28.6°E / 59.367; 28.6
Coat of arms	Flag
Administrative status
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Leningrad Oblast
Administrative center of	Kingiseppsky District[citation needed]
Municipal status
Mayor[citation needed]	Viktor Gashele[citation needed]
Statistics
Population (2010 Census, preliminary)	48,667 inhabitants[1]
- Rank in 2010	327th
Population (2002 Census)	50,295 inhabitants[2]
- Rank in 2002	326th
Time zone	MSK (UTC+04:00)[3]
Founded	1384[citation needed]
Previous names	Yam (until May 14, 1703),[4] Yamburg (until 1922)[4]
Postal code(s)	188480[5]
Dialing code(s)	+7 81375[5]
Official website

Kingisepp (Russian: Ки́нгисепп or Кингисе́пп), formerly Yamburg (Я́мбург), Yam (Я́м), and Yama (Я́ма), is an ancient town and the administrative center of Kingiseppsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located along the Luga River 110 kilometers (68 mi) west of St. Petersburg, 20 kilometers (12 mi) east of Narva, and 49 kilometers (30 mi) south of the Gulf of Finland. Population: 48,667 (2010 Census preliminary results);^[1] 50,295 (2002 Census);^[2] 49,954 (1989 Census).^[6]

History[link]

14th century[link]

The town was first documented in 1384, when the Novgorodians under Patrikas built there a fortress against the Swedes.^[7] They called it Yama or Yamsky Gorodok after a Finnic tribe which lived in the area^{[citation needed]}. The environs of the town are still cited as the main location of speakers of the nearly extinct Ingrian language [1]. The citadel withstood sieges by the Teutonic Knights in 1395 and during the 1444-1448 war.

16th century[link]

The town became the most important economic center of the Vodskaya pyatina of the republic. There were 201 homesteads in the 15th century in the town; its total population can only be evaluated roughly based on the estimates of 3-5 persons per homestead.^[7] At the end of the Livonian War, it was ceded to Sweden, only to be returned twelve years later, in 1595.

17th century[link]

Following the Treaty of Stolbovo, it again passed to the Swedes, who kept the name which in Swedish orthography became Jama or Jamo. The township was completely destroyed by Russian armies during the war of 1656–8, after which only the citadel remained intact. It is questionable whether the township, with its exclusively Russian townspeople, ever recovered.

18th century[link]

Yamburg's St. Catherine Cathedral was built in 1764-1782 to a late Baroque design by Antonio Rinaldi

In 1703, the citadel was finally taken by the Russians in the course of the Great Northern War (it was first held by the Russians for a month in late 1700). On May 14, 1703, Yam was renamed Yamburg^[4] (a German version of the name). Five years later, Peter the Great granted the town to Alexander Menshikov in his capacity of the Duke of Izhora. In 1780, Catherine II re-approved with some changes a previously existing coat of arms.^[4] Town status was granted in 1784.

20th century[link]

Russian Civil War[link]

Vladimir Lenin reportedly stayed in Yamburg in January 1919, when he ordered the Bolshevik troops to retake the town of Narva from Estonian forces.^[8] In October 1919, the anti-Bolshevist commander, General Nikolai Yudenich captured Yamburg, which marked the beginning of the push by the Northwestern White Army towards Petrograd.^[9] However, the Bolsheviki consequently re-captured Yamburg on November 14, 1919.^[10] On November 16, 1919, The forces of General Yudenitch were "crowded together in a small space near Yamburg", "in a serious state of disorganization", reported The New York Times at the time.^[11]

Name change[link]

The German form of the town name was retained until 1922, when the Bolsheviks renamed it in honor of the Estonian Communist leader Viktor Kingissepp. It should not be confused with the Estonian town of Kuressaare, formerly Kingissepa (1952-1988).

Kingisepp–Gdov Offensive[link]

On February 1, 1944, the 109th Rifle Division captured Kingisepp, forcing the German 18th Army into new positions on the eastern bank of Narva.^[12]

International relations[link]

Twin towns/sister cities[link]

Kingisepp is twinned with:

• Jõhvi Parish, Estonia^{[citation needed]}
• Narvik, Norway
• Sassnitz, Germany
• Raisio, Finland

Notable natives[link]

• Grigory Spiridonovich Petrov (1868–1925) - author, priest, professor, member of the Second Duma
• Gustav Heinrich Johann Apollon Tammann (1861–1938) - renowned scientist, author, professor
• Reinhold Kesküll (1900–1942) - Olympic short-distance runner
• Voldemar Noormägi (1895–1968) - Olympic weightlifter
• Aleksandr Kerzhakov (1982) - professional football player
• Mikhail Kerzhakov (1987) - professional football player
• Aleksei Ionov (1989) - professional football player
• Ivan Shpakov (1986) - professional football player

External links[link]

• traces of Jama citadel (Russian)
• Jama citadel

References[link]

v t e Administrative divisions of Leningrad Oblast Administrative center: none Cities and towns Boksitogorsk Gatchina Ivangorod Kamennogorsk Kingisepp Kirishi Kirovsk Kommunar Lodeynoye Pole Luga Lyuban Nikolskoye Novaya Ladoga Otradnoye Pikalyovo Podporozhye Primorsk Priozersk Sertolovo Slantsy Sosnovy Bor Svetogorsk Shlisselburg Syasstroy Tikhvin Tosno Volosovo Volkhov Vsevolozhsk Vyborg Vysotsk Districts Boksitogorsky Gatchinsky Kingiseppsky Kirishsky Kirovsky Lodeynopolsky Lomonosovsky Luzhsky Podporozhsky Priozersky Slantsevsky Tikhvinsky Tosnensky Volkhovsky Volosovsky Vsevolozhsky Vyborgsky

v t e Major fortresses of Western Russia Brest-Litovsk fortress Gdov Ivangorod Izborsk Kirillov Koporye Korela Kronstadt Ladoga New Dvina Fort Novgorod Oreshek Porkhov Pskov Smolensk Solovki St. Petersburg Trångsund Vyborg Yamburg 19th-century fortifications