IZBERBASH-IZBERBASH-the Town of Oil the Town of Oil

Industry WorkersIndustry Workers

Mikhail NokhovMikhail Nokhov

Gymnasium # 1Gymnasium # 1

KhasavyurtKhasavyurt

On June, 28 1949 On June, 28 1949 according to the decree according to the decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Supreme Soviet of he RSFSR the of he RSFSR the settlement of the oil settlement of the oil workers Izberbash in workers Izberbash in Kayakent region of the Kayakent region of the republic of Dagestan republic of Dagestan got the status of the got the status of the town of the republican town of the republican significance. significance.

At present it is At present it is multinational town multinational town with the population of with the population of 40 000 people. 40 000 people. Izberbash is situated on Izberbash is situated on pre Caspian lowland at pre Caspian lowland at the foot of the the foot of the mountain Izbertau, 65 mountain Izbertau, 65 kilometers to south kilometers to south from Makhachkala, the from Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. capital of Dagestan. The railway and the The railway and the motorway connect it motorway connect it with all regions of with all regions of Dagestan and other Dagestan and other parts of Russian parts of Russian Federation. Federation.

According to the legends According to the legends the territory where the the territory where the settlement of the oil settlement of the oil workers was built later workers was built later had a very bad had a very bad reputation. The riders reputation. The riders and travelers either tried and travelers either tried to go through or around to go through or around it as soon as possible to it as soon as possible to escape the danger of escape the danger of being robbed or killed. being robbed or killed. The people called it the The people called it the “Valley of Death”. “Valley of Death”.

The History of the The History of the settlement Oil industry settlement Oil industry workers began in the year of workers began in the year of 1931 when the first tent was 1931 when the first tent was placed not far from the placed not far from the railway substation by the railway substation by the workers who were doing the workers who were doing the preparation work for preparation work for developing the oil deposits. developing the oil deposits.

Sergo Ordzhonikidze, the Sergo Ordzhonikidze, the national commissar for national commissar for heavy industry was heavy industry was responsible for the future responsible for the future fate of the oil production in fate of the oil production in Dagestan and he appointed Dagestan and he appointed trust “Grozneft” to produce trust “Grozneft” to produce the prospector work. the prospector work.

The name of the town has The name of the town has a special history. The a special history. The population of the nearest population of the nearest villages was the Kumics – villages was the Kumics – the people belonging to the people belonging to Turkish language group. Turkish language group. That’s why the name of the That’s why the name of the town has a Turkish origin. town has a Turkish origin. At first it was a Izbar, At first it was a Izbar, which in kumic meant – which in kumic meant – a place where the pass is. a place where the pass is. When they were building a When they were building a railway the German railway the German specialists changed the specialists changed the word “bar” to “berg” which word “bar” to “berg” which in German means “a in German means “a mountain”, so following mountain”, so following the engineer’s example the engineer’s example the village and the railway the village and the railway substation were called substation were called Izberg.Izberg.

The French writer Alexander Dumas while travelling about the The French writer Alexander Dumas while travelling about the Caucasus visited that place and he was the first to notice that Caucasus visited that place and he was the first to notice that the outline of the mountain near the town resembles the profile the outline of the mountain near the town resembles the profile of the Great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. It has been called of the Great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. It has been called the Pushkintau since then.the Pushkintau since then.

The local population changes the word The local population changes the word “berg” in the name of the settlement to “berg” in the name of the settlement to “bash” which means – a head. So the “bash” which means – a head. So the settlement got the name of Izberbash, settlement got the name of Izberbash, which means the trace of the head on which means the trace of the head on the mountain. the mountain.

In the place where the marshes and the swamps were In the place where the marshes and the swamps were now there spread a young Dagestan town of Izberbash. now there spread a young Dagestan town of Izberbash. The streets are wide and straight, there are a lot of The streets are wide and straight, there are a lot of trees, flowers, gardens and vineyards there. trees, flowers, gardens and vineyards there.

There have been recently built many high-rise buildings, many tall individual houses, industrial enterprises, a new building of the town administration, a new hotel, a Palace of Culture, a new holiday home on the shore of the Caspian sea.

There are two theaters here, and three folklore museums in the There are two theaters here, and three folklore museums in the town. town.

The industrial enterprises produce the unique eclectic stows. The industrial enterprises produce the unique eclectic stows. There are some confectionary factories there too.There are some confectionary factories there too.