Bilibinsky District

As with Anadyrsky District, the earliest human remains found have been dated to the early Neolithic, with camp sites having been excavated at Orlovka 2—ya site on the banks of the Orlovka River—as well as at Lake Tytyl and Lake Ilirney.[14]

Cossacks first became aware of an indigenous people living on the territory of present-day Bilibinsky District after encountering trouble with a group of Chukchi from the area when on the Alazeya River near the modern border with the Sakha Republic in the 1640s.[14]

Following the establishment of Anadyrsk by Semyon Dezhnyov, the Bolshoy Anyuy River became the main thoroughfare linking the new ostrog (fortress) with the fort at Nizhnekolymsk, with the region being the first place in Chukotka where native people met with Russians.[2] In 1788, the first trade fair was held on the banks of the Bolshoy Anyuy between Russians and Chukchi, a vital step in encouraging trade and peaceful relations between the two peoples.[2] Once this route became regularly used, further discoveries were made of additional indigenous peoples inhabiting the area, including the Yukaghirs living along the banks of the Bolshoy Anyuy and Maly Anyuy Rivers, as well as Chuvans, who lived further upstream. Throughout the remainder of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th, Yukaghirs served as guides to the Cossacks exploring this new land.[14]

By the mid-18th century, there was considerable trade between the local Chukchi people and the Russians, and by 1788 it reached such a high level that the first official trade fair between the two peoples and the Chuvans was held on the banks of the Bolshoy Anyuy. This became an annual fair with the Russians trading tobacco and metal items with the indigenous peoples for skins and furs.[14]

In December 1930, the Chukotka National Okrug was established, consisting of Anadyrsky, Chukotsky, Markovsky, Chaunsky, Vostochnoy Tundry (later renamed Bilibinsky) and Zapadnoy Tundry Districts.[2] Ostrovnoye became the first administrative center of the Vostochnoy Tundry District, with authority over six separate selsoviets (Bolshe-Enyuysky, Malo-Enyuysky, Oloysky, Oloychansky, Ostrovnovsky, and Pogyndinsky.[2] Ostrovnoye remained the administrative center of the district for the next twenty years until March 15, 1950, when the administrative center was transferred to Anyuysk.[2]

It was not until the 20th century that with the discovery of gold in the area mineral exploration began to take place, and it was during this time that the district began to resemble its current state. Although substantial deposits of gold had been found, the outbreak of World War II prevented any follow-up until the mid-1950s. In March 1955, the first gold deposits were found and construction of a village in the vicinity named Karalvaam began.[2] In 1956, Karalvaam was renamed Bilibino after the discoverer of these deposits, Yury Bilibin.[2]

Further deposits of gold were found along the Maly Anyuy and other minerals were found throughout the district as well, accelerating the development of the regional economy. This resulted in the construction of a diesel power station in Bilibino in 1959, which was converted to nuclear power in 1973.

In September 1968, a decision was made in Magadan (for at that time Chukotka was part of a large Magadan Oblast) to grant Bilibino town status and in August 1961, the administrative center of the district was moved once more; this time to Bilibino, where it remains to this day.[2]

Despite the mineral riches present in Bilibinsky District, sufficient quantities are not being generated to make for meaningful export along the Northern Sea Route.[15]

Division source:[8]
Population source:[4]
*Administrative centers are shown in bold

The economy of Bilibinsky District has suffered considerably since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, with the population of the district more than halving in the years between 1996 and 2005.[19] In 2005, there were approximately 1,500 people officially employed in the district and less than 200 people officially unemployed.[18] The average wage in 2002 across all sectors was nearly 11,500 rubles per month, approximately 10% higher than those employed in the transportation and fuel sectors in Anadyrsky District, the best paid sectors in that district, mainly due to those employed in the nuclear power station.[18]

The administrative center of the district is the town Bilibino, which is home to the world's most northerly nuclear power station, which contains four reactors[20] and is the only nuclear power plant in the Russian Far East. It is also the world's smallest nuclear power plant.

Despite its size, in terms of the percentage of the population the district has only around half the number of indigenous peoples than much smaller districts, such as Beringovsky District, with only around 20% of the total population coming from indigenous peoples, mainly Evenks and Yukaghir.[2] These people are engaged like many across the autonomous okrug in traditional reindeer herding, with a deliberate focus being placed by the district administration on creating outlets, through which the products of this herding may be sold.[2]

By 2005, there had been a significant reduction in the agricultural output of the district, with milk and egg production ceasing entirely and meat production reduced by two-thirds.[18]

Keperveyem Airport terminal which serves Bilibino

Transportation within the district is an issue, with there being very little in the way of all-weather paved surfaces. Instead most of the roads are winter-only ice roads, so the district is heavily reliant on air travel to move goods and people.[2] Aside from an undeveloped road network, Bilibinsky District is the only district in the autonomous okrug that does not have a significant port. Instead it must rely on other ports, with Pevek being the closest sizable harbor, as a delivery point for all imports that arrive by sea. The only year-round road is the one that links Bilibino with Keperveyem.[18] Road access to all other settlements in the district is only possible along winter roads.[18]

• Дума Чукотского автономного округа. Закон №33-ОЗ от 30 июня 1998 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Чукотского автономного округа», в ред. Закона №55-ОЗ от 9 июня 2012 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Чукотского автономного округа "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Чукотского автономного округа"». Вступил в силу по истечении десяти дней со дня его официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Ведомости", №7 (28), 14 мая 1999 г. (Duma of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Law #33-OZ of June 30, 1998 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, as amended by the Law #55-OZ of June 9, 2012 On Amending the Law of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug". Effective as of after ten days from the day of the official publication.).
• Правительство Чукотского автономного округа. Распоряжение №517-рп от 30 декабря 2008 г. «Об утверждении реестра административно-территориальных и территориальных образований Чукотского автономного округа», в ред. Распоряжения №323-рп от 27 июня 2011 г. «О внесении изменений в Распоряжение Правительства Чукотского автономного округа от 30 декабря 2008 года №517-рп». Опубликован: База данных "Консультант-плюс". (Government of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Directive #517-rp of December 30, 2008 On the Adoption of the Registry of the Administrative-Territorial and Territorial Formations of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, as amended by the Directive #323-rp of June 27, 2011 On Amending the Government of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Directive No. 517-rp of December 30, 2008. ).
• Дума Чукотского автономного округа. Закон №43-ОЗ от 29 ноября 2004 г. «О статусе, границах и административных центрах муниципальных образований на территории Билибинского района Чукотского автономного округа», в ред. Закона №88-ОЗ от 20 октября 2010 г «О преобразовании путём объединения поселений на территории Билибинского муниципального района и внесении изменений в Закон Чукотского автономного округа "О статусе, границах и административных центрах муниципальных образований на территории Билибинского района Чукотского автономного округа"». Вступил в силу через десять дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Ведомости", №31/1 (178/1), 10 декабря 2004 г. (Duma of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Law #43-OZ of November 29, 2004 On the Status, Borders, and Administrative Centers of the Municipal Formations on the Territory of Bilibinsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, as amended by the Law #88-OZ of October 20, 2010 On the Transformation (Merger) of the Settlements on the Territory of Bilibinsky Municipal District and Amending the Law of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug "On the Status, Borders, and Administrative Centers of the Municipal Formations on the Territory of Bilibinsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug". Effective as of the day ten days after the official publication date.).
• Petit Fute, Chukotka