It was founded in 1630 by the Cossacks under Vasily Bugor as a winter settlement called Nikolsky pogost.[citation needed] Along with Ust-Kut, it was one of the two main portages between the Yenisei and Lena basins. In the 1630s, Yerofey Khabarov ran a salt works here. In 1665, it was renamed Kirensky Ostrog. In 1775, it was granted town status.[citation needed] In the 19th century, a large number of political prisoners were forcibly resettled here, among whom was Józef Piłsudski. Under Stalin there was a GULAG transit camp. In 1991, over eighty bodies were found buried in the basement of the former NKVD building. All were said to have been killed on a single day in 1938 and all were killed by blows on the head, apparently to hide the noise. During the construction of the Baikal–Amur Mainline, goods were shipped up the Kirenga to Magistralny. In the 1970s, a dam was built across one mouth of the Kirenga (the place was originally an island) to reduce flooding and ice jams. In 2001, there was a major flood.
There is ship transport along the Lena in summer and an airport, but no railroad, and no proper road link to the rest of Russia. The port is used to transfer goods to smaller ships going further up the Lena.
The town is served by the Kirensk Airport. During World War II, it was a staging point for American aircraft transferred to Russia via Alaska.
Kirensk has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classificationDfc). Winters are severely cold with average temperatures from −31.3 °C (−24.3 °F) to −20.3 °C (−4.5 °F) in January, while summers are warm with average temperatures from +12.4 °C (54.3 °F) to +25.8 °C (78.4 °F). Precipitation is quite low and is significantly higher in summer than at other times of the year.
Climate data for Kirensk (1991-2020, extremes 1892–present)
Законодательное Собрание Иркутской области. Постановление №9/5-ЗС от 15 апреля 2009 г. «Устав Иркутской области», в ред. Закона №2-У от 14 декабря 2017 г. «О поправках к Уставу Иркутской области». Вступил в силу по истечении десяти дней после дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Областная", №45, 24 апреля 2009 г. (Legislative Assembly of Irkutsk Oblast. Resolution #9/5-ZS of April 15, 2009 Charter of Irkutsk Oblast, as amended by the Law #2-U of December 14, 2017 On the Amendments to the Charter of Irkutsk Oblast. Effective as of the day following a ten-day period after the day of the official publication.).
Законодательное Собрание Иркутской области. Закон №49-ОЗ от 21 июня 2010 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Иркутской области», в ред. Закона №12-ОЗ от 23 марта 2017 г. «О внесении изменений в статьи 25 и 33 Закона Иркутской области『Об административно-территориальном устройстве Иркутской области』и Закон Иркутской области "О порядке рассмотрения Законодательным Собранием Иркутской области предложений о присвоении наименований географическим объектам и (или) о переименовании географических объектов"». Вступил в силу после дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Областная", №71, 25 июня 2010 г. (Legislative Assembly of Irkutsk Oblast. Law #49-OZ of June 21, 2010 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Irkutsk Oblast, as amended by the Law #12-OZ of March 23, 2017 On Amending Articles 25 and 33 of the Law of Irkutsk Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Irkutsk Oblast" and the Law of Irkutsk Oblast "On the Procedures for Consideration of Assignments of Names to Geographical Objects and (or) Renaming of Geographical Objects". Effective as of after the day of the official publication.).
Законодательное Собрание Иркутской области. Закон №87-оз от 16 декабря 2004 г. «О статусе и границах муниципальных образований Киренского района Иркутской области», в ред. Закона №63-ОЗ от 13 июля 2016 г. «О внесении изменений в отдельные Законы Иркутской области». Вступил в силу с 31 декабря 2004 г., но не ранее чем через 10 дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Восточно-Сибирская правда", №254–255, 20 декабря 2004 г. (Legislative Assembly of Irkutsk Oblast. Law #87-oz of December 16, 2004 On the Status and Borders of the Municipal Formations of Kirensky District of Irkutsk Oblast, as amended by the Law #63-OZ of July 13, 2016 On Amending Several Laws of Irkutsk Oblast. Effective as of December 31, 2004, but not earlier than 10 days after the official publication date.).
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