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Semey
Semey or Semipalatinsk , city (1993 est. pop. 342,000), capital of Semey region, NE Kazakhstan, on the Irtysh River and the Turkistan-Siberia RR. It is a river port, rail terminus, and commercial center, with large freight depots for river and rail transport. Semey has a giant meatpacking combine; other industries include food processing, metal working, wool processing, and the manufacture of building materials. The name Semipalatinsk [seven palaces] derives from the seven-halled Buddhist temple found nearby. Beginning as a fort in 1718, the city was finally established on its present site in 1778 after flooding by the Irtysh necessitated periodic movement of the fort. During the 19th cent. the city was a center for trade between Russians and the Kyrgyz, Bukharans, and Chinese; it also lay on the caravan route from Mongolia to Europe. Dostoyevsky was exiled here from 1854 to 1859. |
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"Semey." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Semey." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Semey.html "Semey." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Semey.html |
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Semey
Semey, Kazakhstan Semipalatinsk Founded as a Russian fortress in 1718 some 10 miles (16 km) downstream from the present town near the ruins of a Buddhist monastery which consisted of seven buildings. The original name, meaning ‘Seven‐halled’ or ‘Seven Palaces’ from the Russian sem′ ‘seven’ and palata ‘palace’, is a reference to these seven buildings. To escape the spring flooding of the Irtysh River, the town was moved to its present location in 1778. It was the capital of the short‐lived Alash‐Orda independent Kazakh state in 1917. After Kazakhstan achieved its independence in 1991 the name was changed to Semey ‘Seven’.
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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Semey." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Semey." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Semey.html JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Semey." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Semey.html |
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