Kuragino

The municipal unit covers area of 4176 h. Its population is 14,839 people, together with the village of Oykha and the village of Studiony. The capital of the municipal unit is the village of Kuragino, which is situated in the South of the Krasnoyarsk territory. It is 100 km from the town of Abakan and 380 km from the city of Krasnoyarsk along the Minusinsk - Vyezhy Log - Krasnoyarsk highway. In the area of the municipal unit there is the station of Kuragino, which is one of the most important stations in the Trans-Siberian Railways (Abakan-Taishet main-line).


The village of Kuragino has been referred to in the settlement of the working population by the decision of the Executive Committee of the Territory Deputies Board (14.06.1961, №389). Kuragino was founded in 1626 and it was named after the prince Kuraga.

In the 19th century the village of Kuragino became the exile place for the Decembrists, the Polish rebels, the raznochinets, and social-democrats. The history of Kuragino is described in such books as "Kuraginsky Rayon" (the author is K.Shimolin, a History teacher) and "375 Years of Kuragino Foundation" (the author is G. K. Artemyev, a retired History teacher).

Flora and fauna

The area of Kuragino is the largest one in the South of the Krasnoyarsk territory. It covers 25,073 square km. The area borders with the Sayansky, Partisansky, Mansky, and Balakhtinsky areas in the North, the Idrinsky area in the West, the Minusinsky and Karatuzsky areas and the Republic of Tyva in the South, and the Irkutsk region in the East. The area of Kuragino stretches for 400 km from West to East. Taiga covers two thirds of the area. The capital of the area - Kuragino - is situated 341 km from Krasnoyarsk. The area has a very unique geographical position. The forest-steppe of the North-Eastern part in the Minusinsk pit is changed by the sub-taiga zone of the pre-Sayan mountainous area and then by the mountainous taiga of the Eastern Sayan Mountains. Close to the border of the Republic of Tyva there is the zone of the Western Sayan Mountains.

While traveling in the area one can find himself either in the dry vast steppe zone of the village of Kochergino or the village of Shalobolino, or in the birch and aspen stand of the village of Kuragino and the village of Beryozovskoye with the deep ravines rich of the herbage. To the North, in the village of Bolshaya Irba, there develops the mixed woods. And then, behind the Burlukskaya Hill, in the place of Kordov and Ust-Kaspa, one can see the dark-green coniferous forests. The mountainous ridges are more vividly seen to the East from the village of Koshurnikovo. In the mountain zone the sub-Alpine and Alpine meadows are transformed into mountainous tundra, rocky scatterings, unmelted snow "tongues", and glaciers.

Kuragino family club for winter swimmers "Lydinka"

People say: "Health is the mightiest thing of all!" and it is a true statement. But it often happens that one thinks about his healthwhen he is about to loose it. Nowadays mass media tell a lot about healthy mode of life and different disease prevention. Modern society has already started learning this sound advice and has been taking care of children`s and adults` health more and more from year to year. There are many sports sections and clubs all over the country, everyone can choose something to his liking. But most of the clubs are created only by enthusiasts without the state support. The same way Kuragino family club for winter swimmers "Lydinka" appeared. It was headed by the USSR champion, the bronze winner of the Russian Federation and 5-fold champion of the Krasnoyarsk Territory in marathon winter swimming Bulygina Zinaida Ivanovna. Her personal record of 4 hours and 27 minutes in 8 digrees below 0 by Celsius water was inserted into the Russian book of records "Wonder".

Kuragino family club for winter swimmers "Lydinka" was founded in January of 1993 when the Bulygins family moved from Norilsk to Kuragino. They were simply looking for the place for swimming on the bank, when met two like-minded persons - Smelykh Anna Afanasievna and Adyshkina Aleksandra Panteleyevna. Local citizens didn`t approve the idea and predicted soon end of their club. But time passed and the number of walruses became greater. Their camp was built on the bank of the river. Once "Lydinka" was successful at the Territory competitions and got a coach from the Region Authority, another coach was given as a personal award to Bulygina from the Motorsky plant for one of her records. Nowadays the club has all necessary equipment, dressing room, sauna, a place for massage and leisure. There were built a volley-ball ground and a tennis court near it, not only club members come here, and all children can play on water hillock. After having been taken under the patronage of the Region Education Department, club members got the possibility to go to different competitions, and three rates appeared - the head, a doctor and a worker.

Live more interesting!

On the 14th of January 2006 our family celebrated the sixth anniversary from our wedding day. It is frequently said that the seventh year of mutual life is like a crisis, but we are not superstitious and believe neither in statistics nor in stars prognosis.

A big part of our life is closely connected with Kuragino family club for winter swimmers "Lydinka". We obtained new friends, got acquainted interesting people, but the main thing is that we found each other - I and my husband Vladimir.

We came to the club almost simultaneously: I joined the club in October 1994, and he in January 1995. We had a friendly youth company: attended "Lydinka" meetings, had walking tours, celebrated holidays and had a good time together. On the 14th of January 2000 we got married not only officially but were united by cold water also. All walruses joined to our wedding party in the tight rooms of the club. Our daughter Yulia was born on the 2nd of February 2003, and on the 23rd of November 2004 Vladimir the Younger was born.

"Lydinka" is the second home for them now, and Zinaida Ivanovna turned from Mother Zina to Granny Zina. Every weekend our family comes to the club to feel the flood of energy and health. We are devoted to our club. My husband was the member of the team in the forth International Competitions near the peninsula Vrangel. Three-day swimming for 140 km in Sea of Japan along Nakhodka-Vladivostok route was devoted to the 50-ieth anniversary of victory in WWII. Our children took the prizes in their age group. In March 2000 we took part in 5-day swimming on the Ob River in Barnaul. Winter swimming is an extreme and peculiar kind of sport.