GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ALDAN AREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000500060005-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 23, 2013
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: April 26, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500060005-5
ZENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
NFORMATION REPORT
C-0-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
ZOUNTRY USSR (Yakutsk ASSR)
WILIECT General Description of the Aldan Area
DATE OF INFO.
oLACE ACQUIRED
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO.
REFERENCES
26 April 1955
5
RD
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THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
;OURcE:
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LIBRARY SUBJECT AND AREA CODES ( I 2)
3-02-0406
4j55
621 .43
339N
623 .442
339N
621.324
339N
623,389
339N
623.361
339N
75)1.22
339N
794.81
339N
1-12/731.1
339N
C-0 -N-F-I-D-E-N- T.-I--A-L
;TATE
#x
ARMY
#x
NAVY
AIR
#x
FB ? I AEC
ote: Washington Distribution Indicated By "X"; Field Distribution By "#".)
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/23: CIA-RDP82-00046R000500060005-5
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @50-Yr2013/05/23:CIA-RDP82-00046R000500060005;5
CONFIDENTIAL
REPORT NO.
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COUNTRY USSR (Yakutsk ASSR)
DATE DISTR. 28 Mar. 1955
SUBJECT General Description
of the Aldan Area
NO. OF PAGES
4
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DATE OF INFORMATION
REFERENCES:
PLACE ACQUIRED
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THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
SOURCE
General Descrintiog
1. According to source, the Aldan (N 58-370 E 125-34) region is a rather barren
although comparatively not a very coldOction Of the
East 'Siberian taiga, In winter, there'ari frequent fogs and, much snow and the
temperature rarely drops below minus 40 degrees Centigrade. To the north and
east of Aldan the climate is quite severe; minus 46 degrees centigrade is a
frequent winter temperature in Yakutsk. In the vicinity of 57 to 58 degrees
north latitude, 130 to 132 degrees east longitude, the ground rarely thaws
below 20 centimeters from the surface, and in only a few places can potatoes
grow.
2. In the town of Aldan, most of the ground is ice-free only from about the middle
of flune.to.the middle of September, and the only quantity crop grown is potatoes.
The sovkhozy'and kolkhozi are for the most part devoted to raising potatoes,
'Cabbages, onions, and reindeer. Other vegetables; wheat, and all fruit must be
iMported.
3. Both the Udarnik sovkhozy are composed of Great Russians but the Eolkhoz i/n
the Seventh of November near Seligdar and the Kolkhoz i/n Stalintwhich are located
a short distance north of Tobuk along the same side of the river, are composed of
Yakuts who are engaged in potato gfowing and reindeer raising. There is a Kol-
lichoz i/n Yoroshilov (not sham on map) about 60 kilometers to nOetheast
Aldan along the'Aldan River.
Alum
4. River!' in the Aldan region are frozen over from the middle of September to early
May, Thbse that are navigable are open only from 15 May to 15 September. Navigi
'tiOn is frequently difficult or impossible from late June to oparly August because.
of low water. The beginning of the rainy season in August agai*makes navigation
possible. The Aldan River is the main supply artery for the entire Aldan area,
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with 'the Amuro4akutskaya Magistral playing a secondary role. It is the only
river in the area eatable of handling heavy traffic; :i.e., steamships of 50 or
more tons displacement pulling three barges, each of which when loaded displace
250 tons. This river flow to the east. The Seligdar, Yakokut, Nchur, Timpthn,
and other rivers are its north-flowing tributaries, The Alda A River is 700 to
800 meters wide at Tommot. It is navigable for a considerable but unknown dis-
tance to the north and east of the confluence of the Aldan and Uchur Rivers
CN 58-17, E 130-38) and for about 420 kilometers to the west of this confluence
'in the direction of Aldan (to ToMmpt). The traffic on the latter stretch, con-
sists of steamships displacing approximately 50 tons, cutters'(katerv) bf
placement, which when loaded displace approximately 250 tons. The usual practice
is for a steamer to pull about three barges When it comes to shoals (perekata)
it must detach the barges and pull one at a time around the shoal. Source knew of
two shoal areas, one about 30 kilometers east of Tommot (N 58-52, E 126..33) and
the other approximately 80 kilometers east of Tommot (N 58-45, E 127-03),
5. Source knew of no bridges over the Aldan River, From lateOctober to middle
April, it is ice Covered and can be crossed event by trucks, 'The rest of the year
it is crossed by ferries (perm) and rowboats. Some two-deok.paesenger boats
also ply the Aldan River,
6. The Timpton River is too shallow, swift, and rooky for steamships or cutters. Only
flat bottom, four-ton, karbapv whioh'oarry a six-man crew are used on it. The
Uohur River is about 500 to 600 meters wide at its confluence with the Aldan, but it
is so shallow that even in summers of heavy rainfall only fishing smacks can use
it. The Seltgdar, EUranakh, and Yekokut Rivers are not used at all for commercial
traffic.
7. ? Source gave the following approximate river distances::
(a)- The Aldan River 4roni.Toplemt tO.,Qh4gdni;ceenr the confluence of Aldan and the
Hohur Rivers 7. 420 kilometers,
,(b) The Aldan frOMTOPIPt to theTimOtO4 River.- 7Q.4iIpMeters.
. .
(o) The Uohur River from the Aldan 180 kilometerv(sio
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8, The only major eoad for vehicular traffic in tiae Aldan area is the Amuro-flikutskaya
Magistral (AUR) which runs from 3oishoillevet4(N-53,-59; E 124-10) through Aldan
(N 58-37, E 125-24) to the Aldan River opposite Tommot. Thio is the only road in
the area that is not strictly constructed of dirt; it hatAineWahdTiltbneyoovering.
tWo*lanellighwey,tpproximatelrsixmetersidei giving.rdiomfor trucks. D:Ass.
There: artlaneUvering plaCeivalont;thiHroa&At'interVals,H,The Iroad is4radedrand
(dangerous spots are proteotecitywoodan'posts These postslare'abottAwcfeetAi
diaMeter,?four or five feethighvand are plgoedIat.intervilvotspproximatelY One
meter.' To alloy for drainage there are one-meter-deep ditches along both sides of
the road.. /n many spots where the ground is ,particularly wet, planking (111111)
and gravel'(aggia) are laid over the road, The Aralikgenerallyrserftoeiblelhe
entire year but it is occasionally made temporarily impassable by heavy ezowstornn.
It is the only supply route from the Trans-Siberian Railroad at,Eolshoy Never to
Aldan in the winter months, i.e,, (October to ApriL when the Aldan River is frozen.
Most traffic; on the AY4M consists of truck traffic but the road is also plied by
buses. The fare fromlolshoy Never to Aldan is 242 rubles..
9. Source knew of the following bridges along the AUM: At Chmlman, about 250 kilo-
meters south of Aldan, is a 100-meter-wooden bridge over a tributary of the TimptOn.
At Tina*, about 400 kilometers south' of Aldan, is a 70-meter-wooden bridge, At '
Verkhniy Kuranakh, north of Aldan, is A 50 to-60-meter-wooden bridge over the
Euranakh, At Akokut, north. Of Kuranakh; is a short 'wooden bridge over the Yakokut
River, All bridges known to source were 'built of wood and at all of them passengers
had to dismount from buses and walk across While the bun went across 0MPtY.
.Tbn0hUrannOndnunAingthrOughNizhh4:Kmleraorik,fromligalL.toL,the,Adan,Rpotr:isAahdilt
34 kilometers long but only the four kilometer Stretch from AUM to N, NUranakhis
now used,
CONFIDENTIAL
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10, Ac oding to source, controls in this Aldan area became much stt,-ter 3r, 1949.
Prior to this the Aldan area had been ruled as a political unit aml was subordinate
only to the Yakutsk ASSR. In 1949 it became directly subordinate to the 141/D like
Kolyada, Verkhoyansk, and the entire Daletroy regiontwhich had been controlled by
the MD long before.
page 4 is a rough map of the Aldan area, The map is not to scale. However,
the urea within a three-inch radius of Aldan is drawn approximate nine kilometers
tIe Lneh. The scale for the rest of the map is approximately 18 kilometers to
lach. Accord.ng to source, every placo named on the map with the exc-yLLon of
Toramot, the sovkhozy, and kolkhozy and the region south of Pervyy 9,145c1en
in i4:t1LP8 the Oxistande of one or more gold mines.
1.
3gamentl Although this town is listed on some maps as Bolshoy
Never, source insisted that the name is Never,
C ONF MEM IAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
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