Why is Bodaibo a "golden city"?
Bodaibo is called the "golden city" or the "golden capital of Siberia." That's because in the beginning there was gold—gold placers were discovered in the Bodaibo River basin in 1863. The city is the center of the Bodaibo District. in the Irkutsk region was founded only in 1903. In translation From the Evenki language, Bodaibo means "this place." And this place is not an easy one.
Rich placer deposits more than 160 years ago found one of the merchant's search expeditions Mikhail SibiryakovAt the mouth of the Bodaibo River, the Stefano-Afanasyevsky allotment was declared for the future residence, and the city subsequently grew on its territory. Initially, workers sifted gold sand using a special trough, standing knee-deep in water year-round. Worked every day, they tried. That's where the word "prospector" comes from. They also say that the name of the city Bodaibo happened from a distorted version of “Give, God” - a peculiar prayer of prospectors.
Over the past century, gold mining in Bodaibo has undergone several management systems—from hired labor for private owners to cooperative miners to "predatory" mining—essentially theft. Currently, gold mining is carried out by large companies; picks and shovels have long been replaced by large equipment and new-generation electronic devices for sifting, washing, and weighing gold dust. Gold is now mined in tens of tons. For example, in 2023, in the Bodaibo district, mined 21,6 tons of goldAlthough even more of this precious metal is mined in Krasnoyarsk Krai and the Sakha Republic, in Bodaibo they say they "literally walk on gold."
Despite its untapped and still-hidden wealth, the city itself is not rich. Visitors remark on the beautiful scenery, but the infrastructure leaves a depressing impression: the planes are outdated, the airport is old, and the runway is located right within the city limits. Cell phone service is spotty, food is expensive, and medical care is not the best—the maternity ward was recently closed. The biggest problem is the distance from the regional center (1435 km) and the terrible road, which is only accessible by SUV. Therefore, local residents are forced to travel to the regional center by plane, but the ticket is one-way. is 32 thousand rublesGetting back and forth, for example, to a medical center for an examination, is expensive, and for many, it's completely unaffordable. So people are leaving, and the city is emptying out. If in 2015 there lived 13,896 permanent residents, then this year the population does not reach 9 000 peopleNo matter how much gold a district generates, the proceeds go to the Russian Federation budget, from where they are distributed among the regions, with districts receiving funding last.
Bodaibo is also called the "city of gold and bones," because where there's big money, there's crime. Robberies, showdowns between groups of prospectors, and criminal groups Just 10 years ago, it was commonplace here. In the 2010s, Bodaibo recorded the highest crime rate in the Angara region. According to official reports, this year's crime rate declining, but this data is for the entire region.