Aktanyshsky District (; ) is an territorial administrative unit and municipal district of the Republic of Tatarstan within the Russian Federation. The district is located in the north-east of the republic.
The administrative centre of the district is the village of Aktanysh. The district was officially formed in 1930. The district was abolished in 1963 as a result of the consolidation of the administrative units of the TASSR, and its territories were transferred to the Menzelinsky District. However, by January 12, 1965, the district had been reconstituted. At the beginning of 2020, there were 29,384 people living in the district. The population of the district is composed mainly of rural residents.
The district economy is mainly based on the agricultural sector. Deposits belonging to the Aktanysh oil field have been developed on the territory of the region since 1995. Since 2017, the Aktanysh industrial park with an area of 13 hectares has been in operation.
Geography
The district borders on the Menzelinsky and Muslyumovsky districts of the republic of Bashkortostan (Ilishevsky, Krasnokamsky, Bakalinsky districts, and Agidel districts) as well as the (Karakulinsky District) of Udmurtia.
One of the largest rivers in Europe, the Kama and its tributary the Belaya river flow through the region. The topography of the district is a rolling, gently sloping plain with an elevation range from 62 to 235 m and prevailing heights of 120–140 m. The lowest points in the district are at the surface of the Nizhnekamsk Reservoir, along the flooded floodplains of the Kama, Belaya and Ik. The highest points are located in the southern part of the district. The highest terrain feature in the district marked at 235m is located south of the village of Poisevo.
The region is characterized by a moderate continental climate with warm summers and moderately cold winters. Weather in the region is formed mainly under the influence of the westward movement of air masses. Warm and humid air masses moving from the Atlantic Ocean moderate the local climate. Cold air currents reach the region from the Arctic Ocean and in winter the cold continental air of less temperate latitudes often enters the region. Warmer tropical air currents enter the region from the southwest and south, and in summer coming from the southeast.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms and flag represent the main geographic and economic features of the region. For instance, a rising sun indicates the eastern location of the region, and also symbolizes longevity, activity, strength and hard work; two gulls and a wavy strip show the special role of rivers, lakes and reservoirs for the region, and their silver color is a symbol of purity, perfection, peace and mutual understanding. The basis of the region's economy is agriculture, which is reflected in a sheaf of twelve ears of grain, according to the number of months in a year, which symbolizes the full annual agricultural cycle. The same symbol shows the rural districts that are part of the district. Also, a sheaf is a traditional symbol of fertility, friendship, community of interests, endurance. The golden color symbolizes harvest, wealth, stability, respect; green - a symbol of health, nature, growth in life; blue - honor, nobility, spirituality.
The flag of the Aktanysh region is a rectangular panel which is divided horizontally into three stripes: wide blue, the narrowest white and green.
History
Background
Finno-Ugric peoples once lived on these lands. This is evidenced by archaeological materials from the Bronze Age discovered near Pianbor, as well as burial grounds of the villages of Taktalachuk, Chiyalek, Tatarsky Azibey, Semiostrov, Yamaly, Masady, Garay, Ilchebay, Irmyashevo, Aktanysh, Karach and Shabyzovo.
After the forces of Ivan the Terrible conquered the Khanate of Kazan, these lands were reassigned to the Menzelinsky governor of the Kazan order (as the local administrative body was called in the 16th-17th centuries). After 1708, the territory was part of the Kazan Governorate, became part of the Ufa province from 1719, and from 1728 belonged to the governor of Kazan. Starting in 1735, the district was part of the Bashkir commission until it ended up in the Orenburg Governorate in 1744. It would remain in the governorate until 1781 when it was subordinated to the Ufa Governorate. In 1796, the district again became part of the Orenburg province until it became part of the Menzelinsky district Ufa province in 1865.
In 1920, the Menzelinsky district became part of the newly formed Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and was renamed the Menzelinsky canton, which, after its dissolution, was divided into the Menzelinsky and Aktash districts in 1930. Then the district included 53 selsoviet and 98 settlements, in which 54 813 people lived (of which 52 474 were Tatars, 1494 Russians and 845 from other nationalities). In 1940, the district's area was 1298 km2 and its population was recorded at 41.9 thousand souls living in 27 village councils and 77 settlements. From December 7, 1956, part of the abolished Yamashinsky district became part of the Aktanysh district, after the annexation of part of the abolished Kalininsky district. On October 12, 1959, the area of Aktanyshsky expanded to 2044.5 km2, consisting of 25 village councils and 129 settlements. In 1963, as a result of the enlargement of the administrative units of the TASSR, the district was abolished with the transfer of territories to the Menzelinsky district but already on January 12, 1965, it was restored. The total district's territory was slightly reduced to 2019 km2 while its population at that time was recorded at roughly 52 600 thousand persons living in 25 village councils and 112 settlements.
Contemporary Aktanyshsky District
From 1998 to 2012, the district was headed by Engel Fattakhov. After Fattakhov, Fail Kamaev was appointed acting head of the district, subsequently becoming the district head in 2013 and holding this position until 2017. In September of the same year, Engel Fattakhov was re-elected to the post of head of the Aktanysh region. From the first term, Fattakhov managed to work simultaneously as the Minister of Education and Science of Tatarstan and Deputy Prime Minister of the republic. In 2018, the Anti-Corruption Foundation reported an expensive purchase of furniture for his office under the auspices of a state order, which resulted in a public outcry.
Population The district has the lowest proportion of Russians by share of population in the republic at 0.65% as well as an accordingly high proportion of Tatars. It is also the only region of the republic where the Mari people occupy the second place in terms of numbers.
Municipal-territorial division
There are 86 settlements in the Aktanysh region comprising 26 rural settlements.
Economy
Industry
Several small oil fields have been identified in the sediments of the coal deposits of the region, including Aktanysh, which was discovered in 1960. In 1995, Aznakaevskneft started developing oil production in the district. Since 2009, the Small Oil Company of Tatarstan has been engaged in production. One of the main organizations in the field of construction, production of building materials and oil field support for this industry is "Gazstroyservis".
Industry in the region is mainly oriented towards the agriculture sector which is the main economic engine of the region. Industrial companies in the district are mainly engaged in the processing of agricultural products and the repair of equipment. The following large enterprises operated in the district in 2020: Aktanysh Bakery, Agrosila branch - Aktanysh Grain Reception Enterprise, Aktanysh Aggregate Plant, Aktanysh-Khleb, and the Aktanysh Dairy Plant. From January to September 2020 alone the district produced and exported goods valued at 2.6 billion rubles. By comparison, for the entire 2013 this amount in value of goods produced was 1.4 billion».
The Aktanysh industrial park with a total area of 13 hectares has been operating on the territory of the district since 2017. Its occupancy rate for 2020 was 8%.
Agriculture Agricultural land occupies 1251.44 km2 of the area of the district. There are 15 limited liability companies and 2 agricultural firms - "Anyak" and "Aktanysh", as well as 67 farms in the region. The main sectors of agricultural activity in the district are grain and livestock farming . Spring wheat, winter rye, barley, oats, peas, potatoes and corn are cultivated in the region. In 2020 the Aktanysh district ranked fifth in Tatarstan in terms of daily milk production at 178 tons per day.
In the first half of 2020, the gross agricultural output of the district amounted to 1.2 billion rubles (for comparison in the whole of 2013 this figure was more than 2 billion rubles).
Investment potential
In the period from 2010 to 2019, the unemployment rate in the region was below the national average, ranging from 0.17% to 0.39% (with the exception of 2011, when the rate fell to 1.49%. In 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment reached a high of the last 8 years of 0.51%, but this is the lowest rate in the entire republic. Between 2010 and 2020, the ratio of the average monthly wage to the minimum consumer budget increased by 0.82 points, from 1.56 to 2.38. At the same time, in 2010 the average salary was about 10 thousand rubles, and by 2012 it had increased to 14.5 thousand.
According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the republic, 1.83 billion rubles of investments were attracted to the Aktanysh region in 2019 (except for budget funds and income from small businesses), which amounted to 0.6% of the regional share of investment in the Republic. In 2018 investment was lower by almost 7 million and only amounted to 1.15 billion rubles. According to the assessment of the Committee for Social and Economic Monitoring of the Republic of Tatarstan, the volume of investment in the fixed assets of the region in the first half of 2020 amounted to more than 1.2 billion rubles, or 0.6% of total investment in Tatarstan, or 426 thousand per capita. This is in contrast to 2010 when this figure was almost 4 times less at 114 thousand per capita. According to the committee, the leaders by share of investment directed to them are the development of agriculture, fishing, hunting (collectively 235 million rubles), mining (209 million), electricity (32 million) and construction (10 million rubles).
Housing fund +Commissioning of residential buildings2018 2019 2020 (January–June)sq.m%in Tatarstansq.m%in Tatarstansq.m%in Tatarstanm2% districtsq.m% districtm2% districtIn total1417710024099490,591407326755290,53730910013534280,54Including enterprises5994,2313011950,052721,9315698080,02 - -551485 -Including population1357895,7711087541,221380198,0711057211,2573091008019430,91
Transport
The M-7 (Volga) "Moscow - Kazan - Ufa" motorway runs through the south of the district. Other important highways are: Aktanysh - Poisevo (to Menzelinsk, Naberezhnye Chelny), Aktanysh - Dyurtyuli (to Ufa), Aktanysh - Bakaly - Oktyabrsky, Churakaevo - Muslyumovo - Almetyevsk.
Water transport is well developed on the navigable Belaya River. There is a ferry on the Azyakul - Staroyanzigitovo route (roads to Agidel, Neftekamsk) as well as marinas near the Tatar Yamaly and Azyakul villages.
Ecology