"The Wolf and the River" /Barzas/

___ The village is located 51 km from the regional center - the city of Kemerovo.
___ Since the 90s of the XIX century, migrants from the Vyatka and Perm provinces began to settle in the territory of present-day Barzas in its western part, and gold prospectors in the eastern part. At the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of the Stolypin reform, residents of the western territories of Russia, Belarus, Latvia, and Estonia moved here. Siberia attracted them to uninhabited areas, free lands, bright, fish-rich rivers, forests rich in animals and birds. The name comes from the Ket words bar - "wolf" and zas - "river". The village was born in 1929-1930 with the start of exploration and production of the Barzas sapromixites (barzasites, or sapropelite coals). Along with the construction of the village, a mine, a timber processing enterprise and social infrastructure were being built. By the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of July 1, 1934, Barzas was categorized as a working village and became a district center. The area included territories subordinate to 12 village councils. The population of the Barzas district by 1952 increased to 40,214 people.
But despite the construction of the Kemerovo-Barzas single-track railway, the passenger service of which was closed in 2009, and the 70-meter mine, no economic effect was achieved. The mine was closed, and the leadership of the mine was repressed.
___ Today, approximately 2100 people live in Barzas. The village is dying, little has remained of civilization: the leshoz, the Barzas hydrometeorological station, the administrative building and the church of Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy.
___ And yes, if you suddenly plan to go there for a walk, I recommend taking a thermoswash with tea, because there is simply nowhere to buy it ...

___ November 2019.