Kropotkin

City in Krasnodar kray (region), kray subordination, 136 km north-east of Krasnodar. Located in the Kuban-Priazov Lowland, on the right bank of the Kuban River. Railway junction (the station of Kavkazskaya) in the intersection of the Rostov-on-Don - Baku and the Krasnodar - Stavropol lines. Motor road junction (Rostov-on-Don - Mineralny Vody, etc.). Population (1992 est.) 77.2 thousand, (1926 est.) 31 thousand, (1939 est.) 41.6 thousand, (1959 est.) 54 thousand, (1979 est.) 68.7 thousand.

Founded after 1771 as a fortress of Kavkazskaya on the Kuban River, built to protect the southern border of Russia. In 1792, the fortress was enlarged with a stanitsa (Cossack village) around it. Cossacks from the Don stanitsa of Romanovskaya arrive here to serve, and the post was named after it. At the end of the 19th century, it was a transport junction; later, a trade and traffic centre. Till 1921, Romanovsky Khutor; since 1921, the city of Kropotkin (after P.A. Kropotkin). During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, it was occupied from August 4, 1942 to January 28, 1943.

Kropotkin is a centre of food-processing industry of the kray. It has an oil-extraction plant, a cannery, a dairy, a brewery; a meat-processing plant, a large-scale mechanised bakery. A chemicals plant, a factory of household chemistry; a concrete product plant, Elevatormelmash, a woodworking machine plant, PO Kubanvodremmash, etc.

Building-up of Kropotkin (mostly with 4- or 5-storeyed houses) is noted for the Church of the Intercession (Pokrovsky Sobor), the building of the railway station (both dating back to the second half of the 19th century). Memorial in the Victory's 30th Anniversary Park, etc.