Kyakhta

Kyakhta or Kiakhta is a Russian city located in Buryatia in southern Siberian Russia. It is located on the Kyakhta River near the Russian-Mongolian border. Besides the lower town or Kyakhta proper, the town also includes Troitskosavsk, about 3 km to the north, and Ust'-Kyakhta, 16 km further. The lower town stands directly opposite the Mongolian border town of Altanbulag.

In Russian, Kyakhta is Кяхта (Kjaxta), in Mongolian it is Хиагт (Hiagt), in Chinese it is 恰克图 / 恰克圖 (Qiàkètú) or 恰克土 (Qiàkètǔ), and in Buryat it is Хяагта (Hjaagta). In Mongolian, Kyakhta was formerly Ар Хиагт (Ar Hiagt, lit. “North Kyakhta”) and Altanbulag (then, Maimachin) across the border was Өвөр Хиагт (Övör Hiagt, lit. “South Kyakhta”). Troitskosavsk is Троицкосавск (Troickosavsk) in Russian and Дээд Шивээ (Deed Šivee) in Mongolian. Ust'-Kyakhta is Усть-Кяхта (Ust'-Kjaxta) in Russian.

The area was first a trading point between Russia and the Qing Empire (China) and the city was founded in 1728. It prospered from cross-border trade with Altanbulag which was then a Chinese trading center called Maimachin. Trade was essentially based on barter, with merchants crossing the border to make their business.

The foundation of the city was paralleled by a treaty, one of the first between China and a Western nation, named the Treaty of Kiakhta, which established trade agreements and defined the border between Siberia and the Qing Empire territories of Mongolia and Manchuria. As a result of this agreement, Khyakhta was an exclusive trading point on the frontier.

Kyakhta and Maimachin were visited by the famous English adventurer and engineer Samuel Bentham in 1782. He related that he was entertained by the commander of the Chinese city "with the greatest politeness which a stranger can meet with in any country whatever". At that time, the Russians sold furs, textiles, clothing, hides, leather, hardware and cattle, while the Chinese sold silk, cotton stuffs, teas, fruits, porcelain, rice, candles, rhubarb, ginger and musk.

After the entire Russian-Chinese frontier was opened to trade in 1860, Kyakhta fell into decline. The whole city assumed the named Troitskosavsk during the first part of the 20th century, but reverted to Kyakhta in 1935.

Kyakhta today is located on the highway from the Buryatian capital of Ulan-Ude to the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator. It is an important transit point for trade between Russia and Mongolia. It has textile, lumber, and food-processing plants.

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

References

• "The Benthams in Russia 1780-1791", Ian R.Christie, Berg Publishers Limited, Oxford, ISBN 0854968164