their unsuccessful insurrection of 1863" were transported to the Nerchinsk silver-mining district. 20th century In the early 20th century, Nerchinsk was built of wood, and its lower areas frequently suffered from inundations. The inhabitants supported themselves mainly by agriculture, tobacco-growing and cattle-breeding; a few merchants traded in furs and cattle, in brick-tea from China, and in manufactured wares from Russia. Gold-mines in the vicinity were owned and developed by the Butin family of merchants, whose Neo-Moorish palace now accessible for visitors. Nerchinsk today Nerchinsk is home to some small electromechanical and food-processing industries. It has a small museum, established in 1884. Among its sights are the Resurrection Cathedral, built in the Neoclassical style in 1825 to commemorate the city's relocation, its belltower destroyed by the Communists. The site of old Nerchinsk is marked by the Assumption Monastery, the oldest in Dauria, founded in 1664. Its cathedral, consecrated in 1712, is the easternmost building in the Muscovite Baroque style. Administrative and municipal status Within the framework of administrative divisions, Nerchinsk serves as the administrative center of Nerchinsky District, to which it is directly subordinated. As a municipal division, the town of Nerchinsk, together with one rural locality (the selo of Makeyevka), is incorporated within Nerchinsky Municipal District as Nerchinskoye Urban Settlement. Transportation The Nerchinsk Airport is a former air-base located northwest of the town. It was abandoned in the 1990s. The substandard runway length suggests a 1950s design. References Notes Sources Cities and towns in Zabaykalsky Krai Transbaikal Oblast Populated places established in 1658 17th-century establishments in Russia 1658 establishments in Russia