The nearest significant town is Tynda, about 140 kilometers (87 mi) to the north on the Baikal-Amur Mainline.
History
It was founded in 1908 as the settlement of Zmeiny (Змеи́ный) during the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. It was then renamed Never-1 (Невер-1) after the nearby river. In 1911, it was once again renamed and became Rukhlovo (Рухлово).[3] It was granted town status in 1927.[citation needed]
In 1938, it was renamed Skovorodino in honor of A.N.Skovorodin (1890–1920), chairman of a local soviet, who had been killed here during the Russian Civil War.[3] There is a myth that it was named after a frying pan factory ordered by Stalin (Russian: сковорода, romanized: skovoroda, lit. 'frying pan'), which is not correct.[citation needed]
An oil pipeline is currently under construction from Tayshet north of Lake Baikal to Skovorodino; it is intended for oil to be transported from here by rail to the port of Nakhodka on the Pacific, as well as to China. This is planned as the first section of a pipeline bringing natural gas directly to the Pacific ports, managed by Transneft. It was opened on 27 December 2009 by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.[10]
Climate
Skovorodino has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classificationDwc). Winters are severely cold with average temperatures from −33.4 to −18.9 °C (−28.1 to −2.0 °F) in January, while summers are warm but short, with average temperatures from +11.5 to +24.9 °C (52.7 to 76.8 °F) in July. Precipitation is moderate and is much higher in summer than at other times of the year. Winters are generally dry.
Амурский областной Совет народных депутатов. Закон №127-ОЗ от 23 декабря 2005 г. «О порядке решения вопросов административно-территориального устройства Амурской области», в ред. Закона №272-ОЗ от 11 ноября 2013 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Амурской области "О порядке решения вопросов административно-территориального устройства Амурской области"». Вступил в силу со дня первого официального опубликования, за исключением подпункта "б" пункта 2 статьи 7, вступающего в силу с 1 января 2006 г. Опубликован: "Амурская правда", №11, 24 января 2006 г. (Amur Oblast Council of People's Deputies. Law #127-OZ of December 23, 2005 On the Procedures of Handling the Issues of the Administrative and Territorial Structure of Amur Oblast, as amended by the Law #272-OZ of November 11, 2013 On Amending the Law of Amur Oblast "On the Procedures of Handling the Issues of the Administrative and Territorial Structure of Amur Oblast". Effective as of the day of the first official publication, with the exception of subitem "b" of item 2 of Article 7, which is effective January 1, 2006.).
Амурский областной Совет народных депутатов. Закон №473-ОЗ от 11 апреля 2005 г. «Об установлении границ и наделении соответствующим статусом муниципального образования Сковородинского района и муниципальных образований в его составе», в ред. Закона №178-ОЗ от 4 марта 2009 г «О внесении изменений в отдельные законы области по вопросам административно-территориального устройства области». Вступил в силу в соответствии со статьёй 3. Опубликован: "Амурская правда", №78, 19 апреля 2005 г. (Amur Oblast Council of People's Deputies. Law #473-OZ of April 11, 2005 On Establishing the Borders of and Granting a Corresponding Municipal Formation Status to Skovorodinsky District and to the Municipal Formations It Comprises, as amended by the Law #178-OZ of March 4, 2009 On Amending Several Oblast Laws on the Issues of the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Oblast. Effective as of the date determined in accorrdance with the provisions set forth in Article 3.).
Pospelov, Ye. M. (1993). Имена городов: вчера и сегодня (1917–1992). Топонимический словарь [City Names: Yesterday and Today (1917–1992). Toponymic Dictionary."]. Moscow: Russkiye slovari.