Obninsk

Coordinates: 55°5′35″N 36°36′38″E / 55.09306°N 36.61056°E / 55.09306; 36.61056

Coat of arms of Obninsk

Ariel view of Obninsk

Obninsk (Russian: О́бнинск) is a city in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located 100 kilometers (62 mi) southwest of Moscow. Population: 104,798 (2010 Census preliminary results);^[1] 105,706 (2002 Census);^[2] 100,178 (1989 Census).^[3]

Obninsk is one of the major Russian science cities. The first nuclear power plant in the world for the large-scale production of electricity opened here on June 27, 1954, and it also doubled as a training base for the crew of the Soviet Union's first nuclear submarine, the Leninsky Komsomol, or K-3. Now the city is home to twelve scientific research institutes. Their main activities are nuclear power engineering, radiation technology, medical radiology, and meteorology.

Obninsk is famous for its meteorological tower which was built to study spreading of radiation from the nuclear station.

Location

View of the former Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant

Obninsk is located on the bank of the picturesque Protva River in the northern part of Kaluga Oblast, 100 km southwest of Moscow and 80 km away from Kaluga (the capital of a region) , on the main rail line between Moscow and Kiev and at the intersection of Kiev and Warsaw highways. Three international airports are within an easy reach from Obninsk: Vnukovo (70 km), Domodedovo (100 km) and Sheremetyevo (130 km). Cargo airfield Ermolino is only 15 km away.

Demographics

The population of the city was 105,706 in the 2002 Census^[2] and 100,178 in the 1989 Census.^[3] As per the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, the city's population is 104,798 inhabitants.^[1]

The average age of the citizens is 39 years.^[4]

History

Town status was granted to Obninsk on June 24, 1956. The name of the city is taken from Obninskoye, the train station in Moscow-Bryansk railroad, built in Tsarist times. The history of Obninsk began in 1945 when the First Research Institute - Laboratory "V", which later became known as IPPE was founded. The city was built next to the plant in order to support it. Scientists, engineers, construction workers, teachers and other professionals moved to Obninsk from all over the Soviet Union.

Science and education

Obninsk is one of the major Russian science cities. In 2000, it was awarded the status of the First Science City of Russia. The city is home to twelve scientific research institutes. Their main activities are nuclear power engineering, nuclear methods and radiation technology, technology of non-metallic materials, medical radiology, meteorology and ecology and environmental protection.^[4]

The following institutes are located in the city:^[5]

• State Scientific Centre of Russian Federation Institute for Physics and Power Engineering
• State Scientific Centre of Russian Federation Obninsk Scientific Production Enterprise «Technologiya»
• Medical Radiological Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences
• Obninsk Branch of the State Scientific Centre of the Russian Federation «Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry»
• Obninsk Institute for Nuclear Power Engineering
• Russian Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information - World Data Centre
• Central Pilot Expedition of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology
• Central Design Bureau of Hydrometeorological Instrumentation
• Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Meteorology
• Scientific Production Association TYPHOON

Official

The Head of the City Administration is Alexander Avdeyev.^[6]

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Russia

Obninsk has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

• Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States
• Mianyang, China
• Visaginas, Lithuania

Obninsk also has a partnership with:

• Limousin, France
• Montpellier Agglomération, France
• Jyväskylä, Finland
• Tiraspol, Transnistria

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2011). "Предварительные итоги Всероссийской переписи населения 2010 года (Preliminary results of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census)" (in Russian). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2010). Federal State Statistics Service. http://www.perepis-2010.ru/results_of_the_census/results-inform.php. Retrieved 2011-04-25. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2004-05-21). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек (Population of Russia, its federal districts, federal subjects, districts, urban localities, rural localities—administrative centers, and rural localities with population of over 3,000)" (in Russian). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002). Federal State Statistics Service. http://www.perepis2002.ru/ct/doc/1_TOM_01_04.xls. Retrieved 2010-03-23. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров. (All Union Population Census of 1989. Present population of union and autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts and okrugs, krais, oblasts, districts, urban settlements, and villages serving as district administrative centers.)" (in Russian). Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года (All-Union Population Census of 1989). Demoscope Weekly (website of the Institute of Demographics of the State University—Higher School of Economics. 1989. http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus89_reg.php. Retrieved 2010-03-23. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Business Guide to the Kaluga Region of Russia". Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences. 2009. https://oa.doria.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/44970/JAMKPUBLICATIONS_882008_web_2.pdf?sequence=1. 
5. ^ "Research & Education". City of Obninsk. http://www.obninsk.ru/eng/article04_eng.html. 
6. ^ Alexander Avdeyev

External links

• Official website of Obninsk (Russian)
• Business website (English)