Seversk

Seversk (Russian: Се́верск) is a closed city in Tomsk Oblast, Russia, located 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) northwest of Tomsk on the right bank of the Tom River. Population: 108,590 (2010 Census);[2] 109,106 (2002 Census);[7]

This article is about the closed city in Tomsk Oblast. For the city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, see Siversk. For the grindcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, see Tomsk-7 (band).
Seversk

Северск
City[1]
Kurchatova Street in Seversk
Flag
Coat of arms
Location of Seversk
Seversk
Location of Seversk
Seversk
Seversk (Tomsk Oblast)
Coordinates: 56°36′N 84°51′E
CountryRussia
Federal subjectTomsk Oblast[1]
Founded1949
City status since1956
Government
 • MayorGrigory Shamin
Elevation
90 m (300 ft)
Population
 • Total108,590
 • Estimate 
(2018)[3]
107,494 (-1%)
 • Rank149th in 2010
 • Subordinated toSeversk City Under Oblast Jurisdiction[1]
 • Capital ofSeversk City Under Oblast Jurisdiction[1]
 • Urban okrugSeversk Urban Okrug[4]
 • Capital ofSeversk Urban Okrug[4]
Time zoneUTC+7 (MSK+4 [5])
Postal code(s)[6]
636000
Dialing code(s)+7 3823
OKTMO ID69741000001
Websiteseversknet.ru

It was previously known as Pyaty Pochtovy (until 1949), Tomsk-7 (until 1992).

Climate

Seversk has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with warm summer. The annual average temperature is 0.6 °C. The average temperature in January is between -21 °C and -13 °C. The average temperature in July is 19.2 °C. The total annual rainfall is 530 millimeters.

History

Founded in 1949, it was known as Pyaty Pochtovy (Пя́тый Почто́вый, lit. the Fifth Postal) until 1954 and as Tomsk-7 (Томск-7) until 1992. City status was granted to it in 1956.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with five rural localities, incorporated as Seversk City Under Oblast Jurisdiction—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.[1] As a municipal division, Seversk City Under Oblast Jurisdiction is incorporated as Seversk Urban Okrug.[4]

Economy

Seversk is the site of the Siberian Chemical Combine, founded in 1954. It comprises several nuclear reactors and chemical plants for separation, enrichment, and reprocessing of uranium and plutonium. Following an agreement in March 2003 between Russia and the United States to shut down Russia's three remaining plutonium-producing reactors, two of the three plutonium producing reactors (the two that are situated in Seversk) were shut down.[8][9]

Nuclear warheads are produced and stored on the premises. One of the most serious nuclear accidents at SGCE occurred on April 6, 1993, when a tank containing a highly radioactive solution exploded.

Government

The current Chair of the City Duma and Mayor is Grigory Shamin, who has served since 2010. The current city manager is Anatoly Abramov, who has served since August 2007.

Secret city
Central entry checkpoint

Seversk had been a secret city in the Soviet Union until President Boris Yeltsin decreed in 1992 that such cities could use their historical names. The town had not been marked on the official maps until then. As was the tradition with Soviet towns containing secret facilities, the designation "Tomsk-7" (like its predecessor "Pyaty Pochtovy") is simply a postal code which implies that the place is located close to the city of Tomsk.

For many years, residents have been restricted from entering or leaving the city. Upon leaving Seversk, residents had to surrender their special entry passes at the checkpoint and it was forbidden to discuss where they worked or lived. In 1987, some restrictions were lifted due to the large number of residents who worked or studied in Tomsk.

The city still remains closed to non-residents. There are six checkpoints where visitors must show entry documents. Permission to visit the city may only be granted by the appropriate authorities by a request of the institution being visited, or by a request of a private party such as a close relative. Prior to May 2007, visitors had to apply for entry passes at a special office in Tomsk proper. Since that date visitors can apply for entry documents directly at the main checkpoint.

Tomsk-7 explosion

There was a nuclear accident at the Tomsk-7 Reprocessing Complex on April 6, 1993, when a tank exploded due to formation of red oil, while nitric acid was being added to a plutonium-uranium mixture. The explosion released a cloud of radioactive gas. TIME magazine has identified the Tomsk-7 explosion as one of the world's 10 "worst nuclear disasters".[10] The explosion had a force of approximately 100 kg of TNT and blew out a large section of the exterior wall of the high level radioactive processing room.[11] Winds blew the small amount of released radioactive material northwards, some landing over the neighboring village of Georgiyevka.[12]

Culture

Seversk has nine municipal cultural and artistic institutions, as well as four establishments of additional education for children of artistic and aesthetic focus and two organizations of other forms - the nonprofit organization Ostrovsky House of Culture and a cinema called "Mir".

Education

There is a major post-secondary school in the city, the Seversk State Technological Academy, a branch of Tomsk Polytechnic University.

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See also

References

Notes
  1. Law #271-OZ
  2. Russian Federal State Statistics Service (2011). "Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года. Том 1" [2010 All-Russian Population Census, vol. 1]. Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года [2010 All-Russia Population Census] (in Russian). Federal State Statistics Service.
  3. "26. Численность постоянного населения Российской Федерации по муниципальным образованиям на 1 января 2018 года". Federal State Statistics Service. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  4. Decision #69/1
  5. "Об исчислении времени". Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (in Russian). June 3, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  6. Почта России. Информационно-вычислительный центр ОАСУ РПО. (Russian Post). Поиск объектов почтовой связи (Postal Objects Search) (in Russian)
  7. Russian Federal State Statistics Service (May 21, 2004). "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] (XLS). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года [All-Russia Population Census of 2002] (in Russian).
  8. "Russia shuts second plutonium-producing reactor at Seversk". World Nuclear News. June 6, 2008. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
  9. The remaining operating production reactor is sited at Zheleznogorsk in Krasnoyarsk Krai.
  10. "The Worst Nuclear Disasters". TIME. March 25, 2009. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
  11. https://xcdsystem.com/wmsym/archives//1997/sess36/36-09.htm
  12. THE RADIOLOGICAL ACCIDENT IN THE REPROCESSING PLANT AT TOMSK, International Atomic Energy Agency, https://www-pub.iaea.org/mtcd/publications/pdf/p060_scr.pdf

Sources
  • Государственная Дума Томской области. Закон №271-ОЗ от 22 декабря 2009 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Томской области», в ред. Закона №153-ОЗ от 17 ноября 2014 г. «Об упразднении отдельных административно-территориальных единиц Томской области и о внесении изменений в отдельные законодательные акты Томской области в связи с упразднением отдельных административно-территориальных единиц Томской области». Вступил в силу по истечении 10 дней после дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Томские новости", №51, 24 декабря 2009 г. (State Duma of Tomsk Oblast. Law #271-OZ of December 22, 2009 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tomsk Oblast, as amended by the Law #153-OZ of November 17, 2014 On Abolishing Several Administrative-Territorial Units in Tomsk Oblast and on Amending Various Legislative Acts of Tomsk Oblast Due to the Abolition of Several Administrative-Territorial Units in Tomsk Oblast. Effective as of the day which is 10 days after the day of the official publication.).
  • Собрание народных представителей ЗАТО Северск. Решение №69/1 от 12 апреля 2005 г. «Устав городского округа закрытого административно-территориального образования Северск Томской области», в ред. Решения №65/1 от 28 мая 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в Устав городского округа закрытого административно-территориального образования Северск Томской области». Вступил в силу 1 января 2006 г., за исключением положений, для которых установлены иные сроки и порядок вступления в силу. Опубликован: "Диалог", №19, 11 мая 2005 г. (Assembly of People's Representatives of the Closed Administrative-Territorial Formation of Seversk. Decision #69/1 of April 12, 2005 Charter of the Urban Okrug of the Closed Administrative-Territorial Formation of Seversk of Tomsk Oblast, as amended by the Decision #65/1 of May 28, 2015 On Amending the Charter of the Urban Okrug of the Closed Administrative-Territorial Formation of Seversk of Tomsk Oblast. Effective as of January 1, 2006, with the exception of clauses for which other dates and procedures of taking effect are specified.).

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