Baykalsk

Baykalsk (Russian Байкальск; scientific transliteration Bajkalsk ) is a city in the eastern Siberian Irkutsk Oblast (Russia) with 13,583 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ).

Geography

Baykalsk is located on the southern shore of Lake Baikal at the mouth of the river Solsan, at the northern edge of the Khamar Daban, well 80 kilometers ( direct distance) south of the Oblasthauptstadt Irkutsk.

The city belongs to Rajon Slyudiyanka whose administrative center Slyudiyanka good 30 kilometers away in a northwesterly direction.

History

The actual town was founded in 1961 ( considered the founding year) instead of a pre-existing village in connection with the construction of a pulp and paper mill on the banks of Lake Baikal. The plant began operation in 1965; The town was awarded city status in 1966.

Demographics

Note: Census data (1959 rounded)

Culture and sights

To the south is a well-developed alpine ski area at about 1300 meters high mountain Sobolinaja ( Zobelberg ) with ordinary snow from November to May. Further south lie the mountains of the Khamar Daban - up over 2100 meters; Baykalsk is one of the starting points for trips into the mountains.

Economy and infrastructure

City -forming enterprises is the Baikal Pulp and Paper Combine ( Baikalsky zelljulosno - bumaschny industrial complex ) a few kilometers east of the city, where about one in four residents is directly employed ( between March 2009 and in 2010 it was due to internal financial problems, however, briefly shut down ). The work is considered the biggest polluters of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Lake Baikal. Oleg Deripaska's holding company majority-owned by Basic Element. At work, there is also a smaller thermal power plant.

Baykalsk is located on the Trans-Siberian Railway ( station name Baykalsk - Passaschirski; 5346 route km from Moscow). Another station with industrial railway connection is located at the cellulose Combine. Through the city performs the highway M55 Irkutsk - Ulan- Ude - Chita.