Krasnokamensk, Zabaykalsky Krai
Krasnokamensk (Russian Краснокаменск ) is a city in the region, the Trans-Baikal (Russia) with 55 666 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ).
Geography
The city is located in the arid steppe of the southeastern Transbaikalia on the northwestern edge of the Argungebirges, some 500 kilometers south-east of the regional capital of Chita and about 40 kilometers from here formed by the Amur river source Argun border with the People's Republic of China.
Krasnokamensk second largest city in the region, since 1977 the administrative center of the homonymous Rajons Krasnokamensk.
History
The town was founded in the context of the incipient development of a uranium deposit discovered in 1963 Strelzowskoje in 1968 and has already received on 16 July 1969, the city law. The name is derived from the Russian krasny came for red stone, rocks, whereby in addition to the actual reddish color of the rocks in the area could also refer to the political significance of the color red.
Known abroad, the city was there through the existing penal camp, in which Mikhail Khodorkovsky was imprisoned from October 2005 to December 2006.
Demographics
Note: Census data
Culture and sights
In the city there since 2003 Mineralogical Museum.
Economy and infrastructure
In Krasnokamensk is the largest uranium mine in Russia, which is operated by the Priargunsker mining and chemical production association. The supported here annually 3000 tons of uranium provide over 90 % of total Russian production and nearly 10 % of world production dar. Besides uranium in the environment in the open pit and underground molybdenum and manganese promoted, also brown coal for local power generation in a situated here thermal power plant. Based on the funded here ores produces a chemical factory sulfuric acid and lubricants; in addition there are companies in the construction industry and the food industry.
Due to the high environmental impact, including through radioactivity, are the inhabitants of the nearer to the conveyor and waste dump areas, districts, such as the settlement Oktyabrsky, relocated in recent years in the area of ten kilometers west town core.
Since 1972, a 15 -kilometer branch line from the station Uruljungui the railway Charanor - Priargunsk leads to Krasnokamensk. The already built as a narrow gauge railway with a track width of 750 mm 1939-1955 route to Priargunsk was rebuilt at the same time for the purpose of connecting the mining area to Krasnokamensk to Russian broad gauge.
Krasnokamensk has a regional airport.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Svetlana Wyssokowa (* 1972), speed skater