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Introduction Introduction
The closed city of Seversk, formerly known as Tomsk-7, is best known as the home of one of the largest weapons-grade plutonium production enterprises in the world, the Siberian Chemical Combine. It is the largest closed territory (ZATO) in Russia, covering around 19 sq km, and has a population of around 120,000. It is an attractive and modern city with many parks and squares having been designed by architects from Leningrad, who laid out the city in a similar classical style, enhanced by its location on the Tom River. The population of the new town is remarkably young, with an average age of 37. The nearby city of Tomsk is one of the largest industrial, scientific and educational centres in Siberia, with a population of half a million, and has been nicknamed the "Siberian Athens" as around a fifth of its population are students. The Soviets made the decision to build a major nuclear complex at Seversk in 1949, located 12 km from Tomsk. The facility officially opened five years later. The SCC plant became the largest atomic complex in the Russian Minatom system, and was the first equipped to complete the entire nuclear-fuel cycle. The new city of Seversk grew rapidly during the 1960s and 1970s to support the expanding nuclear industry. However, after the introduction of Gorbachev's perestroika reforms in 1987, the plant went into a decline, and, as the government began to cut back on its military expenditure, Seversk became the first city in Minatom's system to start decommissioning its atomic reactors. In August 1990, the first of the three reactors (I-1) at Plant#5 was closed, followed by EI-2 in December 1990, and AD-3 in August 1992. The issue of the re-employment of former nuclear military personnel became a major issue, and remains so today. The nuclear eraThe Soviet government made the decision to establish a large military nuclear combine outside Tomsk in March 1949. The site had good access to water and building materials, and was well placed strategically. The new industrial complex, code named Combine #816, was based on similar complexes at Combines ## 817 and 813 (now known as MAYAK and the Uralian Electro Chemical Combine). The aim was to integrate all the production stages of the nuclear cycle on one site. This included uranium isotope separation production and a reactor plant to produce plutonium. The plan was to create a sublimated plant to produce uranium hexane fluoride, the raw material for uranium isotope separation. In the post war period, construction work was hampered by lack of resources, and the high level of secrecy surrounding the programme. Progress was also slowed by the remoteness of the site, and the lack of specialist construction staff. The workforce, made up largely of military construction personnel and prisoners, faced harsh conditions. They were often moved from place to place, and living conditions were spartan. Workers lived in temporary housing, with dozens sharing one room heated with a small stove. Roads for the new settlements were simply cut out of the forests, and there was little medical support. However, pressure mounted on the workers to speed up production, and in 1951 work began on the first buildings of the new diffusion plant, known at varying times as the turbulent plant, "T" facility; or Unit #1. Construction also started on a sublimation plant (known later as "S" Facility or Unit #10), to produce raw materials for isotope separation. Facilities also came on line to produce uranium tetra-fluoride, uranium hexane fluoride, anhydrous fluoride hydrogen and hydrofluoric acids. Work on the reactor plant at Construction Site #2 began in spring 1952 with the combine producing its first enriched uranium a year later. A new settlement grew up alongside the combine, and although it was named Seversk in 1954, it was known for many years afterwards as Tomsk-7. A number of other construction enterprises also came into being at this time. The construction of the first reactor started in March 1952 and was completed in November 1955. The severe Siberian weather posed a challenge, as even metal could not stand up to the low temperatures. A huge canvas roof was used to cover the construction site, with two steam engines running underneath to provide heating. The development of the Siberian nuclear power station began in 1954. This is also the year that the Obninsk nuclear power plant near Moscow became the first in the world to supply energy to the national grid. The energy complex had two purposes, to produce weapon-grade plutonium and electricity. Construction began in 1956, with work on the EI-2 reactor commencing two years later, when industrial operation of the reactor began. At the same time work began on the second stage of the atomic power station based on AD-type reactors. The first reactor, AD-3 went into operation in July 1961 with new generation reactors, AD-4 and AD-5 following, based on the EI-2 and AD-3 reactors. Work on the radio-chemical plant ("B" Facility; Unit #15) began in 1956 under the auspices of the country's leading nuclear institutes, the Institute of Atomic Energy after I.V. Kurchatov. (The Radium Institute and Institute of Chemical Technologies (VNIICHT; NII-10)). In 1958 work began on the Chemical-Metallurgical Plant ("M" Facility; Unit#25), which is a modern industrial complex processing uranium tetra-hexane-fluoride. The plant includes facilities for chemical-metallurgical work and casting, as well as sealing of production for nuclear charges. New technologies were developed for using metallic uranium and plutonium in manufacture at NII-9 (VNIINM) and NII-10 (VNIICHT). The technical documentation was carried out by Arzamas-16 (VNIIEF). When both plants went into operation in 1961 the Combine succeeded in running the entire production complex, ensuring a closed technological cycle. Other industriesAlthough Seversk is still dominated by the Siberian Chemical Combine, which remains one of the largest nuclear complexes in the world, comprising of nine plants, with adjoining research and design institutes, the number of new enterprises is growing. At the beginning of 2003, there were 1,570 companies and enterprises registered in the ZATO, employing around a third of the working population. In 2004, the start-up of a new company, OOO Chemvolokno led to 150 new jobs. Production in the ZATO area continues to rise, up by 12 % in 2003 over the previous year, and up 6% in 2004. This is forecast to continue into 2005. There is also a growing small business sector. There are over 7,700 small and medium-sized businesses in Tomsk Oblast, and over 25,000 private traders. The majority are involved in sales and production, mainly wood processing, metal processing and machine-building. Most are based in Tomsk, Seversk and Strezhevoy. Regional and local authorities have supported the small business sector, providing venture capital funds. Direct government support is available to companies working in agriculture, construction, pharmaceuticals, food-processing and wood-processing. Funding is available under the city's development programme to support new and existing enterprises. Between 1999 and 2002, 600 million rubles was made available to 62 projects. These were mainly in manufacturing, but also included telecommunication, health, catering and service companies. Large enterprises receiving funding include the Plastic Processing Plant (ООО Poliplen), Waste Paper Processing Plant (ООО Joule), a Pig-Raising Farm (ООО Siberian Brand SV), a Manufacturer of Polyethylene (MUP ONIKS). One of the most promising new projects is a glass container manufacturing company, with the production capacity of up to 300 million items a year. This is being implemented by ZAO Seversk Glass Plant, and has led to 400 new jobs. Industry can be grouped into five main areas:
The Samulsk Shipbuilding Dock Yard PlantThe Samulsk plant, which has 120 years of experience in shipbuilding and engineering, has a workforce of 350. It specializes in the building and repairing of barges, passenger ships and floating cranes, the manufacture of marine equipment, and the production and repair of oil-gas complexes. It sells to western and eastern Siberia and European Russia, and exports to China, Austria, and Holland. Its shipbuilding and assembly areas, based on Finnish equipment, make the plant the most modern of its kind east of the Urals. It can process up to 40,000 tons of sheet metal a year. Since the lifting of the iron curtain production has increased almost 10 fold. The plant is currently building new ships, and a range of consumer goods, metal goods, and heating boilers for domestic and industrial use. ООО PoliplenThe company specialises in the manufacture of consumer goods and uses equipment made by German, Dutch, and Italian companies. It has a range of 30 products. Seversk Food-Processing PlantThis Municipal Company is the main manufacturer of foodstuffs in the area, including dairy products, bread, soft drinks and beer. Public Company ShveyaOriginally a government-owned clothing manufacturer, founded in 1956, it makes overalls and industrial clothing for the Siberian Chemical Combine, as well as dresses, blouses, underwear, headwear and children's clothing. It employs 85 people. The construction industryThere are a number of independent companies including.SP OAO Chimstroy; OAO Prommechanostroy; OAO FSK Gaschimstroyinvest; OOO Resurs-7, OAO Spetzteplochimmontage; ZAO MSU-74, OOO SMU-2 and OAO Perlit. They work largely in and around Tomsk Oblast. Construction-Industrial Stock Company ChemstroyThis large enterprise was originally set up to oversee development in the region and support the military activities of the Siberian Chemical Combine. During the ten-year period of perestroika it struggled to survive as the construction industry collapsed through lack of investment. In the early 1990s, it went through a complicated process of privatisation, after which it began to revive. Over 400 specialists were taken on, and productivity began to increase. The company has since received many prestigious awards, including the Golden Eagle, Silver Dolphin and a silver medal at Cannes. SP OAO Chemstroy now consists of a network of independent divisions are involved in the manufacture of a wide range of pre-fabricated reinforced construction materials, such as lintels, staircases, lift shafts, concrete and plaster. The company employs about 230 people. ОАО PromMechanoMontageOriginally set up in 1949 to support the nuclear energy complex, it now specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of metal equipment used in industrial buildings. These include boilers, containers, and pipelines capable of operating under pressure, or in a vacuum in radioactive conditions. PromMechanoMontage produces a wide range of metal products made from steel and aluminum alloy, including monorails, electric power pylons, wall and roofing panels, water towers, and petroleum refining units. The company has a workforce of around 630. GasChemstroyInvest CompanyThis multi-purpose enterprise was set up in the late 1990s to work in general contracting, investing and construction. It has 230 specialist staff. In 1998 the company bought a controlling share of Kopylovsk Ceramics Plant, which was then virtually bankrupt. This now produces high quality, frost resistant bricks, much in demand in the far north of Russia. The company has won numerous awards, and has been included in the list of 150 leading companies in the Russian construction market. ООО Resurs-7This enterprise was originally set up to carry out repair work at SCC. In recent years, it has been working in the Reactor Plant and Isotope Separation Plant, engaged in the decommissioning of the three atomic reactors. It has encased the bottom of the reactor and its side cells in concrete. It is also involved in general construction work. Resurs-7 currently participates in a number of Tomsk regional and municipal programmes run by the ZATO Seversk City Administration. It employs 220 people. TelecommunicationsA new communications sector is developing both in Tomsk Oblast and Seversk, and there are now over 70 communication operators in the region. As well as the main provider TomskTelekom, which owns 80% of the traditional communication infrastructure, alternative networks are being created. Tomsk Oblast leads the way in mobile phone communications in Russia to GSM-900 standard, provided by the three leading operators, MTS, BeeLine, and Megaphone. The number of internet users continues to double annually, putting Tomsk in third place behind Moscow and St Petersburg. The overall traffic-carrying capacity of the external channels is 14 Мbits/sec; the capacity of modem pool in Tomsk is 690 lines. Based on the information of iKS-Consulting Company that monitors Internet traffic in Russia, Tomsk was on the 3rd place in Russia (after Moscow and St. Petersburg) on Internet use in the 1st half of 2004. There are over 400 translators in the region to ensure the television and radio broadcasting capability. Seversk' nearness to Tomsk makes it possible to receive all the main federal and local TV channels and Tomsk FM-radio stations. Education and cultureLenin Square lies at the heart of the city, containing its City Council and City Administration buildings, the City Museum, as well as the largest monument to Lenin in the world. In 1998 the Vladimirsk Holy Mother Temple was consecrated, opening in summer 2000. Theatre Square forms the hub of cultural life in Seversk, and includes a cinema, museum and children's musical school. The city has three theatres, a Cultural Centre and a network of libraries. Seversk Museum has 67,600 exhibits, and strong archeological and ethnography departments. The Seversk Nature Park is unique and is one of the few centres for wildlife conservation and ecological education in Siberia. The park also has a range of attractions, including a skating rink, and summer cinema. Pride of place goes to its plants and animals. The Zoo, established in 1967 to preserve the gene pool of rare and declining animal species, has 220 different animals and is a member of the Euro-British Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The ZATO has an impressive range of educational establishments, including 45 kindergartens, 22 schools, two lyceums, a gymnasium, children's art school, and musical and sports schools. The Seversk State Technological Institute has 1,200 students. There are five scientific institutes in Seversk:
Additional Education Centre POISK. (www.cdt.seversknet.ru, www.education.ssti.ru). The Childrens and Youth Theatre (http://sevtdu.tomsk.ru) was founded in October 1964. Now for over 40 years the staff has participated in various shows, festivals, tours. The theatre has been awarded several diplomas and got international award Golden Palm under Partnership for Progress program for creative potential and stability. Youth Show-Theatre Nash Mir (http://teatrnm.tomsk.ru) has just finished its 21st season, having staged three new plays alongside with its traditional repertoire. A rock festival was organized at the theatre. Seversk Library celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2005. Its funds currently hold 470 thousand units; the library has 27,000 readers and 58 staff members; it has several affiliates in different parts of the city. There are lectures and clubs in the library. Currently seven department of Children's Musical School, i.e. piano, orchestra, folks instruments, chorus, folk, aesthetic and theoretical teach 910 children. The teaching staff includes 82 teachers, with 38 holding the 1st qualification category and 18 having the highest teaching category. The city has all the conditions for vocational training, i.e. College of Arts, Vocational College (www.spk.ssti.ru), professional community colleges, which trains in 11 professions. The following web-sites were used: | |
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