Krasnokamensk ( rus, Краснокаменск, p=krəsnɐˈkamʲɪnsk) is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and the

administrative center An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

of Krasnokamensky District in

Zabaykalsky Krai Zabaykalsky Krai is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the Russian Far East. Its administrative center is Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai, Chita. As of the Russian Census (2010), 2010 Census, the population was ...

, Russia, located near the Sino-Russian border, southeast of Chita, the administrative center of the

krai A krai or kray (; , , ''kraya'') is one of the types of federal subjects of modern Russia, and was a type of geographical administrative division in the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR. Etymologically, the word is related to the verb "" ...

. It is best known as the site for Russia's largest

uranium Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...

mine. Population:

Etymology

The name translates roughly as ''town on red stone'', with the reference to the color red reflecting both the actual rock formations in the area, as well as its political symbolism in the

Soviet era The history of the Soviet Union (USSR) (1922–91) began with the ideals of the Russian Bolshevik Revolution and ended in dissolution amidst economic collapse and political disintegration. Established in 1922 following the Russian Civil War, ...

History

It was founded in 1968, in conjunction with the commencement of mining of the ''Streltsovskoye''

deposits, which had been discovered near the present site of the city in 1963. The settlement grew quickly and was granted town status in 1969. From October 2005 until December 2006,

Mikhail Khodorkovsky Mikhail Borisovich Khodorkovsky (, ; born 26 June 1963), sometimes known by his initials MBK, is an exiled Russian businessman, Russian oligarchs, oligarch, and Russian opposition, opposition activist, now residing in London. In 2003, Khodork ...

was jailed in Krasnokamensk on his conviction for

tax evasion Tax evasion or tax fraud is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to red ...

and fraud.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Krasnokamensk serves as the

of Krasnokamensky District, to which it is directly subordinated.''Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units and the Inhabited Localities of Zabaykalsky Krai'' As a municipal division, the

of Krasnokamensk, together with one rural locality (the settlement of Oktyabrsky), is incorporated within Krasnokamensky Municipal District as Krasnokamensk Urban Settlement.Law #317-ZZK

Economy

The town is best known for its

mine – Priargunsky mine – the largest in Russia, located 10–20 km from Krasnokamensk. Priargunsky represents one of the largest

reserves in Russia having estimated reserves of 71.9 million tonnes of ore grading 0.16%

. The full name of the complex is the Priargunsky Mining-Chemical Production Association (PPGHO), which consists of a uranium mines, processing mills and tailings as well as a lignite mine and power plant along with a manganese casting plant and mill. In 1995, 5 million pounds of uranium were produced. In 1996, it was reported that over the previous 17 years, 10 km of stream bed had been contaminated with radiation levels of 170 microroentgen/hr, 10 times the world-wide average. In 1998 it was reported that the area produced 2,470

tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton in the United States to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the s ...

s of uranium contained in ore and that over the lifetime of the mine, more than 100,000 tonnes had been mined. In 1998 and 2002 it was reported that this location was the only active uranium production location in Russia during the previous decades. In 2001, it was reported the area was once the world's largest uranium mining and processing center and in 2001 it was the world's fifth largest. In 2001, it was reported that the uranium deposit could be depleted by 2026. In 2006, the area produced 2900 tonnes of uranium, which made it the fourth largest producer with 7% of the total world production.

Molybdenum Molybdenum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mo (from Neo-Latin ''molybdaenum'') and atomic number 42. The name derived from Ancient Greek ', meaning lead, since its ores were confused with lead ores. Molybdenum minerals hav ...

is also mined in the town's vicinity, with associated chemical plants producing

sulfuric acid Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen, ...

and

lubricant A lubricant (sometimes shortened to lube) is a substance that helps to reduce friction between surfaces in mutual contact, which ultimately reduces the heat generated when the surfaces move. It may also have the function of transmitting forces, ...

Pollution

According to the Blacksmith Institute, Krasnokamensk has generated fifty to seventy-five million tons of tailings, making it the largest waste stream at a uranium production site in the world. A Baley community survey documents hundreds of homes with radiation levels as much as 10–20 times the permissible levels. About 500–1000 homes or more suffer from radiation exposures far above international standards. In recent years, the dangerously high levels of radioactivity led to evacuation and resettlement of residents living near the tailing dumps.

Transport

A branch railway has connected the town to Russia's rail network since 1972. Krasnokamensk is served by the Krasnokamensk Airport.

Climate

Despite its relatively southerly latitude in Siberia, Krasnokamensk has a monsoon influenced

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''Dwc''), bordering very closely on a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(''Dwb''). The summers are short but very warm whereas winters are severely cold. Precipitation is heavily concentrated in the warmest months.

Sister city

* Manzhouli, China

References

Sources

* * *

External links

* {{Authority control Cities and towns in Zabaykalsky Krai Cities and towns built in the Soviet Union 1968 establishments in the Soviet Union Populated places established in 1968