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Introduction IntroductionZheleznogorsk, previously known as Krasnoyarsk-26, is situated in the southern part of Central Siberia on the banks of the Yenissei River. It is about 60 km north of Krasnoyarsk, one of the largest cities in Siberia. Zheleznogorsk was built as a satellite city to one of the most important nuclear weapons production centres in Russia - the Mining and Chemical Combine (MCC). This huge underground complex is unique in the world. The city lies about 10 km south of MCC and was founded in 1950, receiving city status in 1954. Its existence was kept secret until very recently, and unlike the other ZATOs, it still does not appear on public maps, although some settlements within the ZATO, such as Dodonovo, do appear. The area first acquired "ZATO" status in 1992 and the city was given its open name Zhelelznogorsk two years later. It had previously been referred to in classified documents as PO-9 ("the ninth"), Krasnoyarsk-26 and SocCity. Zhelelznogorsk was built to a plan drawn up by the Governmental Construction Design Institute-11 (VNIPIET) in St Petersburg. Today, the city authorities are engaged in encouraging new investment and attracting in high-tech companies. Their vision for Zhelelznogorsk is for it to become a regional centre for the design and development of innovative new technologies. The Mining and Chemical Combine (MCC)When the Soviet Government decided to build a new complex for the manufacture plutonium for nuclear weapons, MAYAK was already in operation and the advanced Siberian Chemical Combine was under construction. What made the Mining and Chemical Combine (MCC) different was that it was designed to withstand nuclear attack, and was built totally underground. Construction on what was code-named Combine #815 began in 1950. All the production facilities were located in solid rock 200 metres below ground level, an amazing feat of engineering. What was also remarkable was that this huge project was carried out in total secrecy. The combine was designed to produce weapon-grade plutonium both from its industrial reactors, as well as by extraction from irradiated uranium. Three uranium graphite reactors, used to produce weapons-grade plutonium and located deep in the rocks, formed the basis of the nuclear complex. The first two reactors (AD and AD-1) went into operation in 1958 and 1961 respectively, operating on the through-flow mode, using cooling water from the Yenissei River. They were decommissioned in 1992. The third reactor, AD-2, went into operation in 1964, and remains in use today, providing electricity, hot water and heat to the City of Zheleznogorsk. In the 1970s, construction began on a storage and processing complex for nuclear waste from light-water energy nuclear reactors. The Government also planned to build a large modern complex, named RT2. But in the post-Chernobyl period of 1989 construction was halted as the nuclear industry was phased down. As a result, only the pool-type storage facility for the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) was finished. Although it remains in use, a large section of the reinforced concrete framework of the unfinished plant is collapsing. A decision has recently been made to construct dry storage for spent nuclear fuel produced in Zheleznogorsk. Irradiated heat-generating units will go into long-term storage in special sealed cases. Industry todayThe population of Zheleznogorsk is over 100,000. About a third, around 17,000, people are employed in the rocket and space industry that make up the military complex. MCC currently employs about a fifth of the working population in the city, around 9,000 people. Over a quarter of the city's income consists of tax revenues from MCC. One enterprise, Sibhimstroy, has been responsible for the construction of MCC, NPO PM and most other buildings in the city. MCCMCC's is responsible for 68% of the city's industrial output, whileits share in the city's overall production output is 18%. MCC's main areas of work today are:
NPO PMZheleznogorsk is home to the largest manufacturer of satellites in Russia, the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Scientific Production Company of Applied Mechanics, after Academician M.F. Reshetnyev (NPO PM). The company was founded in 1959 and is responsible for the production of a third of all Russian satellites. The satellites provide TV and radio broadcasting and telephone communication facilities across the Eastern and Northern regions of Russia, as well as internet services. NPO PM also designs and produces satellites for the global navigation system GLONASS. The Chemical CompanyThe Chemical Company was established in in 1958 as a testing station for liquefied rocket engines. It is an affiliate of the Federal Governmental Unitary Enterprise Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant, which is managed by Rosaviacosmos. Its key areas of activity include:
New investmentThe Zheleznogorsk city authorities are making every effort to attract new investment and encourage business development within the ZATO. The Fund International Development Centre - Zheleznogorsk (IDC - Zheleznogorsk), a non-governmental not-for-profit organisation, was founded in 1999. Its main aim is to provide business development services to the local community and to assist in creating civilian jobs for specialists made redundant from the MCC. In 2002, the first Russian off-shore programming centre was created in Zheleznogorsk with support from the US programme NCI. The controlling share is owned by the Novosibirsk-based Software Production Company Novosoft. In 2004 the first business-incubator (Technopark) was established in the premises of the scientific production company Applied Mechanics. In 2003 the City Administration of Zheleznogorsk, along with local enterprises and IDC, and with the support of NCI, developed a City Strategic Plan. The long term vision is that Zhelelznogorsk should be a city of high-tech production, acting as a centre for the design and development of innovative new technologies. It should be an attractive location for new companies. The plan focuses on energy supply, providing employment, attracting investment, and improving communications with the federal and regional authorities. The Strategic plan was approved by the Mayor, City Council, and agreed with the directors of the major companies and enterprises in the city. Special attention has been given to small business development. The City Administration holds competitions for small businesses to help compensate for the interest they pay on commercial bank loans. The competition aims to assist in developing entrepreneurship, ensure more effective use is made of the city's financial resources, and reduce the cost of borrowing for small businesses in ZATO Zheleznogorsk. Materials from the following web-sites were used:
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