Seversk

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Coat of arms of Seversk
Coat of arms of Seversk

Seversk (Russian: Се́верск) is a closed city in Tomsk Oblast, Russia, located fifteen kilometers northwest of Tomsk on the right bank of the Tom River at 56°37′N, 84°50′E. Population: 109,106 (2002 Census). Founded in 1949, the city was known as Pyaty Pochtovy (Пя́тый Почто́вый) until 1954 and as Tomsk-7 (Томск-7) until 1992. Town status was granted in 1956.

The current chairman of the city Duma and Mayor is Nikolai Kuzmenko, who has served since 1984. The current city manager is Anatoliy Abramov, who has served since August 2007. [1]

Seversk is the site of the Siberian Group of Chemical Enterprises, founded in 1954. It comprises several nuclear reactors and chemical plants for separation, enrichment, and reprocessing of uranium and plutonium. Nuclear warheads are produced and stored on the premises. One of the most serious nuclear accidents at SGCE occurred on April 6, 1993, when a tank containing a highly radioactive solution exploded.

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[edit] Secret city

The town was a secret city in the Soviet Union until President Boris Yeltsin decreed in 1992 that such cities could use their historical names. The town appeared on no official maps until then. As it was the tradition with Soviet towns containing secret facilities, Tomsk-7 is actually a P.O. Box number and implied that the place was located some distance from the city of Tomsk.

For many years, residents had restrictions on their ability to come and go from the city. Upon leaving Seversk, residents had to surrender their entry passes at the checkpoints and were forbidden from discussing where they worked or lived. However, in 1987 some restrictions were lifted due to the large number of residents who worked or studied in Tomsk. [2]

Despite the order removing Seversk's secret status, the city still remains closed to non-residents. The city has six checkpoints where visitors must show entry documents. Permission to visit to the city may only be granted by the appropriate authorities through the institution being visited, or through a private party such as a close relative. Prior to May 2007, visitors applied for entry passes at a special office in Tomsk. This regime has been modified and visitors apply for entry documents at the main checkpoint. [3]

[edit] Education

There is major post-secondary school in the city, the Seversk State Technological Academy, formerly the Seversk Techological Institute, a branch of Tomsk Polytechnic University.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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