Seversk is a city (since 1954) in the Tomsk region. The administrative center of the closed administrative-territorial entity Seversk. Population - 106 516 people. (2020).
A giant monument to V.I. Lenin (on the square in front of the BUT
administration).
A stele with the name of the city at the entrance
to it through the Central checkpoint.
Seversky Museum.
Seversky
Musical Theatre.
Seversky Nature Park.
Seversky Zoo is the only
one in the Tomsk region
Museum of the History of the Siberian
Chemical Plant.
theater for children and youth (former puppet
theater).
The Mir cinema.
The Closed Administrative-territorial Formation of Seversk, in addition to the closed city of the same name, includes extra-urban territories, which consist of the settlements: Samus (the administrative center of the extra-urban territories), Orlovka, villages: Kizhirovo, Semiozerki and Inkilshchikova. These towns and villages were part of the Tomsk region until 1997 and a pass is not required to visit them. You can get to these towns and villages (except for Chernilshchikova) from the Tomsk bus station by the Tomsk-Orlovka route (makes several additional stops in Tomsk) and from Seversk by bus route 145. Both bus routes make several trips a day. As for Inkilshchikova, only two pensioners remain from the permanent population there, the rest of the houses are occupied by summer residents. On the territory of BUT there are several more former villages that have already completely turned into holiday villages. Buses from Seversk run to these holiday villages (including Inkilshchikova), and to some, in addition, the same bus "Tomsk-Orlovka". Near the village of Samus and the village of Semiozerki, which are almost fused, there are several large lakes suitable for swimming. Next to one of them there is a boarding house "Seven Lakes", a sauna and a ski base.
The only way to Seversk is through Tomsk.
By plane
At Tomsk
airport, take bus No. 119, take it to Yuzhnaya Square, Tomsk-1 train
station, take bus routes 401 or 442. Or take the same 119 bus to any
stop on the section of the avenue. Lenin from the ave. Kirov to Lenin
Square and transfer to bus number 400, 405 or 442. The travel time
depends on the place where you board the bus in Tomsk, the traffic
situation (there is a railway crossing on the way), the queue at the
checkpoint and where you are going in Seversk (approximately forty
minutes to two and a half hours).
By train
At Tomsk-1 train
station, take the bus route 401 or 442.
By car
There are
nuances here: in addition to the fact that all persons entering the city
by car over the age of 12 must have a pass with them, and children must
have birth certificates, the driver must have a special "Automatic
checkpoint" mark in the pass, without which entry into the city of the
vehicle is impossible. If you plan to enter the city by private car,
then indicate this in the application for a pass, and upon receipt, ask
the issuing person to make this mark in your pass.
Taxi: Most
Tomsk taxi companies provide services for the delivery of passengers to
Seversk, but it is necessary to inform the dispatcher about the place of
travel when placing an order.
By bus
Buses No. 400, 401, 405
and 442 run between Seversk and Tomsk.
On the ship
From the
Tomsk river station, the motor ship (flight Tomsk — Krasny Yar) to the
Beloborodovo pier. Nuance: Passes to Seversk for new arrivals are issued
only at the Central checkpoint, and from the pier, without entering the
city, it can only be reached by walking many kilometers along the
guarded perimeter. For those who already have a pass, there is a
separate checkpoint in the marina area. That is, if you left for Tomsk
during the validity period of your pass, you may well return to Seversk
by river.
There are regular buses in the city. The bus service interval during
the day is 3-4 minutes, during rush hour — 1-2 minutes. There are major
bus routes in the city:
17: village Iglakovo — Pervomaiskaya
street — ave. Kommunisticheskiy — Leningradskaya street
29: PATP —
Pervomaiskaya street — ave. Kommunisticheskiy — Pobedy str. —
Sanatorium-dispensary
30: PATP ave. Kommunisticheskiy —
Leningradskaya street
31: PATP — Lesnaya street — Kalinina street —
ave. Communist — PATP (ring)
32: PATP — Komsomolskaya str. — ave.
Kommunisticheskiy — Kalinina str. — Lesnaya str. — PATP (koltsevoy)
33: village Iglakovo — PATP — Lesnaya str. — Kalinina str. — Pobedy str.
— Leningradskaya str. — Pobedy str. — Kommunisticheskiy ave. —
Pervomaiskaya str. — village Iglakovo
34: village Iglakovo — PATP —
Komsomolskaya str. — ave. Kommunisticheskiy — Pobedy Street —
Leningradskaya Street — Pobedy Street — Kalinina Street — Lesnaya Street
— PATP
On the site of the future city in 1933, a youth labor
commune "Chekist" was created, which gave its name to the village in
which the first builders of the city lived. After that, this name
passed to the area of the city located here today.
The
village of Beloborodovo on the territory of the city ceased to exist
in the 1980s. The village of Iglakovo still exists today and
acquired the status of a microdistrict of the city.
On March
26, 1949, the Council of Ministers of the USSR made a decision to
establish a plant near Tomsk for the production of highly enriched
uranium-235 and plutonium-239. The new industrial complex was
originally called Zauralskaya office of Glavpromstroy or Combine No.
816.
For the construction of the plant, by order of the
Minister of Internal Affairs, forced labor camps were organized
(correctional labor colony No. 1 of Siblag of the Directorate of
Forced Labor Camps and Colonies of the NKVD of the USSR). The
prisoners worked not only in industrial facilities, their labor was
also used in the construction of residential buildings and urban
infrastructure. About 20 thousand prisoners worked on the
construction of the closed city and the plant.
The original
code name of the city was Mailbox No. 5, because the construction of
the city-forming plant was named: PO Box No. 5, in this regard, in
common parlance, the city was called "Fifth Postal" or simply
"Postal".
Since 1951 - the village of Berezki, where on July
26, 1953, the first Siberian uranium was obtained at the isotope
separation plant, part of the Siberian Chemical Combine.
In
1954, the closed settlement was named Seversk, but later in
documents for secrecy purposes it was called Tomsk-7.
The
second in the world after Obninsk industrial nuclear power plant
(NPP-1, also known as the Siberian NPP) with a capacity of 100
megawatts, was built in Seversk in 1958.
The secrecy status
was removed from the city in 1989.
In 1993, a radiation
accident occurred at the Siberian Chemical Combine, as a result of
which radioactive substances were released into the atmosphere, and
1946 people were exposed to radiation. Index on the international
scale of nuclear events INES - 4.
Since 1997 - ZATO, which
includes, in addition to Seversk, the villages of Samus, Orlovka,
Chernilshchikovo, the villages of Kizhirovo, Semiozerki.
Seversk is a closed administrative-territorial formation (ZATO) in
Tomsk Oblast, Russia, functioning as a restricted-access city due to its
historical and ongoing role in nuclear activities. Established in 1949
as a secret Soviet settlement, it was originally known as Pyaty Pochtovy
and later Tomsk-7, remaining unmarked on maps until the early 1990s. The
city spans approximately 486 square kilometers and is home to around
108,000 residents, with its geography shaped by the vast West Siberian
Plain, making it a relatively flat, riverine urban area embedded in a
forested taiga landscape. Its closed status influences geographical
access, with entry controlled via six checkpoints requiring special
permits, often linked to work, study, or family ties in the area.
Location and Coordinates
Seversk is situated in the southwestern
part of Siberia, specifically in the Tomsk Oblast, about 15 kilometers
(9.3 miles) northwest of the regional capital, Tomsk. It lies on the
right (eastern) bank of the Tom River, which serves as a natural
boundary and shapes much of the city's layout. The geographic
coordinates are approximately 56°36′N 84°51′E, placing it in the heart
of the West Siberian Plain, a massive lowland region that extends across
much of western Siberia. This position is roughly in the geographic
center of Russia, far from major tourist routes but near natural
features like the world's largest swamp complex (the Vasyugan Swamp) to
the north and the Altai Mountains several hundred kilometers to the
south. Administratively, Seversk is an urban okrug under oblast
jurisdiction, equivalent to a district, and its proximity to Tomsk
allows for some shared infrastructure, though movement between the two
was historically restricted.
Topography and Terrain
The
topography of Seversk is characteristic of the West Siberian Plain, one
of the largest flatland areas on Earth, with minimal relief and gentle
undulations. Elevation averages around 90–110 meters (295–360 feet)
above sea level, with the city center at approximately 94 meters. The
terrain is predominantly level, with subtle slopes descending toward the
Tom River valley, creating a lowland setting that facilitates urban
development along the riverbank. There are no significant hills or
mountains in the immediate vicinity; instead, the landscape features
broad plains interspersed with river valleys and occasional low ridges
formed by glacial deposits from the Quaternary period. Surrounding areas
include scattered depressions that can form wetlands or small lakes
during wet seasons, contributing to a somewhat marshy character in
undeveloped zones. Human modifications, such as embankments along the
river and industrial zones, have altered parts of the natural
topography, but the overall flatness supports dense forest cover and
agricultural potential in nearby rural areas.
Hydrology and Water
Features
The Tom River is the dominant hydrological feature, flowing
southward through the region and serving as a tributary to the larger Ob
River, one of Siberia's major waterways. Seversk's position on the right
bank means the river acts as a western boundary, influencing local
microclimates, recreation, and historically, transportation. The river's
width near Seversk varies from 200–400 meters, with seasonal
fluctuations due to spring floods from snowmelt and summer rains.
Smaller tributaries and streams, such as the Kirgizka River, drain into
the Tom nearby, creating a network of waterways that support wetlands
and biodiversity. Groundwater resources are abundant in the plain, but
environmental concerns arise from past industrial activities, including
a 1993 nuclear incident at the Siberian Chemical Combine that released
radioactive contaminants, potentially affecting local water quality. The
area experiences periodic flooding, mitigated by levees and dams, and
the river provides opportunities for fishing and boating in
non-restricted zones.
Climate
Seversk experiences a humid
continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with distinct seasons, marked by long,
harsh winters and short, warm summers. The annual average temperature is
about 0.6°C (33.1°F), reflecting Siberia's cold continental influence.
Winters are severe, with January temperatures ranging from -21°C to
-13°C (-6°F to 9°F), and extreme lows can dip below -40°C (-40°F) during
cold snaps. Summers are milder, with July averages around 19.2°C
(66.6°F), though highs can reach 30°C (86°F) or more. Precipitation
totals approximately 530 millimeters (21 inches) annually, distributed
fairly evenly but peaking in summer with thunderstorms. Snow cover
persists for 180–200 days a year, from late October to April, with
depths up to 1 meter in forested areas. Winds are generally moderate,
but blizzards and fog are common in winter, while the flat terrain
allows for occasional dust storms in dry periods. Climate change
impacts, such as warmer winters and increased precipitation variability,
are noted in the broader Siberian region, potentially affecting
Seversk's hydrology and vegetation.
Vegetation, Environment, and
Land Use
The natural environment around Seversk is dominated by taiga
forests, typical of the West Siberian Plain, with coniferous species
like pine, spruce, and fir mixed with birch and aspen in deciduous
stands. These forests cover much of the undeveloped land, providing
habitat for wildlife such as elk, foxes, and various bird species.
Wetlands and peat bogs are prevalent in low-lying areas, contributing to
carbon storage but also posing challenges for construction. Land use
within Seversk is primarily urban and industrial, centered on the
Siberian Chemical Combine, which occupies significant territory for
nuclear fuel production and reprocessing. Green spaces include parks
like the Nature Park and Victory Park, which feature zoos and
recreational areas amid the taiga. Environmental aspects are heavily
influenced by the city's nuclear history, including the shutdown of
plutonium reactors in 2003 and ongoing monitoring for radiation. Despite
this, the surrounding forests and river offer outdoor activities like
hiking and skiing, though access is limited by the closed status.