Strezhevoy is a city in the extreme north-west of the Tomsk region of Russia, forms the Strezhevoy urban district as the only settlement in its composition and is a city of regional subordination. Population - 40 830 people. (2020). The city was founded in 1966 on the right bank of the Pasol River (a channel of the Ob River).
The city inherited its name from the fishing village
Strezhevoye located in this area. The name is derived from the
Russian dialectal core, core - "steep bank of the river", "channel,
bystrina, channel, rampart". The village was founded by special
settlers in 1931 (according to other sources, in 1932).
The
impetus for the development of this territory was the discovery of
oil fields in the north of the region. On January 13, 1966, by order
of Glavtyumenneftegaz, the Tomskneft oil field department was
established. In the same year, on July 23, on the banks of the Pasol
River near the village of Strezhevoe, an oil workers' settlement was
founded.
The official date of the foundation of the city of
Strezhevoy is September 1, 1966. In the late 1960s, Strezhevoy was
declared an All-Union Shock Komsomol Construction Project. On April
5, 1978, by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the
RSFSR, the working village of Strezhevoy was transformed into a city
of regional subordination. City district - since 2004.
Earlier, on the territory of the present city there were settlements
of the eastern Khanty.
Physical and geographical
characteristics
Strezhevoy is located 635 km north-west of Tomsk.
Surrounded by the territory of the Alexandrovsky district; at the
same time, in the extreme northwest, the territory of the Strezhevoy
urban district borders on the Nizhnevartovsk district of the
Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug.
The city is located in the
zone of northern taiga and bogs, on the bank of the right channel of
the Ob River - the Pasol River (translated from Khanty as
“channel”).
The period of white nights lasts from late May to
August.
Location and Overview
Strezhevoy is a town located in the northern
part of Tomsk Oblast (also known as Tomsk Kray), Russia, within the vast
expanse of Western Siberia. It sits at geographical coordinates 60°44′N
77°35′E, approximately 780 kilometers northwest of the regional capital,
Tomsk. The town is positioned on the right bank of the Pasol River,
which is a branch or canal of the mighty Ob River, one of the longest
rivers in the world. Founded in 1966 as a settlement for oil workers and
elevated to town status in 1978, Strezhevoy serves as an important hub
for oil and gas extraction in the region. Its elevation is about 40
meters (130 feet) above sea level, reflecting the predominantly flat
lowland terrain of the area.
Tomsk Oblast as a whole spans 314,391
square kilometers in the southeastern section of the West Siberian
Plain, part of the Siberian Federal District. The oblast borders
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug to the north, Krasnoyarsk Krai to the
east, Kemerovo and Novosibirsk Oblasts to the south, and Omsk and Tyumen
Oblasts to the west. Strezhevoy lies in the more remote northern
reaches, where accessibility is limited—much of the surrounding
territory lacks year-round hard-surface roads, relying on seasonal
"winter roads" for transport from November to March.
Terrain and
Topography
The geography of Strezhevoy is characteristic of the West
Siberian Plain, a massive lowland region known for its minimal relief,
broad river valleys, and extensive floodplains. The terrain is
predominantly flat, with gentle undulations and no significant hills or
mountains. This flatness contributes to poor drainage, leading to
widespread waterlogging and the formation of vast wetlands. Strezhevoy
is situated near the Vasyugan Swamp, the largest swamp in the Northern
Hemisphere, covering over 53,000 square kilometers in Tomsk Oblast.
These swamps, along with peat bogs and marshlands, make up a significant
portion of the landscape, rendering about 85% of the oblast's territory
inaccessible or challenging for development. The northern areas around
Strezhevoy are particularly dominated by these features, interspersed
with dense forests and occasional clearings used for oil infrastructure.
Hydrography
Water bodies play a central role in Strezhevoy's
geography. The town is built along the Pasol River, often described as a
canal or arm of the Ob River, which flows through the region and serves
as a major transportation artery. The Ob River itself is a key
hydrological feature of Western Siberia, stretching over 3,650
kilometers and draining a basin of nearly 3 million square kilometers.
In the vicinity of Strezhevoy, the river system includes numerous
tributaries, oxbow lakes, and seasonal floods that shape the floodplain.
Other major rivers in Tomsk Oblast, such as the Tom, Chulym, Chaya, Ket,
Parabel, Vasyugan, and Tym, contribute to the dense network of
waterways, many of which are navigable during the warmer months but
freeze solid in winter. The presence of these rivers and swamps supports
a rich but fragile ecosystem, though oil extraction has introduced
environmental challenges like potential pollution.
Vegetation and
Ecosystems
Strezhevoy is embedded in the northwestern taiga zone, a
boreal forest biome that covers approximately 85% of Tomsk Oblast. The
taiga here consists of dense coniferous forests dominated by species
such as Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris),
spruce (Picea spp.), fir (Abies spp.), and larch (Larix spp.). Mixed
with deciduous trees like birch and aspen in disturbed areas, this
vegetation forms a thick canopy that supports diverse wildlife,
including bears, moose, wolves, and various bird species. The understory
is often boggy, with mosses, lichens, and berry-bearing shrubs thriving
in the acidic, nutrient-poor soils. The proximity to the Vasyugan Swamp
adds peatlands and wetland vegetation, such as sedges and sphagnum moss,
which play a crucial role in carbon sequestration but are vulnerable to
climate change and human activity.
Climate
Strezhevoy
experiences a sharply continental subarctic climate (Köppen
classification Dfc), characterized by long, extremely cold winters and
short, relatively warm summers. The average annual temperature for Tomsk
Oblast is around 1.75°C, but in the northern areas like Strezhevoy, it
tends to be cooler due to higher latitude. January averages range from
-19°C to -21°C (-2°F to -6°F), with extreme lows reaching as cold as
-62°C (-80°F). Summers are brief, with July temperatures averaging
19.4°C (67°F), though highs can occasionally exceed 29°C (84°F). The
frost-free period lasts only 100–105 days, limiting agriculture to hardy
crops or none at all in many areas.
Precipitation is moderate,
averaging 435 mm annually, with most falling as rain in summer and snow
in winter. Snow cover persists for 180–200 days, often accumulating to
depths of 1–2 meters. The region experiences polar phenomena like "white
nights" in summer, where twilight lingers due to the high latitude, and
long periods of darkness in winter. Climate change is increasingly
impacting the area, with thawing permafrost potentially exacerbating
swamp expansion and infrastructure instability.
Environmental and
Human Influences
The geography of Strezhevoy is heavily influenced by
its role in oil and gas production, with fields dotting the surrounding
taiga and swamps. This has led to some deforestation and habitat
fragmentation, though efforts are made to mitigate impacts. The region's
natural resources, including timber and hydrocarbons, drive the local
economy, but the harsh environment poses challenges for infrastructure,
such as pipelines and roads that must contend with permafrost and
flooding. Overall, Strezhevoy exemplifies the remote, resource-rich
Siberian landscape, where human settlement coexists with untamed
wilderness.
The transport infrastructure in Strezhevoy is
represented by road, river and air traffic. The nearest river port,
Koltogorsk, is located 10 km from Strezhevoy on the Ob River. The
nearest railway station is located 63 km from Strezhevoy, in the
city of Nizhnevartovsk, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug.
The
city bus network is represented by four urban (1, 2, 3, 4) and three
summer cottages (106, 108, 109) routes. Buses operate on schedule at
intervals of 30 minutes or more. There are buses GAZ-3221 (city),
PAZ-3205, PAZ-4234 and LiAZ-5256 (dachas). All routes are served by
Strezhevoy Teploenergosnabzhenie LLC. The fare in the city is 20
rubles.
Taxi transportation is carried out by about ten
passenger taxi services, the fare is 100 rubles. Cheap gasoline and
relatively high wages contribute to high motorization of the
population. Traffic jams, uncharacteristic for small towns, are
observed in the city.
Intercity bus service operates on the
routes Strezhevoy - Nizhnevartovsk (No. 672) and Strezhevoy -
Aleksandrovskoye (no number).
External road transport was
initially undeveloped due to the lack of roads. Positive shifts were
outlined in the 2010s in connection with the implementation of one
of the elements of the Northern Latitude Highway project - on
October 30, 2014, a capital bridge over the Vakh River was opened)
before that, a pontoon bridge and a ferry were used to cross the
river). Thus, the only year-round road connects the city with the
neighboring Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, primarily with
Nizhnevartovsk. The second road with a ferry crossing to Medvedevo
allows you to get to Aleksandrovskoye and to the main winter roads.
There is no road connection with the regional center Tomsk. In the
cold season, you can get to Tomsk by a winter road through Kargasok;
there is also a winter road through the Igolsko-Talovoye field to
the Novosibirsk region (the so-called "Orlov" winter road).
Until recently, river transport was the leading one for the city
in the delivery of goods, with the development of road transport its
role decreases, but the function of ferry transportation and
delivery of building materials, bulky cargo remains. The Koltogorsk
river port is located 10 km from the city. Passenger motor ships
operate to Kargask, Nizhnevartovsk and Surgut. Ferries run to
Medvedevo and Kargask. The ferry to Medvedevo runs 4 times a day.
Ferry Koltogorsk - Kargasok runs 3 times a week, travel time - a day
downstream and up to a day and a half when moving up. Enters
Medvedevo, Aleksandrovskoe, Lukashkin Yar and other settlements. The
queue for this ferry can take several days.
From the moment
the city was founded until the opening of the bridge over the Vakh,
air transport was the leading means of passenger communication
between the city and other cities. In 1997-2000, Strezhevoy was the
base for the Strezhevoy Airlines, which had An-24 and Yak-42
aircraft in its fleet. The airport is located 2 km from the city,
from which there are flights to Tomsk, Novosibirsk, remote
rotational villages. The airport's passenger traffic is small -
40-50 thousand people a year. After the simplification of road
communication with Nizhnevartovsk, residents of Strezhevoy began to
actively fly through the more developed airport of this city. In
2016-2018, Strezhevoy Airport was in a state of bankruptcy. On July
11, 2011 in the vicinity of the city there was a plane crash of the
An-24 aircraft of the Angara airline, flying from Tomsk to Surgut,
seven people were killed.