Volzhsk, Russia

 

Volzhsk (Mar. Yulser-Ola) is a city in the Republic of Mari El of the Russian Federation. Center of the Volzhsky region, which is not part of. It forms the urban district "City of Volzhsk". It is the second largest city in the republic.

 

History

The emergence of Volzhsk is associated with the immediate proximity of the forest zone and the construction of woodworking plants. In 1933, by the decree of the PVS of the RSFSR, the newly arisen settlement at the Lopatinsky plant of construction parts was assigned to the category of workers' settlements with the inclusion of the village of Polka in it; by the same resolution, the village was named Lopatino.

The economy and the fate of the city were determined by the construction in 1938 of the Marbumkombinat, which is of all-Union significance. It solved the problem of producing technical types of paper purchased at that time abroad. The construction of the Marbumkombinat has become a city-forming factor: housing construction has developed, there is a need for the construction of communal facilities, kindergartens and schools. With the launch of the industrial giant, the settlement of Lopatino was further developed, which in 1940 received the status of the city of Volzhsk.

Of decisive importance for the social and economic development of the city was the construction in the late 60s - early 70s of a hydrolysis and yeast plant, an electromechanical plant, as a result of which Volzhsk became a city of machine builders. In 1987, the country's first joint Soviet-Italian production of refrigeration equipment "Sovitalprodmash" was created. For builders and workers of these enterprises were built residential neighborhoods: "Druzhba", "Mashinostroitel", "VDK", "Severny" with a developed infrastructure.

In the 1990s, social and economic problems sharply worsened in the city. Volzhsk was practically ruined. In 1999, debts for utility bills amounted to colossal figures for the entire republic, interruptions in the supply of heat and water began. The mayor of Volzhsk was arrested, and the townspeople initiated a petition to move to a more prosperous Tatarstan, which was not supported by the authorities, and the transition did not take place. The Republic of Mari El took over the debts on payments. The unfinished construction in the center of the city (now - GRK Hotel Ariada) and the closure of the only cinema "Rodina", the building of which has a unique architectural significance and is still in a dilapidated state, are evidence of the deepest economic crisis.

The current state of the city is characterized by a high degree of integration with Zelenodolsk and the Republic of Tatarstan, renewed construction in the housing and communal and social spheres. Since 2015, work has been gradually underway on the development program for 2015–2020, which provides for a large-scale reconstruction. First of all, this is the improvement of central streets, the resumed construction of multi-storey buildings and the resettlement of emergency and dilapidated housing, the construction of sports facilities.

 

Etymology

The ancient Russian village of Lopatino was named by its anthroponym: a number of persons with the name or nickname Lopata, Lopatin are mentioned in sources of the 16th-17th centuries. In 1940 it was transformed into a city and received the name Volzhsk due to its location on the banks of the Volga.

 

Geography

Volzhsk is located on the left bank of the Volga (Kuibyshev reservoir), in the extreme southern point of the republic, 101 km south of its capital Yoshkar-Ola and 49 km from the millionaire city of Kazan. In the south it borders on the Republic of Chuvashia, in the east - on the Republic of Tatarstan.

The city has close ties with Zelenodolsk, located 12 km to the east, and also gravitates towards the metropolitan area of ​​Kazan, despite the fact that they are located in another region - Tatarstan. There is communication with other regions by transport routes:
highway Kazan - Yoshkar-Ola;
a section of the motorway passing through the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station between Kazan and Cheboksary;
railway branch of the Gorky railway Kazan - Zeleny Dol - Yoshkar-Ola;
navigable routes along the Volga river.

 

Climate

Average annual air temperature - 4.3 ° C
Average wind speed - 3.2 m / s