Novokuznetsk

Novokuznetsk is a city in Kemerovo Oblast in south-western Siberia, Russia. Population: 547,904 (2010).

History

Founded in 1618 by men from Tomsk as a Cossack ostrog (fort) on the Tom River, it was initially called Kuznetsky ostrog (Кузне́цкий острог). It became the seat of Kuznetsky Uyezd in 1622. Kuznetsk (Кузне́цк) was granted town status in 1689. It was here that Fyodor Dostoevsky married his first wife, Maria Isayeva (1857). Joseph Stalin's rapid industrialization of the Soviet Union transformed the sleepy town into a major coal mining and industrial center in the 1930s. It merged with Sad Gorod in 1931. In 1931–1932, the city was known as Novokuznetsk and between 1932–1961 as Stalinsk (Ста́линск), after Stalin.

Industry

Novokuznetsk is a heavily industrial city and is located in the heart of the Kuzbass region. Factories in the city include:

• West-Siberian Metal Plant
• Novokuznetsk Iron and Steel Plant

Transportation

The main airport is the Spichenkovo Airport. The city is also a major railway junction with both local and long distance trains. Local public transport is provided by trams, buses, and trolleybuses.