Sverdlovsk Region Nowadays

Territory: 194.7 ths square km.

Population: 4.7 mln people.

Capital: Ekaterinburg (1.4 mln citizens)

Sverdlovsk Region is the largest region of the Urals and takes one of the leading positions in the economic complex of the Russian Federation. The Region is situated in the centre of Russia on the border between Europe and Asia. It is crossed by the important railways and motor roads. This determines its beneficial geographical and economic position.

The territory of Sverdlovsk region is as large as that of many European countries. It would be difficult to find any other place so rich in natural resources. More than 80% of the existing minerals are presented in the region: iron and copper ores, coal and brown coal, nickel, aluminium, bauxite, chromium, asbestos, marble and construction stones, silver, gold, platinum,diamonds,emeralds and exceptionally large forests.

The most highly developed branches of the Sverdlovsk regional industry are ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, electrical power engineering, machine-building, metal processing, chemical, timber and woodworking industries.

The region takes the second place in Russia due to its enormous industrial and scientific potential.

Sverdlovsk Region is the link between the East and the West of Russia. That is why a large transport system has been established here. There is a well-functioning system of railways, motor roads, airlines of communication, etc.

The region is actively developing diplomatic, economic and cultural contacts with Eastern and Western countries and with the American continent. The region’s industry is having relations with more than 80 countries of the world. More than 500 joint ventures, 49 commercial banks are successfully working here. There are representations of 50 foreign companies, in particular ABB, Rank Xerox< DELKAM International, PanAm Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bosch- Siemens GmbH, Dresdner Bank, Lufthansa and others.

Sverdlovsk Region has always been the backbone of the Russian industry. The region offers an enormous, partly unused field for possible co-operation with enterprises and organizations from abroad. Nevertheless for some foreign companies Sverdlovsk Region remains an unknown area.

The Coat of Arms of the Sverdlovsk Oblast

Historical Development of the Urals

Ten thousand years ago people began developing the region now known as the Urals. By the time the first Russians arrived, the Urals was inhabited by the Mancy, the Hanty and other tribes generally engaged in hunting and fishing.

The Urals is the richest region of Russia and takes its name either from the Mancy word "ur" meaning a mountain or from the Turkish verb "uralmak" meaning to girdle. The region is sometimes referred to as "Stone" or "Stone belt" due to the large amounts of precious and semi-precious stones mined in the region.

The development of the Ural mountains was started by the inhabitants of Novgorod in the end of the XIth century. Control passed to Moscow when it became the centre of the Russian state in the XIVth century. The real push to develop the region came in the XVIIth century when, after the Ermak's campaigns, Russian settlers began to move East as far as Alaska in large numbers, in the same way as the settlers of the North America moved West nearly a century later.

The First Capital

The city of Verkhoturye was founded in 1598 and due to its position at an important crossroad for traders and settlers, it remained an administrative and spiritual centre for a vast territory east of the Ural mountains for nearly two centuries. Today it continues to have a religious significance within the Russian Orthodox Church. The Crestovozdvizhensky Cathedral (beginning of the XXth century, with the enough space for 8-9 thousand people) can be compared only to the Isaakiyevsky Cathedral in St. Petersburg, while the remaining fragments of the wall and gates of the Verkhotursky Kremlin and the Svyato-Troitsky Cathedral are of outstanding historical and artistic value.

The Famous Fair

The town of Irbitskaya Sloboda (today - the city of Irbit) was founded in 1631 on the trade route from Russia to Siberia. For nearly three hundred years, from 1643 to 1929, the whole of Russia was supplied with goods traded at the famous Irbit Winter Fair, which was exceeded in size only by that of Nizhny Novgorod. The fair at Irbit was the only major annual fair to the East of the Volga-river attracting merchants from all over Russia, Central Asia, China and Iran.

The First Industrial Plants

Peter the Great recognised the real importance of the Urals as a focus for the rapid industrial development that provided Russia's military power. By 1701 the first state plants were founded at Kamensky and Nevyansky to produce round-shot and cannons from the local iron deposits. The Uktussky and Alapayevsky plants soon followed and within twenty years approximately thirty metallurgical plants were in production in the Urals.

The Demidovs

Peter the Great started the first effective privatisation by giving the Nevyansky plant to an enterprising gunsmith from Tula, Nikita Demidov, in the 18th century. The plant produced iron which, for the first time, surpassed in quality that of Sweden and England. In the following 150 years the Demidovs created a powerful mining empire. In 1862, the Demidovs' plants won a prize at the Great Exhibition in London for the quality of their iron, steel and copper and, in 1900, a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Paris. Iron from the Urals was supplied to British factories for more than 100 years. Indeed, the roof of the British parliament building is made from iron produced in the Demidovs' plant proudly bearing the "Old Sable" trademark. Akinfy Demidov built a tower with a special clock, underground rooms and secret passages at one of his plants, which has now become one of the tourist attractions of the region, known as the "leaning tower" of Nevyansk.

URALS INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES

The economy of the region is primarily  related to ore, metal and machinery.

• Uralmash
• VIZ
• Uraltransmash
• Uralelectrotyazhmash
• NTMK
• Uralvagonzavod
• Pervouralsky Novotrubny
• Bogoslovsky Aluminium Plant
• Uralelektromed
• Kalinin Machine Building Works
• Ekaterinburg Plant for Non-ferrous Metals Processing
• Khrompic
• Konfi

"URALMASH" is the biggest Russian enterprise for heavy machine building. Metallurgical factories all over Russia use Uralmash machinery. All rails and solid-rolled wheels for railroad carriages in Russia, as well as all transformer and tin free steel, and nearly all the national output of automobile steel - are made on rolling mills manufactured at Uralmash. Uralmash presses are used at all Russian civil aircraft construction enterprises. Machinery for billet continuous casting is being designed and manufactured by Uralmash in co-operation with the Fest-Alpine company of Austria. The Russian- American joint venture "UNOC" (a joint venture between Uralmash, National Oilwell, and Caterpillar) is manufacturing drilling rigs UNOC 320 DE and UNOC 500 DE.

"URALELECTROTYAZHMASH" (Urals Plant for Heavy Electrical Machine-Building) manufactures powerful hydro-electric generators for power stations and unique electric motors for atomic power plants. The plant is one of the major suppliers of vertical engines for Russian pump stations.

"NTMK" (Nizhny-Tagil Metallurgical Plant) developed from the old Demidov metal-works. NTMK is the large industrial complex comprising mining, sintering, coking, refractory, blast-furnaces, steel- melting and rolling production units. Old traditions of quality are preserved. The range of production includes about 800 rolled items of more than 150 steel grades.

"URALVAGONZAVOD" (Ural Carriage-Building Plant) in Nizhny Tagil manufactures universal type 8-axle rail cars and tanks of the highest quality. The "T-34" tanks had no rivals in World War II.

"PERVOURALSKY NOVOTRUBNY" (Pipe-rolling Mills) is one of the leading enterprises of the Russian pipe rolling industry. The mill manufactures hot-rolled seamless pipes, cold-rolled pipes from carbon steel, steel alloys, corrosion-resistant steel and titanium alloys, as well as other types of pipes.

"VIZ" (Verkh-lsetsky Metallurgical Works) is one of the world's leading manufacturers of electrical steel, and the leading exporter of the region's metal production. Approximately 92% of output is exported to Western markets.

The "URALTRANSMASH" group was the only enterprise in the former Soviet Union to produce self-propelled mounts for artillery of the world standard. Thirty-six machines manufactured at the enterprise took part in the 50th Anniversary Victory Parade (commemorating the allies' victory in World War II) in 1995. Well known oil well pumps and automobile trailers are examples of civilian products manufactured from conversion of military production.

BOGOSLOVSKY ALUMINIUM PLANT in Krasnoturinsk is one of the major non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises in Russia and in Europe. The plant was given the Gold Star award for the high quality of its product by the International Society "Business and Initiative". The A7E aluminum is registered at the LME. The plant produces 70% of all Russian alumina.

"URALELEKTROMED" in Verhnaya Pyshma is the largest copper-smelter in the CIS. Together with the SREDNE-URALSK WORKS (Revda), the KIROVGRAD WORKS and the KRASNOURALSK WORKS it makes up a powerful copper-production complex.

"KALININ MACHINE BUILDING WORKS" in Ekaterinburg used to specialise in field- and anti-aircraft artillery production. It became a world-famous manufacturer of the still produced SS-20 missiles, as well as S-300 anti-aircraft systems, still produced and considered to be the best in the world. The works also produces electric and Diesel lift trucks.

EKATERINBURG PLANT FOR NON-FERROUS METALS PROCESSING was put into operation in 1916 to process noble metals extracted from the Urals deposits. In the twenties the plant developed the production of pure platinum, and in the forties - the production of products from the noble metals and alloys. The plant started to make jewellery; there are plans to develop precious stone facetting. "KHROMPIC" in Pervouralsk manufactures chromium compounds. "Khrompic" exports its products to 40 countries.

Firm "KONFI" in Ekaterinburg is the largest confectionery in the Urals and Siberia. The factory ranks third in Russia by its output. The sales grow by nearly 10% each year. The product range includes 11 groups of more than 250 items.

A View From the Outside.  Director of the American Business Center at Ekaterinburg George Lambrou:

"Although most technology flow is going to Russia from America, there are many areas where Russian technology is more advanced than Western technologies. In addition to the technologies currently in production, an innumerable amount of miscellaneous technologies exist in the back rooms and basements of many of Russia's top military scientists and technical experts.

Investments and  sales are likely to continue to increase in the region over the next couple years and for those people who are in the right place at the right time business can be financially rewarding and fun. As one locally based foreign businessman put it "The profits you earn here you can't earn anywhere else in the world". (For "The Gold Book". December 1995).

Ekaterinburg is the Capital of the Sverdlovsk Region

The 18th of November 1723, the day on which one of the then most advanced metal works in Europe began operations on the Iset river, is believed to be the birthday of the city.

Modern Ekaterinburg has powerful scientific and technical potential. Heavy machinery, transport equipment and chemical machine-building enterprises, as well as non-ferrous metal-works and military plants manufacture high quality products.

Ekaterinburg is the home of many higher educational and research establishments, including the Urals Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences with its 18 institutes and numerous research institutions belonging to various industries.

The second US consulate in Russia (after St. Petersburg) was opened in Ekaterinburg. The official representatives of Hungary and Mongolia along with more than 70 representatives of foreign companies are accredited in the city. Approximately 500 joint ventures are successfully operating here. The geographical location of the city promises new prospects for Ekaterinburg to become an important centre for East-West economic co-operation.

A View From the Outside   The first Consul General of the USA at Ekaterinburg Jack D. Segal:

"One of the things that has impressed me in my times here in the Urals has been the high level of achievement in the arts that this region has attained. Karen and I have also been happy to see that symphonies and other artistic events are attended by a broad spectrum of the population and that many children and teenagers are in the audience. It is a source of great strength and an important achievement of the Russian people that the fine arts were, and continue to be, affordable to almost everyone".   (From the speech of J.Segal addressing the business people of Ekaterinburg supporting culture and art in the region, in May 1994).

The Ekaterinburg Musical Comedy Theatre is thought to be the first theatre of its genre to acquire a name of an Academic theatre.

The Opera and Ballet Theatre dates back to as early as 1912. Prominent Russian singers such as Ivan Kozlovsky, Sergey Lemeshev, Boris Shtokolov, Yuriy Gulyaev, Irina Arkhipova have performed there.

The Sverdlovsk Film Studio, the only studio east of the Urals, is primarily known for its documentaries and animated cartoons, many of which have won awards at prestigious festivals. Some of the most popular Soviet movies such as "Suva", "The Ugryum River" and "Privalov's Millions" were also made at the Sverdlovsk Film Studio.

The Ural Academic Philharmonic Orchestra established by Mark Paverman is the biggest symphony orchestra between Novosibirsk and Nizhny Novgorod. During the 60-year-long history of the orchestra many world famous musicians performed with it, including Khachaturyan, Shostakovich, Oistrakh, Kogan, Richter, Gilds, Rostropovitch and many others.

Ekaterinburg rock groups such as "Nautilus Pompilius", "Agatha Christie", "Tchaif", and "Nastya" are now popular throughout the country.

Museum Collections

A collection of minerals, rocks and ores, unique in its size and variety, can be found at the Urals Geological Museum of the Ural Mining Academy.

The Fyodorov Krasnoturyinsk Mineralogical Museum houses another unique collection.

The Ethnographic Museum in the village of Nizhnyaya Sinyatchikha (near Alapaevsk) is a unique outdoor historical-architectural complex, organised by a local history expert and enthusiast, a member of the Demidov Academy, Ivan Samoilov. Here one can see some ancient Urals architectural and historical monuments from different parts of the region, such as a watch tower, a wind mill, chapels, wooden country houses (izba) with interesting wall paintings and many other interesting articles.

The oldest museum of the region was founded by the Demidov family (the famous Ural mining factory owners) in Nizhniy Tagil. Among the most popular museums are the Natural History Museum in Ekaterinburg, the Museum of Jewelry and Stone-cutting Art of the Ural and many others in Ekaterinburg and the region.

Kasli Pavilion - Sensation of the World Exhibition

The Fine Arts Museum (Ekaterinburg) is known for its big collection of cast iron primarily made at the Kasli factory (Chelyabinsk region). The Museum is especially proud of its most precious exhibit - the "Kasli Pavilion" which made a sensation at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900.

Grand monument to the Afghan war veterans, the country's largest memorial to Russian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, was erected in the Russian Army Square of Ekaterinburg.

Place of the Tsar Family Assassination

Ekaterinburg was the last city to see the last Russian tsar. In the house of Ipatiev (an engineer), where the tsar family was brought from Tobolsk, Nicholas II, his wife, his five children and servants were brutally assassinated by the Bolsheviks. In 1977 the house was torn down in the night in accordance with the secret resolution of the Politburo of the Communist Party. A memorial cross and a chapel now stand in the place where the tsar family was killed. A cathedral memorial of All Saints has been already constructed there, which is meant to become a symbol of national reconciliation and repentance.