The northern city of Severodvinsk is the center of Russian shipbuilding. This small settlement has an unusual 70-year history and plays a significant role in the life of Russia. The local population lives in harsh conditions, but loves their city and works for its prosperity.
Geography
The city of Severodvinsk is located at the confluence of the Northern Dvina River in the White Sea. It stretched along the coast of Dvinskaya Bay. With the capital of the region, the city of Arkhangelsk is only 35 km away. Severodvinsk is located on the East European Plain. The territory of the settlement and the surrounding lands are rich in water resources: there are several rivers and lakes of various sizes, the largest reservoirs are the rivers Northern Dvina, Kudma, Shirshema and Malkur'ya, as well as lakes Novoe, Teatralnoye and Nikolskoye estuary. The total area of the city is 119 square meters. km
Climate and ecology
The population of Severodvinsk lives in a zone of temperate, marine climate with long, dank winters and short cool summers. The average annual temperature is only 1.3 degrees. In the summer, warmth in the generally accepted sense is only 20-40 days. The average temperature at this time of year is 13-16 degrees. Winter lasts from October to May, the average temperature in December-January is around -12 degrees.
The region has very high humidity and rainfall. The driest month is August, when it rains on average 18 days. Snow cover is established in October and lasts until May. In the region you can watch the "white nights" from late May to late July. There is very little sunlight, there are an average of 95-105 sunny days a year.
The ecological situation in the city leaves much to be desired. The city-forming enterprise - a shipyard produces nuclear boats, and there is a small radioactive background in the air. In addition, there is always a risk of radiation from waste from this production. Also, the plant’s treatment devices pose a risk of chlorine contamination of local water.
History
The history of the settlement began in the 12th century, when the coast of the Northern Dvina became the possessions of the Novgorod community. When the southern regions of Kievan Rus were captured by the Tatar-Mongol tribes, the Slavs moved north, and this contributed to the development of land in the area of the future Severodvinsk. In the middle of the 16th century, the official Russian seaport was opened at the mouth of the Northern Dvina River. By that time, the Nikolo-Korelsky monastery already existed here. The port was the first exit of the Russian state to the North Sea.
At the beginning of the 19th century, fortifications were built here to repel British aggression. The population of the region mainly consisted of monks who had to not only deal with the hardships of the local climate, but also to repel the constant attacks of Anglo-French ships. In 1921, the situation began to change. The monastery abolished Soviet power, and in its place a colony was opened for juvenile delinquents. Then an agricultural commune began to work here.
In 1936, a government decision was made to build a shipyard in the village. The village begins to grow and gets the name Molotovsk. In 1957, the city was renamed Severodvinsk. The development of the village went along with the growth of the plant, prisoners from the local colony built houses and industrial premises. The population of Severodvinsk then consisted mainly of families of plant employees and prisoners who remained in the settlement.
During World War II, the city also began to be used again as a port. In the 50s of the 20th century, the plant was refocused on the production of nuclear submarines. Here is formed the main state center for the development and testing of the latest submarines. During the years of perestroika, when state funding was reduced, the city experienced difficult times, but survived.
Today, Severodvinsk shows sustainable development, although the townspeople have many difficulties.
Population size
Regular observations of the number of inhabitants in Severodvinsk have been conducted since 1939. At that time, 21 thousand people lived in the city. Significant population growth was observed in 1958, due to the start of construction of the plant.
Since the 90s, a decrease in the number of inhabitants has begun. In 1990, 255 thousand people lived here. And in 2015 - already 186 thousand, and the decrease continues. The population of Severodvinsk is subject to the all-Russian tendency to reduce the number of people, and there are also own negative factors influencing the demographic situation. The population density is 161 people per square kilometer.
Administrative division
Officially, Severodvinsk is divided into two parts: the old and the new city. But local residents distinguish such areas of Severodvinsk as the "city", "Yagry" and "quarters". The "city", as you know, is the central part, which houses the main administrative buildings, cultural institutions, educational institutions, shopping centers, hotels. The oldest part of the city today is in decline: houses are being destroyed, the population is aging and gradually this territory is turning into a very dysfunctional and unpresentable area.
The houses of the Stalinist period create a striking contrast with this part: wide avenues, houses in the Stalinist Empire style. True, this housing stock is also in need of repair for a long time, utility networks require repair. The buildings of the times of Khrushchev and Brezhnev are represented by typical houses that were once built as temporary housing. But people are forced to live here today.
Jagra is an island that was also developed in the 50-70s and the architecture here is appropriate. The newest and most modern housing, however, without any frills can be seen in the area of "quarters". This is the only part of the city where construction is currently underway and new territories are being developed. The population of the city is still very slowly moving from old, dilapidated housing to new apartments. New neighborhoods are predominantly populated by youth. Although the prices for new housing are very high for a single-industry town, in which residents receive not the largest wages.
Economy
Over a 70-year history, the economy of Severodvinsk depends on the stability of the shipyard. Around "Sevmash" formed several enterprises that ensure the stability of the city. However, any interruptions in financing the production of ships in the city are causing enormous problems. Work in Severodvinsk is a sore economic topic, since shipbuilding is in crisis, and there is no way for enterprises to pay decent wages. Due to the fact that the population has little money, the service sector and trade are developing poorly here. The same problems hinder the development of small businesses. All this leads to the fact that the city is almost constantly experiencing great economic difficulties.
Employment
Sevmash, the city-forming enterprise, is the main place of work for a large number of city residents. But its specificity is such that women are less involved in its activities. Therefore, work in Severodvinsk for women with higher education is a problem. In addition, the company is not able to accept everyone. Also, qualified personnel cannot find work due to the low diversification of the local economy. Therefore, unemployment is strong in Severodvinsk, and an outflow of a young, able-bodied population is observed.
The population fears the onset of economic difficulties that the townspeople have already experienced more than once. Therefore, Severodvinsk is surrounded on all sides by summer cottages, where people on their personal plots provide their food security, for some, this is the only employment that allows them to survive.
City infrastructure
The economic problems of the city invariably affect its appearance and state of infrastructure. In Severodvinsk, the poor condition of the roads is immediately evident, which is a sure sign of funding difficulties, but this is also a consequence of climatic conditions. The city stands in the swamps, the weather does not allow for quality repairs. All this leads to the fact that the roads here leave much to be desired.
The situation is also bad with public transport. There are buses and taxis. But this is clearly not enough for a city with a population of almost 200 thousand. Service enterprises of Severodvinsk work to overcome economic difficulties. The city has several shopping and sports centers, restaurants, beauty salons. But in general, the infrastructure of the city leaves much to be desired.
