Ust-Ilimsk: population and history of a single-industry town

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

The small Siberian town, famous in Soviet times for shock Komsomol construction projects, did not have time to grow, at least to a medium size. The Russian government classified it as a single-industry town with a stable socio-economic situation. So far, this is manifested only in the fact that the population of Ust-Ilimsk is constantly decreasing, if not rapidly.

General information

The city is located on the banks of the Angara River, in the north-west of the Irkutsk region. The administrative center of the district of the same name. The year of foundation is considered to be 1966, since 1973 it has been in regional subordination. The regional center is located in the south direction from the regional center, at a distance of 890 km. by road, by rail, you will have to overcome 1280 km, by plane - 650 km. The nearest city is Bratsk, located 246 km. The territory of the urban district covers an area of 3,682 hectares, which is approximately 4.9% of the area of the region. The city is located at an average altitude of 400-450 meters above sea level.

Region by its natural and climatic conditionsequated to the regions of the Far North. The climate is sharply continental. The minimum recorded temperature is minus 53.9 °C, the maximum is plus 41 °C, the average temperature is minus 2.8 °C. Most of the year (214 days) the temperature in the urban area is below 0°C. Hot and dry weather with temperatures up to plus 40°C lasts for about a month, from mid-July to mid-August. The average annual rainfall is 475 mm, the average wind speed is 11.2 km/h.

Shock constructions

Probably, now few people can accurately name where Ust-Ilimsk is located. But in the 70s of the last century, the city became famous not only throughout the country, but throughout the entire socialist camp. Three shock Komsomol construction projects took place here: the construction of a hydroelectric power station, the city itself and a timber industry complex. And one is simply Komsomol: the construction of the Khrebtovaya-Ust-Ilimsk railway.

Komsomol members from all over the Soviet Union and young people from the countries of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, including the GDR, Poland, Bulgaria and Hungary, worked on the construction of these facilities. After the implementation of all plans, it was assumed that the population of Ust-Ilimsk would reach 250-350 thousand people.

Location

Ust-Ilimsk is one of the youngest cities in the country, yet it has an Old City built on the right bank of the river, and the New City is located on the opposite bank. Although one part is only 5-6 years older than the other. The old city was built downstream of the power plant along the Angara River. Here are concentratedthe first houses of the village of hydro-builders, mostly five and nine-story residential buildings. The left and right banks are connected by a bridge and a highway.

The new one stands above the station, which houses most of the organizations of culture and science. The plan for the construction of the left bank was developed by students of the Leningrad University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. The diploma work "The city of my dreams" became the basis for the architectural solution of the New City, in which the main idea was the maximum preservation of the taiga. During construction, they tried, if possible, not to touch the trees, so inside the town you can find islands of the Siberian taiga. Most of the city's residents live on the left bank.

Start of construction

The history of the modern city of Ust-Ilimsk began in 1959, when comprehensive survey work was carried out and the site for the construction of a new hydroelectric complex was determined. In 1962, a decision was made to start preparatory work for five years.

From 1963 to 1967 reinforcing and concrete plants, car repair shops were built, a power line was laid, work began on the main structures of the hydroelectric power station. River blocking has begun. On the left bank of the Angara, a settlement for hydro-constructors was built. In 1970, 16,000 people lived in Ust-Ilimsk, Irkutsk region, who came from all regions of the Soviet country.

Modernity

The second phase of construction lasted from 1968 to 1974. Angara blocked the secondOnce the dam was erected, the filling of the Ust-Ilimsk reservoir began, which continued until 1977. In 1974, the first industrial current was produced. In 1974, the population of the city of Ust-Ilimsk almost doubled to 46,000. In 1975, the power plant produced the first billion kWh of electricity. In 1977, the start-up of the 15th unit of the Ust-Ilimsk hydroelectric power station took place, and the station reached its design capacity. In 1979, the population of Ust-Ilimsk reached 68,641.

The construction of the power plant ended in 1980. In 1982, the population increased to 87,000 inhabitants. In recent decades, the city continued to develop successfully, timber industry enterprises were built and began to produce products. In the first years of the post-Soviet period, namely in 1992, the maximum number of inhabitants was recorded at 114,000 people. In subsequent years, the population of Ust-Ilimsk was constantly decreasing. By 2017, the number of inhabitants, compared with the Soviet period, decreased by more than 30 thousand. There are currently 82,455 residents in the city.