Obninsk

city in Kaluga Oblast, Russia

Obninsk is a city of 116,000 people (2021) in Kaluga Oblast on the bank of the Protva River. The new city of Obninsk was developed after World War II as a scientific city specializing in nuclear physics and atomic energy, meteorology, radiology, radiation chemistry and geophysics. It is home to many scientific research institutes.

Understand

Obninsk was the first science city in the USSR. In 1945, the First Research Institute Laboratory "V", which later became known as IPPE, was founded. On June 27, 1954, Obninsk started operations of the world's first nuclear power plant to generate electricity for a power grid. The city was built next to the plant in order to support it. Scientists, engineers, construction workers, teachers and other professionals moved to Obninsk from all over the Soviet Union.

Climate

Obninsk has cold and snowy winters and warm, humid summers. The average temperature in January is around -9 °C, and in July around +18 °C. Spring is cool, the average temperature in March is approximately −3 °C, in April +5.5 °C, and in May +12.3 °C. Autumn is moderately cool, in September the average temperature is +11 °C, in October +5 °C, and in November -1.5 °C. The average annual relative humidity is about 76-78%.

Get in

It is 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Moscow, and 80 km (50 mi) northeast of Kaluga along the Kaluga A130 highway.

The city is on the main rail line between Moscow and Kyiv and at the intersection of Kyiv and Warsaw highways. Three international airports are within reach from Obninsk: Vnukovo (70 km), Domodedovo (100 km), and Sheremetyevo (130 km).

Get around

See

  • 🌍 Obninsk NPP (Обнинская АЭС). Obninsk is famous for the world's first nuclear power plant. The station now serves as an experimental research base and an excursion attraction. (updated Oct 2021)
Obninsk's museum
  • 🌍 Museum of the history of the city of Obninsk (Музей истории города Обнинска), Lenin Ave, 128. Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. This local history museum also functions as an art museum and the main exhibition area of the city. (updated Oct 2021)
  • In a forest park in the southeast of the city there is a 19th century manor, Bugry.
  • In the north-west of the city are the remains of an 18th century estate, Belkino with the Church of Boris and Gleb (1773).
  • Next to the remains of the Belkino estate, the cascade of the Belkinsky ponds and the restored Belkinsky park with a gazebo for lovers and a decorative bridge.
  • The most notable landmark of the city is the 310-m meteorological mast, which is part of the NPO Typhoon meteorological complex.
  • In the 1940s, the Old City was built in the city according to the projects of Leningrad architects.
  • The Church of the Nativity of Christ on Aksyonovskaya Square was built according to the project of the Obninsk architect Mikhail Belousov. It is the main city temple and is distinguished by its graceful decoration and gilded domes.
  • 🌍 House of Scientists (Дом учёных), Lenin Avenue, 129. The design and construction was awarded the Prize of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. 

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