One of the youngest cities, but at the same time the largest industrial center in Bashkortostan, is Salavat.
City Creation
The history of the city of Salavat begins in 1948, when the first stone was laid in the feather grass steppe, near the city of Ishimbay. So a small and initially nameless village appeared, consisting of houses of a barracks type. He was called just a new building.
At that time, there was a plan to restore the country's agriculture, providing for the development of the oil industry in Bashkiria, where rich deposits of black gold were discovered back in the 30s, the land was literally saturated with oil. But the development of deposits had to be postponed until the post-war period.
The city of Ishimbay actively participated in the construction of the new settlement: survey work was carried out, checkpoints were created, warehouses for storing equipment were built, housing was gradually built, car depots were built, markets were built, a brick factory was built, the primary function of which was to provide the building facilities with building materials . The town was growing.
At the same time, the construction of the famous petrochemical plant No. 18, which today is called OAO Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat, began. At this large-scale construction site, both local residents and prisoners were brought in, who were brought here from all over the Soviet Union. Other volunteers also came. Someone remained in these places forever, but many, not finding housing for themselves and not withstanding the harsh conditions at the construction site, returned home.
A year after its founding, thanks to a request from the administration of the Ishimbay City Council of Deputies, a name appeared near the village and it began to bear the name of the Bashkir national hero Salavat Yulaev.
After a couple of years, the small working village, growing, became a large industrial center, the population of Salavat grew, the industry developed, as a result, the New Building in 1954 receives the status of a city.
In the 60s, working barracks began to replace new two and three-story brick houses, and after ten years, the old housing stock was finally reconstructed: houses of the barracks type were demolished. The appearance of the city was changing for the better.
At the same time, television broadcasting appeared in Salavat. The petrochemical plant was growing and was awarded the Order of Lenin for the early implementation of the five-year plan. And the optical-mechanical plant erected in the city began to produce binoculars for various needs, including night vision models.
When the food crisis hit the country, many household residents were saved by private farms. And now Salavatians cannot imagine their life without land, so most of them have their own gardens and kitchen gardens.
In the 80s, to provide the population of Salavat with drinking water, the construction of a water supply system began. Water was drawn from the vicinity of the Zirgan village and, as it was subsequently revealed as a result of research, the water flowing from the taps in the apartments of the residents of the city turned out to be mineral and can be used for medicinal purposes.
Modern Salavat
In Bashkortostan today it is the third largest and largest city due to its favorable natural and geographical location.
Salavat has a good location in relation to the industrial centers of the republic, and more specifically, proximity to the oil enterprises of Ishimbay and the chemical plants of Sterlitamak. There is also a pipeline connecting the oil refining complex of the city with the Kargaly gas field in the Orenburg region. The network of roads and railways makes Salavat accessible with many areas of Bashkortostan and Russia.
The city, which emerged as a center for oil refining, has now developed engineering, the woodworking industry, and it produces reinforced concrete structures and glass. Two thermal power plants have been launched and are operating. All this is the main component of the economy of Salavat.
Today the city is booming. New residential areas are being developed, various cultural institutions are being built. In many respects, this is the merit of the management of the oil refining enterprise.
Since 2011, the mayor of the city of Salavat has been Gilmanov Farit Farrakhovich.
Whose name is the city?
The city received its name in honor of the national Bashkir hero - Salavat Yulaev, who, while still very young, decided to take the side of Emelyan Pugachev, becoming his closest ally. Having received the rank of colonel, Salavat led a detachment of Bashkirs (about 3,000 soldiers) and took part in the Peasant War in 1774.
In battles, Yulaev showed himself to be a resourceful commander and a brave man; he was quick-witted and smart. All his life he fought for the freedom of the motherland. Salavat was famous not only for his ability to fight, he was a scientist and poet, he read a lot, the old people respected him and the young admired him. Yulaev was a deeply religious person, which is impossible not to notice, having familiarized himself with his works.
On October 27, 1774, on behalf of Catherine II, General Potemkin personally addressed Salavat Yulaev with a proposal to repent and admit his guilt. He was promised forgiveness, like all other participants in the uprising, who did not fail to take advantage of this. But Yulaev, along with his associates, took an oath of not conquering. A month later he was seized.
Salavat Yulaev became a symbol of the centuries-old struggle of the Bashkir people for their freedom. He is a national hero. Films and books were written about him.
In addition to the city, streets, a hockey club and a district in Bashkortostan are named after this illustrious person.
"Gazprom Salavat neftekhim"
In Russia, the city of Salavat is known for its oil and gas refining industry. Here is the largest plant in the industry.
Its history begins in 1948, while it began to be built as Industrial Complex No. 18. In the following years, rapidly developing, it turned into a huge oil refining center.
The range of products also grew: ammonia, gasoline, fuel oil, fatty alcohols, diesel fuel, high and low pressure polyethylene, styrene, butyl, ethylene, propylene, polystyrene, urea and mineral fertilizers were produced and produced. In total, more than 80 items.
Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat is among the leaders of the Gazprom Group. Their products are used in more than twenty countries of the world, including in the USA, China, Europe and, of course, in almost all regions of Russia.
Recently, in order to reduce environmental pollution, the company is trying to apply new technologies in this area, striving to reduce the consumption of energy and materials, thereby supporting a program to protect water bodies and the atmosphere from harmful emissions.
Residents of the city of Salavat, working in this company, enjoy a full package of benefits.
The company is actively involved in the improvement of the city. So in Salavat an ice arena with a swimming pool, a stadium and a city park were created. A large recreation camp "Sputnik" was opened for children, which in 2005 was recognized as the best corporate camp in Russia. Modern recreation centers have been built in and around the city.
Today, Director General of Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat OJSC is Airat Karimov. Under his leadership, the company continues to grow rapidly.
Symbols of the city
The coat of arms of the city of Salavat in its main field has an image of a horseman jumping with raised hands, who personifies the national Bashkir hero - Salavat Yulaev, and a falcon flying nearby expresses the desire of the local people for freedom.
The seven-petal flower of kurai (angelica) symbolizes the friendship of seven genera, which laid the foundation for the unity of the peoples of Bashkortostan.
The city owes much to its creation, growth and current situation to a petrochemical enterprise, which plays an important role in the economy of Salavat. Therefore, it is not surprising that the third symbol imprinted on the coat of arms was a gas tank - a reservoir for storing liquefied natural gas.
Population, culture, education
The multinational city is inhabited by Russians, Tatars, Ukrainians, and, of course, the Bashkirs. In total, the population of Salavat today is a little more than 150 thousand people.
The first settlers were prisoners and prisoners of war, who were brought here to the construction site, as well as volunteers arriving from different parts of the former Union and local residents. Many of them found a home here and created families.
Now for residents of the city of Salavat, schools, gymnasiums and other educational institutions have been built and are working. There are institutes that teach economics, management and the humanities. Branches of the Moscow State Institute of Economics, Statistics and Informatics, the Ufa State Oil Technical University and the Ufa State Academy of Economics and Service were opened.
A music and art school hospitably opens its doors in the city.
There is a museum of local lore, palaces of culture, youth clubs, a cinema center, an art gallery and a city library. There is the Bashkir Drama Theater, where every season new interesting performances are staged, and for the convenience of the audience, headphones are offered - translators.
Streets and areas
Salavat was originally built up as a workers' village with parallel strict streets in which it would be easy to navigate. And even later, when the village had already grown to the size of the city, it was decided to leave such a building, since it turned out to be very convenient.
The population of Salavat divides their city into two parts - the old and the new. Old Salavat is located in the northern part. Here you can still meet in some places the very huts with which it all began.
Almost all the main avenues and streets converge to the center of the city of Salavat - Lenin Square. The administration building is also located here.
The most popular and favorite street among local residents is Pervomayskaya, it is also called "Salavat Broadway" and is often chosen for their walks.
But the people of Salavat prefer to purchase housing in a new area called "Zhelanny". Now it is the most prestigious area, here is the construction of comfortable cottages. The construction in the east of the city was organized by the Salavatnefteorgsintez OJSC company, a solid and largest company, which leaves no doubt that the Zhelanny district will soon be the best and most convenient for living.
In general, the city is quite clean and green: its center is literally buried in foliage.
Salavat sights: where to go, what to see, what to do
Right at the entrance to the city, all visitors are met by a stele installed by the people's leader - Salavat Yulaev. This obelisk is not the only monument to the city of Salavat in honor of the national hero, there is another one that is located in one of the old squares.
On other crowded streets and squares there are monuments to A. S. Pushkin, V. I. Lenin, F. E. Dzerzhinsky, A. Matrosov and O. Koshev. And at the intersection of two streets (Lenin and Oktyabrskaya), in one of the cozy alleys, you will be greeted by a pretty nice monument to a simple janitor.
On the street Ufa is the Holy Assumption Cathedral, rebuilt in 2002 in honor of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy. This is an Orthodox church, which has a strict and yet solemn appearance.
In the eastern part of the city, executed in white-green color, a cathedral mosque flaunts. There, in the east, a recreation park was restored and landscaped, where the population of Salavat likes to spend their free time. Here, pedestrian paths were arranged, playgrounds were installed, an artificial lake was created where you can go boating.
For lovers of nightlife clubs “Heat”, “Pyramid” and “Point” open their doors, where quite often you can meet the coolest DJs in Russia and Europe.
Those wishing to plunge into the homely, cozy atmosphere can opt for the Classic retrocafe, and you can taste a generous oriental cuisine by visiting the Rakhat-Lukum restaurant, where all guests will be surely fed nourishing and delicious.
For lovers of outdoor activities summer rafting or climbing the Shihan mountains are arranged . In winter, you can ride on the slopes of Zirgan-Tau. And at any time of the year you can admire the beautiful views of the diverse and generous nature of this region.
Surroundings of Salavat
On the Salavat-Ishimbay highway, not far from the city, there is one of its main attractions - the memorial complex “Land of Yurmata”. It was created as a tribute to those who laid the foundation for the history of the Bashkir people, as well as in honor of the fallen defenders of the Motherland.
During the years of World War II, nearly 1,500 people left the villages where Salvat now stands, almost a third of them died in fierce battles. The names of the fallen heroes can now be found on the plates of the memorial. Wreaths are brought here, commemorative events are held here and veterans are honored, young people come to the complex after the registry office in order to leave flowers and remember those who gave them a happy future.
Interesting Facts
- The Bashkir language is considered the most widely spoken and revered here, however, the population of Salavat freely speaks Russian as well. The names of places, institutions and streets here are written simultaneously in two languages.
- Salavat is a city of republican subordination and is not part of any district of Bashkortostan.
- Locals have a tradition - after registering the marriage, the newlyweds go to the Belaya River and there, in the area of ​​the city beach, they throw bouquets of flowers into the water.
- There is no exact date for the celebration of Salavat City Day. It is usually celebrated in late May - early June. The foundation date is June 12, 1954 (the day the workers' settlement received city status).
Climate and ecology
The city is located in Russia, in the southern part of the Republic of Bashkortostan and occupies the picturesque left bank of the Belaya River. Due to the fact that Salavat is located in a lowland, there are quite frequent fogs.
The rest of the climate does not differ from other cities located in central Russia. There are snowy and rather long winters. The temperature at this time of year is about minus 20 degrees, on the coldest days it can drop to minus 35.
Spring is sunny and quite warm. During the melting of the ice, the Belaya River, on which the city is located, spreads quite widely. So that the city would not be flooded, the coast, it was decided to make higher and strengthen.
From July to mid-August are the hottest days when even asphalt can melt. At this time of the year, the population of the city finds salvation by the water, despite the fact that the river, on the banks of which the townspeople rest, is considered polluted due to the sewage of various enterprises. This fact doesn’t bother anyone, even, on the contrary, local residents write jokes and jokes about the unfavorable ecology of their region.
The problem of air pollution and the Belaya River has existed in Salavat since its foundation. Recently, modern enterprises have been intensively developing the environmental protection program, using the latest technology in this area. Chemical emissions into the atmosphere are being monitored, and programs are being developed for cleaning waste tanks and landscaping the streets.
Geographical Information
The city is located in Russia, in the southern part of the Republic of Bashkortostan and occupies the picturesque left bank of the Belaya River.
Time ahead of Moscow by 2 hours.