Tsiolkovsky Циолковский | |
|---|---|
Settlement[1] | |
 Construction of residential buildings in summer 2015 | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Tsiolkovsky  | |
  Tsiolkovsky Location of Tsiolkovsky Show map of Russia Tsiolkovsky Tsiolkovsky (Amur Oblast) Show map of Amur Oblast | |
| Coordinates:51°45′37″N128°07′16″E / 51.76028°N 128.12111°E /51.76028; 128.12111 | |
| Country | Russia |
| Federal subject | Amur Oblast[1] |
| Founded | 1961[2] |
| Government | |
| • Body | Council of People's Deputies |
| • Head | Marina Zenina |
| Population | |
• Total | 5,892 |
| • Subordinated to | Tsiolkovsky Urban Okrug[1] |
| • Capital of | Tsiolkovsky Urban Okrug[1] |
| • Urban okrug | Tsiolkovsky Urban Okrug[4] |
| • Capital of | Tsiolkovsky Urban Okrug[4] |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (MSK+6  [5]) |
| Postal code(s)[6] | 676470 |
| Dialing code(s) | +7 41643 |
| OKTMO ID | 10770000051 |
| Rural locality Day | October 27[2] |
| Website | затоциолковский |
Tsiolkovsky (Russian:Циолковский) is aclosed town inAmur Oblast,Russia, located on theBolshaya Pyora River (atributary of theZeya), 110 kilometers (68 mi) from theborder withChina and 180 kilometers (110 mi) north ofBlagoveshchensk, theadministrative center of theoblast. Population:5,892 (2010 Census);[3]5,050 (2002 Census).[7] The town serves the nearbyspaceport,Vostochny Cosmodrome.
The town was founded in 1961.[2] From 1969 to 1994, it was calledUglegorsk and was established in order to serve the nearbyICBM base of theSoviet Armed Forces which was code-namedSvobodny-18.[citation needed] The name was given after another settlement called Svobodny which lies 50 kilometers (31 mi) south of it. The closed status was assigned by theDecree of thePresidium of theSupreme Soviet of the RSFSR of October 19, 1965.[citation needed] In 1994 the entire complex was renamed to Uglegorsk (Russian:Углего́рск).
In April 2013, President Vladimir Putin proposed to rename a town nearer to the Cosmodrome in honor of the founder of theoretical astronauticsKonstantin Tsiolkovsky. Later it was decided to assign this name to Uglegorsk. In March 2014 the settlement held apublic hearing where the majority of participants were in favor of the renaming.[8] In June 2014 the Council of People's Deputies of Uglegorsk approved the name change. In September 2015 the deputies of theLegislative Assembly of Amur Oblast adopted a law to change the status of the settlement of Uglegorsk and transform it into a city without changing the established administrative borders.[9] The official documents to rename the city were sent for examination to theFederal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (Rosreestr). On December 23 theState Duma, thelower house of theRussian Parliament voted in favour of a federal law on the renaming of the town,[10] and on December 30 President Putinsigned it into law, thus formalizing the name changing.[11]
On November 30, 2015, one of the streets of the town was renamed "3rd street of the Builders" (Russian:3-я улица Строителей) as a tribute to the creativity ofEldar Ryazanov.[12]
Within theframework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated asUglegorskUrban Okrug—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of thedistricts.[1] As amunicipal division, this administrative unit also has urban okrug status.[4]
The settlement contains thirty-three blocks of residential homes and a central heating plant. There is a secondary school, a children's arts school, two kindergartens, and a hospital. The settlement has a sports complex. Its construction began in 2005 and was planned to be finished by 2009 but due to lack of funding opening was postponed two years later to 2011.[13]
Ledyanaya railway station serves the town and is located 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) from it on theTrans-Siberian Railway. TheAmur Highway (M58) also passes there.
In July 2010, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced that the area would be the site of a newVostochny cosmodrome ("Eastern Spaceport"), to reduce Russian dependence on theBaikonur cosmodrome inKazakhstan.[14]
On early December 2011, a public debate held in Tsiolkovsky with the participation of officials from theRussian space industry in which the settlement's future in the context of the construction of the new cosmodrome was discussed. It was announced the south-eastern district will be expanded with six-, nine-, and twelve-story buildings designed for the settlement of 12,000 people. The buildings will be built using solid blocks which will be produced in a factory located atSvobodny south of Tsiolkovsky. The south-east neighborhood will be located on 140 acres near the old part of the settlement.[15]