Krasnokamensk, Zabaykalsky Krai

The name translates roughly as town on red stone, with the reference to the color red reflecting both the actual rock formations in the area, as well as its political symbolism in the Soviet era.

It was founded in 1968, in conjunction with the commencement of mining of the Streltsovskoye uranium deposits, which had been discovered near the present site of the city in 1963.{{citation needed|date=May 2010}} The settlement grew quickly and was granted town status in 1969.{{citation needed|date=May 2010}}

From October 2005 until December 2006, Mikhail Khodorkovsky was jailed in Krasnokamensk on his conviction for tax evasion and fraud.[http://www.daserste.de/weltspiegel/beitrag.asp?uid=3umg7a78ji6veveh Where is Khodorkovsky? – Report from the Westdeutschen Rundfunk (German)]

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Krasnokamensk serves as the administrative center of Krasnokamensky District, to which it is directly subordinated.Registry of the Administrative-Territorial Units and the Inhabited Localities of Zabaykalsky Krai As a municipal division, the town of Krasnokamensk, together with one rural locality (the settlement of Oktyabrsky), is incorporated within Krasnokamensky Municipal District as Krasnokamensk Urban Settlement.Law #317-ZZK

The town is best known for its uranium mine – Priargunsky mine – the largest in Russia, located 10–20 km{{cite report |last1=Boitsov |first1=A.V. |last2=Nikolsky |first2=A.L. |last3=Chernigov |first3=V.G. |last4=Ovseichuk |first4=V.A. |year= 2002 |title=Uranium production and environmental restoration at the Priargunsky Centre, Russian Federation |number=IAEA-CSP—10/P |publisher=International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) |url=https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:33032914 |access-date=December 19, 2020}} from Krasnokamensk. Priargunsky represents one of the largest uranium reserves in Russia having estimated reserves of 71.9 million tonnes of ore grading 0.16% uranium.{{cite web|url=http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-O-S/Russia--Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/|title=Russia's nuclear fuel cycle|year=2013|publisher=world-nuclear.org|access-date=July 5, 2013|archive-date=December 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212204410/http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-O-S/Russia--Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/|url-status=dead}}

The full name of the complex is the Priargunsky Mining-Chemical Production Association (PPGHO), which consists of a uranium mines, processing mills and tailings as well as a lignite mine and power plant along with a manganese casting plant and mill.

In 1995, 5 million pounds of uranium were produced.{{cite magazine |title=The Uranium Mines of Siberia |first1=Paul |last1=Robinson |magazine=Earth Island Journal |volume=12 |number=1 |date=Winter 1996–97 |pages=8–9 |jstor=43882800 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43882800 |access-date=December 19, 2020}}

In 1996, it was reported that over the previous 17 years, 10 km of stream bed had been contaminated with radiation levels of 170 microroentgen/hr, 10 times the world-wide average.

In 1998 it was reported that the area produced 2,470 tonnes of uranium contained in ore and that over the lifetime of the mine, more than 100,000 tonnes had been mined.{{cite report |author=OECD/NEA (2000) |title=Uranium 1999: Resources, Production and Demand |series=Uranium |year=2000 |publisher=OECD Publishing|location=Paris |doi=10.1787/9789264189898-en|isbn=9789264171985 }}

In 1998 and 2002 it was reported that this location was the only active uranium production location in Russia during the previous decades.

In 2001, it was reported the area was once the world's largest uranium mining and processing center and in 2001 it was the world's fifth largest.{{cite news |title=A Uranium Mine's Mother Lode of Reality |first=Robert G. |last=Kaiser |date=August 8, 2001 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2001/08/08/a-uranium-mines-mother-lode-of-reality/ea5cf480-919a-4f89-9aa1-cd6df1aac77c/ |access-date=December 19, 2020}}

In 2001, it was reported that the uranium deposit could be depleted by 2026. In 2006, the area produced 2900 tonnes of uranium, which made it the fourth largest producer with 7% of the total world production.{{cite book |title=Nuclear Engineering Handbook |editor-first=Kenneth D. |editor-last=Kok |year=2009 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=9781420053913 |page=259 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EMy2OyUrqbUC&dq=Priargunsky+mine+top+5&pg=PA259 |access-date=December 19, 2020}}{{citation |title=For Russia, dependence on 'a man-made disaster' |first=Catherine |last=Belton |author-link=Catherine Belton |date=January 12, 2006 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/12/world/europe/for-russia-dependence-on-a-manmade-disaster.html |access-date=December 19, 2020}}

Molybdenum is also mined in the town's vicinity, with associated chemical plants producing sulfuric acid and lubricants.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

According to the Blacksmith Institute, Krasnokamensk has generated fifty to seventy-five million tons of tailings, making it the largest waste stream at a uranium production site in the world. A Baley community survey documents hundreds of homes with radiation levels as much as 10–20 times the permissible levels. About 500–1000 homes or more suffer from radiation exposures far above international standards.http://www.blacksmithinstitute.org Blacksmith Institute Website

In recent years, the dangerously high levels of radioactivity led to evacuation and resettlement of residents living near the tailing dumps.

A branch railway has connected the town to Russia's rail network since 1972. Krasnokamensk is served by the Krasnokamensk Airport.

Despite its relatively southerly latitude in Siberia, Krasnokamensk has a monsoon influenced subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dwc), bordering very closely on a humid continental climate (Dwb). The summers are short but very warm whereas winters are severely cold. Precipitation is heavily concentrated in the warmest months.{{Weather box|width=auto

| open = y

| metric first = yes

| single line = y

| location = Krasnokamensk

| temperature colour =

| Jan high C = -20.4

| Feb high C = -15.5

| Mar high C = -4.9

| Apr high C = 8.0

| May high C = 17.6

| Jun high C = 24.1

| Jul high C = 26.0

| Aug high C = 23.3

| Sep high C = 16.4

| Oct high C = 6.7

| Nov high C = -7.4

| Dec high C = -17.8

| year high C =

| Jan mean C = -26.8

| Feb mean C = -23.1

| Mar mean C = -12.6

| Apr mean C = 1.0

| May mean C = 9.9

| Jun mean C = 16.7

| Jul mean C = 19.8

| Aug mean C = 17.1

| Sep mean C = 9.6

| Oct mean C = 0.0

| Nov mean C = -13.8

| Dec mean C = -23.7

| year mean C =

| Jan low C = -33.1

| Feb low C = -30.6

| Mar low C = -20.2

| Apr low C = -6.0

| May low C = 2.2

| Jun low C = 9.4

| Jul low C = 13.6

| Aug low C = 10.9

| Sep low C = 2.8

| Oct low C = -6.7

| Nov low C = -20.1

| Dec low C = -29.6

| year low C =

|precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm =2

| Feb precipitation mm =3

| Mar precipitation mm =4

| Apr precipitation mm =12

| May precipitation mm =21

| Jun precipitation mm =56

| Jul precipitation mm =107

| Aug precipitation mm =80

| Sep precipitation mm =39

| Oct precipitation mm =8

| Nov precipitation mm =4

| Dec precipitation mm =4

| year precipitation mm =

| source ={{cite web |url=https://en.climate-data.org/location/46066/ |access-date=December 15, 2016 |title=Krasnokamensk climate: Weather Krasnokamensk & temperature by month }}

}}

• Manzhouli, China{{cite web |url=http://eng.nmgnews.com.cn/system/2008/10/06/010119457.shtml |title=Sister cities--英文网 |access-date=October 31, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514081149/http://eng.nmgnews.com.cn/system/2008/10/06/010119457.shtml |archive-date=May 14, 2013 }}

{{Reflist}}

• {{RussiaAdmMunRef|zab|adm|list}}
• {{RussiaAdmMunRef|zab|mun|list}}
• {{RussiaAdmMunRef|zab|mun|list0}}

• {{cite web |url=https://media.greenpeace.org/Explore/Tag/Krasnokamensk |publisher=Greenpeace |title=Krasnokamensk Media |access-date=December 19, 2020}}

{{Zabaykalsky Krai}}

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Category:Cities and towns in Zabaykalsky Krai

Category:Cities and towns built in the Soviet Union

Category:1968 establishments in the Soviet Union

Category:Populated places established in 1968