Volgodonsk is a city in Rostov Oblast

Rostov Oblast

Rostov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Southern Federal District. Rostov Oblast has an area of and a population of making it the sixth most populous federal subject in Russia...

, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, located in the eastern part of the oblast on the west bank of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir

Tsimlyansk Reservoir

Tsimlyansk Reservoir or Tsimlyanskoye Reservoir is an artificial lake on the Don River in the territories of Rostov and Volgograd Oblasts at . Completed in 1952, the reservoir is one of the largest in Russia, providing power and irrigation to the Rostov and Volgograd regions...

. Population: 28,000 (1970).

History

Volgodonsk was founded on July 27, 1950 as a small settlement for the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric dam

Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...

 maintenance personnel. It grew in size due to the construction of the Volga–Don Canal. Town status was granted to it in 1956.

Economy

Volgodonsk is one of the economic leaders of Rostov Oblast. The city became the largest energy center of southern Russia with the launch of the Volgodonsk Nuclear Power Plant in March 2001. The power plant, along with the two thermal power stations, are the city's main employers.

Transport

The city is a regional transport hub on the Volga–Don Canal. A railway and M4 highway pass nearby. Bus routes were launched in 1954. There are presently thirty bus routes. Trolleybuses has been running since 1977. There are currently six trolleybus routes in the city. Volgodonsk port has a strategic importance as access to major ports of different countries.

Culture

Volgodonsk is one of the major cultural center of Rostov Oblast. There are six art schools, two museums, seventeen historical and cultural sites, and three buildings recognized as architectural monuments of regional importance.