Coat of arms Flag Federal subject Volgograd Oblast Town of district significance Zhirnovsk Local time Sunday 10:50 PM | Country Russia Administrative district Zhirnovsky District Area 27 km² | |
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Administrative center of Zhirnovsky District, town of district significance of Zhirnovsk Weather 4°C, Wind SW at 24 km/h, 84% Humidity | ||
Zhirnovsk (Russian: Жи́рновск) is a town and the administrative center of Zhirnovsky District in Volgograd Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Medveditsa River, which itself flows into the Don. Zhirnovsk lies 320 kilometers (200 mi) north of Volgograd, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 16,872 (2010 Census); 17,751 (2002 Census); 16,792 (1989 Census).
Contents
Map of Zhirnovsk, Volgograd Oblast, Russia
History
It was founded in 1958 by merging the villages of Zhirnoye Selo (Жи́рное Село́) and Kurakino Selo (Куракино Село́), each of which had been founded in their own right in the 17th and 18th centuries. The merger was prompted by the discovery of significant oil deposits near these villages in the 1940s and the consequent establishment of a worker's housing estate in 1954.
Administrative and municipal status
Within the framework of administrative divisions, Zhirnovsk serves as the administrative center of Zhirnovsky District. As an administrative division, it is incorporated within Zhirnovsky District as the town of district significance of Zhirnovsk. As a municipal division, the town of district significance of Zhirnovsk is incorporated within Zhirnovsky Municipal District as Zhirnovskoye Urban Settlement.
Economy
As of 2010, oil and gas processing remains the towns chief industry.