Orenburg Region
// GENERAL INFORMATION
Orenburg Region is one of the largest regions of the Russian Federation. The region is located at the meeting point of Europe and Asia and is part of the Ural economic district. It borders on the Republic of Bashkortostan and Chelyabinsk Region in the north, Kazakhstan in the east and south, and Samara Region in the west. It occupies a huge territory in the Southern Pre-Urals, as well as territory along the middle Ural River and the Sakmara, Samara, and Ilek river basins, with a total area of 124 000 km2 (0.7% of the Russian Federation and 15% of the Ural economic district). The region extends 750 km from west to east; its border with Kazakhstan is 1876 km long.
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Orenburg Region was formed on December 7, 1934. From December 26, 1938, to December 4, 1957, it was called Chkalov Region.
The region is made up of 35 districts, 7 city districts (4 of them in the city of Orenburg), 12 cities [11 under regional jurisdiction and 1 (Sol-Iletsk) under district jurisdiction], and 24 industrial communities. The largest cities are Orenburg (1743), Orsk (1735), Novotroitsk (1945), Buzuluk (1781), and Gai (1979). You can reach Orenburg from any community by car or train.
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Orenburg Region has a continental climate with hot dry summers and relatively little snow in winter. Annual precipitation reaches 450 mm in the northeast and 260 mm in the southeast. The difference between the absolute maximum and absolute minimum temperatures (absolute temperature) is 85-89 °C.
The city of Orenburg, located on the Ural and Sakmara rivers, is the regional capital and one of the largest cities in Orenburg land. It has a population of about 600 000 people. Orenburg was founded in 1743, and from 1938 to 1957, was known as Chkalov.
POPULATION
Orthodoxy and Islam were the region's traditional religions before the Revolution of 1917, although there were also seven other denominations. Today, members of 21 different denominations live in Orenburg Region, the most important of which are still Orthodoxy and Islam. More than 170 religious buildings are open at the present time.
The population of Orenburg Region is more than 2.2 million, and the population density is 17.9 people per km2. Owing to its geographical location, the region is multinational, with representatives of more than 80 nationalities among the population. Russians form the largest nationality (72%), followed by Tatars (7%), Kazakhs (5%), and smaller numbers of Ukrainians, Bashkirs, Mordvins, Germans, Poles, Jews, Chuvashes, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Chechens, Ingushes, and others.
HISTORY
Nearly 4000 years ago, the endless Great Steppe, as the vast areas south of the Urals were called in the past, spread over the expanse of the Southern Pre-Urals. This was the birthplace of the Sarmatian, Scythian, and other civilizations of nomadic herders and warriors.
Large numbers of kurgans (or "maris")-huge earthen mounds over the burial places of warriors-are monuments of their long history. Archeologists have discovered hundreds of kurgans near the city of Orsk and in Iletsky and Sharlyksky districts. Large numbers of ornaments of pure gold have been found in these burial mounds. In 1911, archeologists working near the village of Prokhorovka, Sharlyksky District, discovered a bowl dating to the early 3rd century B.C., as well as other objects proving the existence of well-developed trade relations in that period.
The Scythians and Sarmatians were warlike tribes. The ancient historian Herodotus wrote that Sarmatian women "ride out hunting with their husbands and without them…No girl gets married until she has killed an enemy."
In the 1730s, after the Lesser Kazakh Horde (Zhuz) voluntarily joined the Russian Empire, settlers from Russia's central provinces began actively developing Orenburg Territory.
Orenburg Province was formed in 1744 by nominal decree of Empress Anna Ioanovna. The initiative for the formation of the new province came from state officials like V.N. Tatishchev, I.K. Kirillov, P.I. Rychkov, and I.I. Neplyuev, who as a consequence became the first governor of Orenburg. The province included part of the territory of present-day Kazakhstan, Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, and Chelyabinsk and Samara regions. The southern border followed the coasts of the Caspian and Aral seas.
The province's advantageous geographical location and the business activity of Orenburg merchants promoted the rapid development of trade, economic, and cultural relations with Central Asia and Eastern countries. Asian merchants imported cattle, camel fleece, sheepskins, wild animal skins, brocade, precious stones, Indian silk, and gold and silver to Orenburg; and in exchange, Russia furnished them with grain, woolen and cotton fabrics, clothing, metals and minerals, honey, salt, fish, caviar, and other goods.
Today, Orenburg Region, located at the crossroads of East and West, is seeking to continue this tradition as the Russian "window on the East."
MINERAL RESOURCES
Orenburg Region has abundant mineral reserves. More than 75 kinds of minerals in 2500 subsurface deposits have been discovered in the region; 920 of these deposits have industrial applications.
The western part of the region is one of Russia's main oil and gas producing areas. Out of 195 discovered oil and gas fields, 5 have recoverable oil reserves of more than 30 million tons. Intensive exploratory drilling is being carried out, and oil reserves are increasing at a rate of 5 to 7.5 million tons annually. Recoverable hydrocarbon resources in Orenburg Region are estimated at 1665 million tons of oil, 2712 billion m3 of gas, and 258 million tons of condensate.
Inexhaustible reserves of high-quality rock and potassium salts, as well as deposits of oil shale, asphalt, and gypsum, have also been discovered here. In recent years, reservoirs of mineral water of various degrees of mineralization and chemical content for medicinal and table use have been explored and developed and occurrences of blended sulfate water have been identified in Sharlyksky District. Building sand, potassium-magnesium salts, and phosphorite are also produced. Rock salt reserves from two deposits included on the government's balance amount to 2.2 billion tons. There are excellent prospects for discovering additional deposits of potassium and magnesium salts. In addition, the region has sufficient nickel and cobalt ores and brown and hard coal deposits (estimated reserves are about 800 million tons) for commercial development.
The eastern part of the region is rich in nonferrous and metals, as well as dolomite, metallurgical quartzite, mineral pigments, gold, cement raw materials, marble, and jasper. Gold production has increased 2-4 times compared with past years; it is produced from both ore and placer deposits.
There are realistic prospects for discovering deposits of rare metals and for establishing a resource base for vanadium production.
Nonferrous metallurgy is a highly developed industry in Orenburg Region. There are nine explored copper and copper-zinc deposits, and yearly copper production is about 60 000 tons. The copper pyrite ores have a copper content of 1 to 4% and also contain commercial concentrations of gold, zinc, lead, sulfur, silver, rare earth metals, tellurium, cadmium, gallium, and bismuth. Total copper pyrite ore reserves are 70 million tons; 76% of the region's copper reserves are found in the large Gaiskoe deposit.
Nearly 25 million tons of graphite resources with acceptable ore quality have been discovered in the region.
The region's iron ore deposits amount to 195 million tons and are characterized by high nickel and chromium contents.
ECONOMY
Orenburg Region is known as the golden gate to Asia due to its location on routes connecting Russia with Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
The fuel and energy complex is Orenburg Region's most important economic sector. Oil production in the region is up to 8 million tons per year. The oil reservoirs have high gas levels, and the gas condensate mixtures have a high gas saturation percentage. Orenburg gas condensate fields, with their unique gas condensate composition, account for nearly 6% of all of the country's gas reserves. An oil refinery located in the region produces various grades of gasoline, oil, diesel fuel, and asphalt.
Orenburg Region has a great wealth of natural resources and with adequate investments it could supply nearly all its needs. In order to utilize the natural resources effectively, the regional Administration is transferring 72 deposits to Russian and foreign investors for mineral development and production on a competitive basis in accordance with Russian law.
Owing to the region's diverse mineral and other natural resources, companies of many different economic sectors operate there. The Orsk-Khalilov Integrated Iron and Steel Works (NOSTA) producing 3 million or more tons of rolled metal per year represents the ferrous metallurgy sector. Nonferrous metallurgical companies like the Gaisky Ore Mining and Processing Enterprise (Gaisky GOK) and the Mednogorsk Complex (Mednogorsky kombinat) produce copper and zinc concentrates, lead bullion, germanium, and quartzite, while South Ural Nickel (Yuzhuralnikel) produces nickel, ferronickel, and cobalt.
Most of these companies need to modernize, increase output, and introduce new technologies, which will require investments of at least $400 million.
The region's economically important military-industrial complex is in a difficult situation. Although companies in this sector have large-scale production and technical facilities, as well as high technologies, they need investments of at least $320 million in order to convert to civilian production, e.g., refrigerators, washing machines, TV sets, and modern farm equipment.
The construction industry needs $60 million of investments for successful expansion.
Finally, in order to expand agriculture in Orenburg Region, where the climatic conditions allow the cultivation of almost any crop, especially grains, and to develop livestock farming, it will be necessary to set up a system of small processing companies in rural areas and build up the sugar industry. This will require investments of $145 million.
AUTHORITIES
The Legislative Assembly is the highest legislative and representative body in Orenburg Region. It is made up of 47 deputies and is elected for a four-year term.
Municipal and representative bodies in cities are elected according to the Charter of Orenburg Region and the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
The Administration of Orenburg Region is the region's highest executive body. The region's highest official is the head of the Administration, who is elected for a four-year term and acts as a guarantor of observance of the regional Charter. The regional administration also includes territorial, sectoral, and functional bodies and the Government of Orenburg Region.
The 35 Administrations of districts not located in a city are territorial administrative bodies of Orenburg Region established to exercise certain government powers within a district.
The heads of district administrations are appointed by the head of the Administration of Orenburg Region.
The head of the Administration is guided in his activities by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws, decrees and orders of the President of the Russian Federation, the Charter and legislation of Orenburg Region, federal constitutional laws, and decrees and orders of the Government of the Russian Federation. He draws up socioeconomic development programs and the budget of Orenburg Region and presents them to the Legislative Assembly of Orenburg Region for approval; signs and proclaims laws passed by the Legislative Assembly; and within the limits of his authority and on the basis of the regional Charter, issues decrees and orders concerning structural rebuilding of the economy and specific problems of reforming the region's social sphere and sees that they are fulfilled.
Orders of the head of the administration issued within the limits of his authority and to implement existing legislation are effective throughout the region.
The heads of the regional and district administrations settle questions concerning the formulation and approval of the local budget, municipal property management, local taxes and dues, and other problems related to the jurisdiction of local representative bodies.
Local government bodies in the region are not part of the government system. Their organization and activities are specified in municipal charters.
CULTURE AND ART
Orenburg was initially constructed as a fortress and also functioned as a trading center. Today, Orenburg is one of Russia's most beautiful cities, as confirmed by the preserved historical and architectural antiquities. An interdepartmental council for the protection of the region's historical and cultural properties has inventoried 1895 sites, 1523 of which are on a government list of historical and cultural monuments, and 1438 archeological sites. In addition, 1140 cultural centers (with 7210 clubs and amateur associations operating in them), 910 theater studios, and a large number of groups of all kinds (810 choral, 559 dance, 210 instrumental, 132 folklore, and 258 national groups) operate in the region today.
At present, there are 12 state and 16 national museums. The state museums have a basic stock of 205 600 items, and the museum of fine arts owns a basic fund of more than 7000 exhibits, including rare collections of Orenburg goat down shawls. There are also 139 school museums and a number of public industrial museums. Other facilities that have been opened include exhibition halls in the cities of Gai and Saraktash, a museum of internationalist soldiers in Orenburg, and a rural ethnographic museum of Tatar culture in Kuvandyksky District.
Seven professional theaters operate in Orenburg Region, including a regional puppet theater, the Pierrot municipal puppet theater, the Faizi Tatar drama theater, the Orsk and Buguruslansk drama theaters, and the Gorki regional drama theater.
The region has 993 state libraries, 23 of them in Orenburg. In recent years, the libraries have experienced difficulties in replenishing their stocks, which has led to a decrease in resources.
In the sphere of education, about 75 children's music and art schools and 5 specialized vocational schools are currently operating; and the opening of the Rostropovich State Institute of the Arts in Orenburg has resulted in the appearance of the "School-College-Higher Institution" system of arts education. Orenburg also has its own philharmonic orchestra, which includes the Orenburg State Academic Russian Folk Choir under the direction of O.S. Serebriiskaya and a chamber orchestra under the direction of V.N. Bruk.
The region has begun holding annual days of Russian spirituality and culture; Kazakh, Bashkir, Tatar, Ukrainian, Mordvinian, and German cultural festivals; the "Colors of the Rainbow" (Kraski radugi) regional children's festival; and a regional festival of guitar songs in Kuvandyk.
Arts and crafts, such as clay and wooden toys, woodcarving and wood painting, ceramics, stone carving, metal engraving, and traditional Orenburg knitting, are also expanding.
In 1999, the V.I. Dal Writer's Union of Orenburg celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Official server of the Administration of Orenburg Region:
http://www.orb.ru/
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