General Information

Founded on 26 January 1943 and located on the plains of West Siberia, the Kemerovo Oblast or region borders the Novosibirsk region in the west, the Tomsk in the north, the Krasnoyarsk region in the east, and the Altai region in the south. Kemerovo region extends for about 500 km from north to south, and 300 km from west to east.

The area of the region is about 95,500 square km or 0.85 percent of the territory of Russia, which makes it the 31st largest region in Russia. As of January 1, 2001, the region’s population was 3 million and it ranked 12th in Russia. Kemerovo is the most urbanized region in Siberia: over 87 percent of the local population live in twenty cities and towns located in the area. 87% of the population is urban and 13% is rural. 90% of people living in the region are Russians.

Kemerovo city, initially called Scheglovsk, was founded in 1925. Kemerovo, with a population of over 530,000 residents, is the administrative center of the Kemerovo region. The other large cities and towns of the region are Novokuznetsk with 580,000 people, Prokopievsk, Leninsk-Kuznetsky(131,000), Mezhdurechensk, and Kiselevsk (125,000).

Distance from Moscow: 3,482 km or 1,859 miles.

Time difference: + 4 hours.

City telephone code: 3842.

Climate and Nature

Kemerovo located between 52°08’ and 56°54’ northern latitude, and 84°33’ and 89°28’ eastern longitude. The climate is sharply continental: winter is cold and long, summer is short, but warm.

The average annual temperature varies from - 1.4°C to +1.0°C. The average temperature in Kemerovo is - 19.2°C in January and + 18.6°C in July. The highest temperature is about +38°C in summer, while in winter it falls to -54°C in the south and -57°C in the north.

It is located on the same latitude with Chelyabinsk, Moscow, Kaliningrad and Kamchatka regions in Russia and Warsaw, Berlin, Denmark, Hague, Wales and Ireland in Western Europe.

Kemerovo region is one of the richest and the most interesting geological areas in Siberia. Its natural resources are enormous. The region is famous for its Kuznetsk coal basin (Kuzbass), the largest black coal deposit in Russia. Coal resources are estimated to be 690 billion tons. Over 43 percent of coal deposits are found close to the surface (in a depth of 1.3 – 3.5 meters). Various types of coal have been discovered in the region.
The Kuzbass is also rich with iron and copper ores, polymetals, boxites and phosphorites. Other deposits include iron ore with 53 million tons, manganese ores at 98,000 million tons, petroliferous shale at 43 million tons, nepheline ores at 150 million tons, phosphorite ores at 43 million tons, complex ores, and building materials. Deposits of iron ore are concentrated in mountainous areas of Gornaya Shoria and Kuznetsky Alatau. Iron ore deposits in Gornaya Shoria are estimated to be up to 2.2 billion tons, and in Kuznetsky Alatau – 68.1 million tons. The mountains of Kuzbass contain gold deposits.
Rivers. The rivers of the Kemerovo Oblast belong to the Ob River Basin. The main river is the Tom, which flows 485 km across the region’s territory. The other rivers are Inya and Kiya.
Flora. There is forest-steppe and steppe vegetation with birch-aspen forests in the north-west. Mountain taiga flora found in the south and south-east include predominately coniferous species: fir, silver fir, cedar.
Fauna is represented by elk, bear, lynx, badger, Siberian weasel, squirrel, and fox.

Economy

The main wealth of Kemerovo and Kemerovo region is coal. The fuel industry (31% of total industrial output) is represented by coal mining. The Kuzbass Coal Basin is the largest coal producer, providing more than one third of coal in Russia. The machine-building industry (6%) produces machinery and equipment for the mining industry, chemical equipment, electrical appliances and equipment, and electrical engines. Building industry is also of local importance. Ranked 6th in Russia in terms of capital investment. The chemical and petrochemical industries (7%) are represented by coking coal, mineral fertilizers, chemical fibers and filaments, plastics, synthetic resins, and dyes.
Export in foreign trade sales is also quite significant. Coal constitutes the largest share of exports — about 38%. Chemical products make up about 16% of total export, and metals are at 14%.
Kemerovo is the largest industrial region in Siberia with a key role in the Russian economy. Even though the region covers 0.85 percent of Russia’s territory, it contributes 2.1 percent to the Russian economy. The region contributes over 44 percent of the rock coal, and 70 percent of the coking coal mined in Russia. In addition, over 13 percent of steel and cast-iron, 23 percent of rolled steel, 11 percent of aluminum, and 17 percent of coke is produced in the region. In 2000, gross regional product was equivalent to 102 billion rubles (approximately USD 4 billion).

Culture

People in Kemerovo live mostly in block apartments. Private houses are rare, inhabited mostly by the very poor or the very rich. The poor continue to live in their old, run-down houses because they can’t afford repairs or to step up to an apartment. The rich buy very big houses that constitute success.
The average worker, for example, a clerk, earns about 180 dollars a month (2160 dollars a year). The average manager will get probably twice more than that: 360 dollars a month, 4320 a year. In Kemerovo region, this is quite enough to live on.
There are also many educational institutions. Presently there are about 38,000 students in seven local colleges and universities and 45,000 students in 59 technical schools. Research Institutes, e.g. Institutes of Coal and Coal Hydro-mining, are also located in Kemerovo.

Night clubs and Discos

’Lozha’ is a students’ night club at the premises of experimental theatre bearing the same name. A bit whacky music, but great atmosphere. Entrance fee is 50 roubles (1,7 dollars).

’Dom Aktyora’ - great music, but always crowded. Entrance fee - 80 roubles (around 3 american dollars).

’Coliseum’ - night club and casino located at the premises of Musical Theatre of Kuzbass (on Sovietskiy prospect, not far from Soviet square). Great music, but atmosphere is a bit ’posh’. A sort of prestigious place. Entrance fee - 80 roubles.
’Venera’ - night club located on Sovietskiy prospect, between Kirova street and Kuznetskiy prospect. Very pretending place, lots of modern equipment, but music is a bit too modern. Entrance fee - 80 roubles.

’Metro’ is a night club with some strip action. It is located on Lenina prospect, near crossing with 50 let Oktyabrya street.

’Legion’ is a disco club with some strip show. Located on crossing of Khimikov prospect and Stroiteley blv. Entrance fee - 80 roubles.

Cinemas

’Moskva’ cinema is a flagship of local cinemas, equipped with Dolby Surround system. Drinks and popcorn are available. It is located on Dzerzhinskogo street, not far from local mall. Phone: +7 3842 255522.

’Yubileyniy’ cinema is a big cinema, located on Lenina street. Phone: +7 3842 526333
’Cosmos’ cinema is a newly restored cinema with Dolby system. Phone: +7 3842 368484.

Theatres and Concert Halls

Drama Theatre is located in the heart of the city, on Fountain square on Sovietsky prospect. Phone: +7 3842 365375, 365816.

Musical Theatre of Kuzbass is located on Sovetskiy prospect, near from Soviet square. It has some musical shows and operettas. Phone: +7 3842 365471, 365646.

’Lozha’ Theatre is an experimental theatre, located at the backyard of Polytechnic University.

Philharmonics is located on Krasnaya street behind a small park on Soviet square. It is a concert hall for classical music, and sometimes for pop singers. Concerts are held nearly every Saturday. Phone: +7 3842 233211.

Museums

Tomskaya Pisanitsa is a famous museum of petroglyphs (ancient drawings), located about 60 km northwest from Kemerovo (by Yashkinskaya highway) in a beautiful place at Tom river. There are also some other historical exhibitions. Open Wednesday to Sunday, the museum suggests a very budget-friendly entrance fee. It has an office in Kemerovo where one can make inquiries about excursions and such. Phone: +7 3842 25-98-50. The museum-owned bus picks visitors every Saturday and Sunday at 10 o’clock from behind the Drama Theatre, but one can make the way to the museum on his/her own.

Hotels

Kuzbass Hotel is located Vesenniaya str., 20. Phone: +7 3842 251887, 250254

Tom Hotel is located Pritomskaya naberezhnaya, 7. Phone: +7 3842 366023, 259902

Transportation

There is no direct rail line from Moscow to Kemerovo and the city does not have a station on Trans-Siberian Mainline. To get to Kemerovo from Moscow, one should take a transit train to Novokuznetsk from the Kazansky railroad station and go to the station called Topki. Kemerovo is 35 km from the station. There is a local railway system connected to the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
The main airport of the region is also located in Kemerovo. The runway in the Kemerovo airport meets international standards. There are presently 2 flights per day lasting 4 hours from Vnukovo airport, Moscow, and several others — to Vladivostok, Blagoveschensk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhnevartovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Omsk, Munich (Germany), and Sochi.

Telecommunications

As Kemerovo is the regional center and a big city, it has complicated telecommunications system. There are four mobile operators in Kemerovo: Kemerovo Telephone Station (GSM), Beeline GSM, TELE2/FORA (GSM, AMPS/DAMPS) and Sotel (NMT).
The difference is mostly in area coverage - Kemerovo Telephone Station, works only in Kemerovo, Beeline GSM and TELE2/FORA do in Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk, and Sotel works in the biggest part of Kemerovo Region. Prices depend on operator and billing plan but typically don’t vary and are about 25 cents per minute without roaming. Consult your operator for more details. Below are the phones of the companies.
Kemerovo Telephone Station (GSM). Phone: +7 3842 330909, web-site:
Beeline GSM. Address: Kemerovo, Ordzhonikidze, 3. Phone: + 7 3842 368687.
TELE2/FORA (GSM, AMPS/DAMPS). Address: Kemerovo Mobile Communications, pr. Sovyetskiy 36, Phone: +7 3842 760076, 3842 760000, web-site:
Sotel (NMT-450). Address: Kirova street, 45. Phone: +7 3842 368788, fax +7 3842 368815, e-mail: sotel@mail.kuzbass.net, web-site:

Internet access is offered by the following companies and providers:
Kemerovo Telegraph. Address: Oktyabrskiy prospect 10. Phone: +7 3842 523612, 523343, 257301, web-site:
Polenet. Address: Sovietski prospect 12. Phone: +7 3842 367465, web-site:
StarTrek. Address: Michurina str. 13. Phone: +7 3842 252278, web-site:

Internet Resources on Kemerovo in English

Unfortunately the Kemerovo region is not fully represented on the Internet in English though there are several sites which provide useful information in Russian:The list of websites include -
- official site of the Kemerovo Oblast Administration (news, description of the region, economy, foreign relations, links to different Internet resources of Kuzbass).
- news, information and business site of Kuzbass.
- information about Governor Aman Tuleev, photo album; site also provides opportunity to send an e-mail message to the Governor.
- Kuzbass Chamber of Commerce (information on regional enterprises, innovations, news and different trade events).
- different materials relating to economic and social life of the region.
- inter-regional marketing network.
- regional internet resources.
- some links to regional enterprises.
- some links to regional enterprises and services.

Evgeniya Stroganova