General Information

Khanty-Mansiysk is the capital of Khanty-Mansyisk Autonomous Okrug (region). Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug occupies the central part of the West-Siberian plain. The area of the region is 523,100 sq. km. The population is 1,301,000 people, 91% being concentrated in urban areas. Population density is 2.5 people per sq. km. The region stretches 900 km north to south, and 1,400 km west to east. The length of the borders of the region is 4,750 km.

The city of Khanty-Mansiysk, an administrative center of the region, is located on the Irtysh River, 15 km from its confluence with the Ob River. The population of the city is 55,700 people.

Distance from Moscow: 2759 km

City telephone code: +7 34671

Time: Moscow time +2 hours

Climate and Nature

Khanty-Mansiysk region is located in the lowlands of western Siberia and has a temperate continental climate. The average temperature in January varies from -18 degrees to -23 degrees Celsius. Average temperature in July is about +16 degrees to +19 degrees Celsius. The period of the below zero temperature lasts 7 months – from October till April. Steady snow cover stays 180-200 days — since the end of October till the beginning of May.

The region is located in a forest zone. Large area is marshland and more than 30% of the territory is occupied by taiga. There is a permafrost zone in the north of the region.

In the forests, there are more than 25,000 lakes. Two great rivers of Russia – Ob and Irtysh –flow through the territory of the region from south to north. Among the other rivers there are Vakh, Agan, Tromegan, Lyamin, Pim, Severnaya Sosva, Kazym and others.

 History

In 1637 the first settlement called Samarovsky Yam was founded on the territory of modern Khanty-Mansiysk.

The settlement was growing rapidly and by 1748 there were more than 500 inhabitants engaged primarily in fishing and hunting.

When regular navigation was organized in 1860s, it became an important transport and trade center of the region.

In 1930 Ostyako-Vogulsk National Okrug, later renamed in Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, was founded on the teeritory of Tyumen region. In 1931, Samarovsky Yam was renamed Ostyako-Vogulsk village, and 1940 it was renamed again to Khanty-Mansiysk after indigenous people of Khanty and Mansi living on the territory. In 1950 Khanty-Mansiysk gained status of a city. Since 1993 Khanty-Mansiysk has been an administrative center of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug.

For many Russians, Khanty-Mansiysk is a synonym of oil because of the rich oil and gas deposits found in the area. Oil drilling started there in 1951. Regular geophysical and boring works began in 1954. Later Ust-Balikskoye, West-Surgutskoye, Pokurskoye, Vatinskoye, Mamontovskoye, Salimskoye, Pravdinskoye and many other deposits were opened. Industrial exploitation of the oil fields started in 1964. By 1980s the volume of oil extracted on the territory reached one million ton per day.

Culture

Severe climate contributed to the creation of absolutely specific cultural environment of indigenous peoples of Khanty and Mansi.

At the same time, because of rapid industrial development Khanty-Mansiysk became a kind of northern capital and a local business and cultural center. Khanty-Mansyisk is a green city surrounded by forests, with original architecture. There are many hotels and entertainments in the city. There is a State Regional Museum of Nature and People and Center of Arts.

There is also the oldest national Medical College in the region, Pedagogical and Economy Colleges and Academies and branches of several universities.

In 2002, Khanty-Mansiysk celebrated it’s 365 anniversary.

Economy

Presently Khanty-Mansiysk is the main oil and gas region of the Russian Federation. The key industry in Khanty-Mansiysk is oil production, accounting for 65 percent of Russia's total oil output. Oil is mined in 400 oil fields. The largest oil and gas deposits are Samotlorskoe, Fedorovskoe, Mamontovskoe and Priobskoe. The placer gold, vein quartz and raw materials are extracted in the region. Iron-ore deposits, copper, zinc, lead, niobium, tantalum, the manifestations of bauxite, etc. are discovered as well.

Other industries include timber production, agriculture and the raising of fur-bearing animals. For many centuries, the life of native population depended on fishing and hunting. The woods are very valuable and at the same time they are home to fur-bearing animals and forest birds. Waters contain various species of fish.

Transportation

Khanty-Mansiysk region has good railway, air and pipeline communications.

Air transportation on the territory began in the middle of 1930s. Today, there is an airport "Ugraavia" in Khanty-Mansiysk. Many airlines operate there, and 8 airlines are registered in the region.  

The total length of railways in the region is 1073 km. The largest railway junctions are Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk, Pyt-Yakh, Kogalym, Megion, Langepas, Nyagan, Mezgdurechensky, Probie.

The length of highways in the region is over 18,000 km, including over 11,000 km of hard-surface roads. Khanty-Mansiysk - Nefteyugansk highway has been recently put into operation. The local government also plans to finish construction of the Khanty-Mansiysk - Nyagan highway in 2004. The bridge crossing Irtysh River close to Khanty-Mansiysk is to be constructed by the end of 2004.

Irtysh and Ob Rivers connect the region with big Siberian cities of Omsk, Tobolsk, Salekhard, Tomsk, Novosibirsk.

Among the oil pipelines there are "Nizhnevartovsk - Anzhero - Sudzhensk - Irkutsk"; "Surgut - Polotsk"; "Nizhnevartovsk - Samara-Ust-Balyk - Omsk". Gas pipes include "Urengoi - Pomary - Uzhgorod"; "Urengoi - Chelyabinsk". The total length of the oil pipelines in the region is 66,283 km, the length of gas pipelines is 19,500 km.

Hotels

Business Center Hotel***. Address: Mira str., 13. Phone: +7 34671 31601.

Crystal Hotel. Address: Krasnoarmeiskaya str., 14. Phone: +7 34671 30012.

Geofizik Hotel. Address: Gagarina str., 110. Phone: +7 34671 32300.

Misne Hotel. Address: Gagarina str., 58б. Phone: +7 34671 50563.

Na Semi Holmakh Hotel***. Address: Sportivnaya str., 15. Phone: +7 34671 55692.

Russky Dvor Hotel***. Address: Mira str., 124. Phone: +7 34671 50386. Fax: +7 34671 50311.

Sokol Hotel. Address: Airport. Phone: +7 34671 94218.

Tarei Hotel****. Address: Lenina str., 64. Phone: +7 34671 20019.

Yugorskaya Dolina Hotel***. Address: Gagarina str., 65. Phone: +7 34671 25086.

Yugra Hotel***. Address: Komsomolskaya str, 32. Phone: +7 34671 95554.

Evgeniya Stroganova