Dubna (p=dʊbˈna) is a town in Moscow Oblast, Russia, 45 miles (72 km) east of Tver and 69 miles (111 km) north of Moscow. It has a status of naukograd (i.e. town of science), being home to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, an international nuclear physics research center and one of the largest scientific foundations in the country. It is also home to MKB Raduga, a defense aerospace company specializing in design and production of missile systems, as well as to the Russia's largest satellite communications center owned by Russian Satellite Communications Company.
Geography
The town is above
sea level, situated approximately north of
Moscow, on the
Volga River, just downstream from the Ivankovo Reservoir. The reservoir is formed by a hydroelectric
dam across the Volga situated within the town borders. The town lies on both banks of the Volga. The western boundary of the town is defined by the
Moscow Canal joining the Volga, while the eastern boundary is defined by the Dubna River joining the Volga.
Dubna is the northernmost town of Moscow Oblast.
History
Pre-World War II
Fortress Dubna () belonging to Rostov-Suzdal Principality was built in the area in 1132 by the order of
Yuri Dolgoruki and existed until 1216. The fortress was destroyed during the feudal war between the sons of Vsevolod the Big Nest. The village of Gorodishche (Городище) was located on the right bank of the Volga River and was a part of the Kashin Principality. Dubna customs post (Дубненское мыто) was located in the area and was a part of the Principality of Tver.
Before the October Revolution, few villages were in the area: Podberezye was on the left bank of the Volga, and Gorodishche, Alexandrovka, Ivankovo, Yurkino, and Kozlaki () were on the right bank.
Right after the Revolution one of the first was organized in Dubna area.
In 1931, the Orgburo of the Communist Party made a decision to build the Moscow Canal. Genrikh Yagoda, then the leader of the State Political Directorate, was put in charge of construction. The Canal was completed in 1937. Ivankovo Reservoir and Ivankovo hydroelectrical plant were also created as a part of the project. Many villages and the town Korcheva were submerged under water. Dubna is mentioned in Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's book The Gulag Archipelago as the town built by Gulag prisoners.
Science
The decision to build a proton accelerator for nuclear research was taken by the
Soviet Union government in 1946. An impractical place where the current town is situated was chosen due to remoteness from Moscow and the presence of the Ivankovo power plant nearby. The scientific leader was
Igor Kurchatov. The general supervisor of the project including construction of a settlement, a road and a railway connecting it to Moscow (largely involving
penal labour of
Gulag inmates) was the
NKVD chief
Lavrentiy Beria. After three years of intensive work, the accelerator was commissioned on 13 December 1949.
The town of Dubna was officially inaugurated in 1956, together with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), which has developed into a large international research laboratory involved mainly in particle physics, heavy ion physics, synthesis of transuranium elements, and radiobiology. In 1960, a town of Ivankovo situated on the opposite (left) bank of the Volga was merged into Dubna. In 1964, Dubna hosted the prestigious International Conference on High Energy Physics.
Currently, a construction of the NICA particle collider, a megascience project is underway in Dubna.
Outstanding physicists of the 20th century including Nikolay Bogolyubov, Georgy Flyorov, Vladimir Veksler, and Bruno Pontecorvo used to work at the institute. A number of elementary particles and nuclei of transuranium elements (most recently, Tennessine) have been discovered and investigated there, leading to the honorary naming of chemical element 105 dubnium (Db) for the town.
Administrative and municipal status
Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as
Dubna Town Under Oblast Jurisdiction—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.
[Law #11/2013-OZ] As a municipal division, Dubna Town Under Oblast Jurisdiction is incorporated as
Dubna Urban Okrug.
[Law #84/2005-OZ]
Demographics
Economics
Before the dissolution of the
Soviet Union,
JINR and
MKB Raduga were the main employers in the town. Since then their role has decreased significantly. Several small industrial enterprises have emerged, however the town still experiences some employment difficulties. Proximity to
Moscow allows many to commute and work there. Plans by
Sistema and other investors including government structures have been announced to build a Russian analogue of
Silicon Valley in Dubna. As of the beginning of 2007, nothing has commenced.
Transport
Шлюз_№1_Дубна.jpg|First gate of Moscow Canal
Volga River. Dubna. Cruise ship Mikhail Bulgakov P5223359 2200.jpg|Water transport in Volga
Большая Волга (Станция).jpg|Bolshaya Volga railway station
Railway station Dubna-2.JPG|Dubna-2 railway station
Dubna, road tunnel under the Moscow Canal locks (closed in 2019).jpg|Road tunnel under the Moscow Canal lock
Dubna_bridge.winter2018.jpg|Dubna bridge over Volga
Dubna is the starting point of the
Moscow Canal.
In addition to the canal, Dubna is connected to Moscow with the
А104 highway, and the Savyolovsky suburban railway line provides access to Moscow.
Public transport connections to Moscow include express trains, suburban trains, and bus shuttles departing from the Savyolovsky Rail Terminal.
Culture
Dubna House Culture Oktyabr Lobby.JPG|Oktyabr Palace of Culture
House Culture Mir Dubna-2.JPG|Mir House of Culture
Dubna Theater.JPG|Dubna Theater
Organ Hall Dubna.JPG|Organ Hall
Dubna Choral School of Boys.JPG|Boys and Youth Choir School
Blokhintsev Library Dubna.JPG|Blokhintsev Library
Among the city's cultural facilities are: the Mir House of Culture, the Oktyabr Palace of Culture, a movie theater, 21 libraries, 4 music schools and a school of arts. In 1990, the Dubna Symphony Orchestra was established.
Museums
-
Museum of Archeology and Local History of Dubna
-
JINR Museum of the History of Science and Technology
-
Museum of Natural History at Dubna International University
-
Museum of Locks
-
Museum of Sports
-
Svetoch Culturohistorical Center
Cinema
A variety of movies and miniseries were filmed in the city, such as:
-
Volga-Volga (1938)
-
Ballad of Siberia (1948)
-
Nine Days in One Year (1962)
-
All Remains to People (1963)
-
Vasili and Vasilisa (1981)
-
Katya Ismailova (1994)
-
Brigada (2002)
Sports
Sports Complex Olymp Dubna.JPG|Olympic Sports Complex
Pool Archimedes Dubna.JPG|Archimedes Pool of JINR
Dubna Pool Raduga.jpg|Raduga Pool
Dubna Nekhaevsky Water Stadium.JPG|Nekhaevsky Brothers Water Stadium
Dubna is located on the
Moscow Canal and the Ivankovo Reservoir, making it a good destination for water sports such as
windsurfing,
kitesurfing, and
water skiing.. In 2004, for the first time, a stage of the Water Ski World Cup took place in the city.
In 2011, Dubna hosted the World Waterskiing Championships.
[ The Organizing Committee of the 2011 World Waterski Championships official web site ]
Dubna's sports facilities include two stadiums, a waterskiing stadium on the Volga River, four swimming pools, tennis courts, and five sports complexes.
Trivia
Dubna Lenin.JPG|Statue of Vladimir Lenin at Dubna
One of the world's tallest statues of
Vladimir Lenin, high, built in 1937, is located at Dubna at the
confluence of the
Volga River and the
Moscow Canal. The accompanying statue of
Joseph Stalin of similar size was demolished in 1961 during the period of
de-stalinization.
Twin towns and sister cities
Dubna is twinned with:
Gallery
Dubna War Memorial and Gardens.JPG|War Memorial and Gardens on the banks of the Volga River
File:Dubna Ilyushin Il-2 1 of 4.JPG|Ilyushin Il-2 in a war memorial in Dubna
File:Dubna Ilyushin Il-2 3 of 4.JPG|Plaque concerning the Ilyushin Il-2 war memorial in Dubna
File:Dubna 9P512 3 of 3.JPG| Russian locomotive class 9P number 9P512 outside the Bolshaya Volga railway station in Dubna
Dubna_Monument_Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-25.JPG|Monument to the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 in Dubna
Notes
Sources
External links
