Solikamsk

Solikamsk is the third largest town of the Perm krai located 368 kilometres north of Perm on the river Kama.
Population: 97 thousand people.

The town's economy is defined by the mining and chemical industry (mining of potassium salts and production of mineral fertilizers) and companies of timber industry complex and metallurgy - magnesium production based on the processing of potassium-magnesium salts.
In addition Solikamsk has companies producing food and printed products and materials used in construction.

Historical reference

Solikamsk owes its life and name to salt. The merchants of Vologda set up salt brine lifting pipes and salt furnaces on the shores of the river Usolka. This was the place where a settlement called Sol Kamskaya (salt of Kama) was founded and later renamed into Solikamsk. By the end of the XVII and the beginning of the XVIII century Solikamsk was the largest saltworks in Russia producing more than a half of the total volume of salt sold in the country.
By the end of the XVII century the town had peaked in its trade and industrial development, playing a leading role in the life of the Urals as a trade, customs, military, and administrative centre. A rich potassium salts field discovered in the area of Solikamsk put the town on the map as a world centre of potassium industry.

Mayor Sergey Devyatkov

Economy

During the first half of 2008 the volume of locally produced goods shipped in all sectors of the economy was 25.9 billion roubles.
The town is located within the territory of the unique Verkhnekamskoye potassium and potassium-magnesium salts field. The annual rated capacity of the three potassium mining groups is 3.2 million tons of fertilizers.
Magnesium production has started in 1936; today Solikamsk is a major supplier of magnesium and magnesium alloys to the world markets. A unique company producing rare-earth metals, the only such company in Russia, operates in this town.
There is also a large military industry complex enterprise - the Ural Plant that produces paints, varnishes, and industrial rubber products.

Culture and Education

In 1970 the town, with its 25 architectural landmarks, was listed among historic towns of Russia. Solikamsk is famous for its unique ensemble of churches that were built in XVII-XVIII centuries. The Trinity Cathedral is the most notable of them all.
The town has the State Local Lore Museum with a vast collection of coins, icons, and other exhibits, the Salt Production History Museum, and the Potassium Industry History Museum. The State Pedagogical Institute, manufacturing, mining and chemistry, and road transport vocational schools provide education to the town's young people.