Obninsk - the First Naukograd - City of Science - of Russia

Obninsk was founded in 1956.
The Institute for Physics and Power Engineering established on the basis of the world's First Nuclear Power Station 5MW in power commissioned on 27 June 1954 became a town-forming enterprise.
The main lines of scientific studies (atomic physics and atomic power engineering, medical radiology, radiation chemistry, experimental meteorology, seismology) began to emerge already in the 1950s. New laboratories were established at that time which were destined to grow into the scientific centres and make Obninsk the First Naukograd in the Russian Federation.
Obninsk developed very rapidly: the research institutes were set up, new districts of modern dwelling houses were built, the infrastructure was developed, the town's cultural life was active.
In February 1958 the construction of a beautiful 315-meter meteorological steel mast with thin silvery back guys stretching out in all sides began. This mast is a visiting card of the town now.
Obninsk evening branch of Moscow Institute of Engineering and Physics founded in 1953 grew into the Technical University for Nuclear Power Engineering at the beginning of the 21st century.

Nowadays the scientific sector of the town consists of 12 Research Institutes.
Three of them have the status of the state research centres of the Russian Federation:

• State Research Centre of the Russian Federation - the Institute for Physics and Power Engineering
• State Research Centre of the Russian Federation "Obninsk Research and Production Enterprise "Technologiya"
• Medical Radiological Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.

10 academicians, about 300 doctors of sciences and 1200 candidates of sciences work in Obninsk research institutes.
A number of schools of thought formed here have gained international recognition. A high level of investigations of Obninsk scientists has become a basis for long-term and many-sided scientific relations of Obninsk institutes with the international organizations, foreign scientific centres.
Naukograd has become an international centre for the analysis of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station (NPS) trouble consequences.
The town has a good educational base for personnel training and retraining - Obninsk State Technical University for Nuclear Power Engineering, the International Academy of Modern Knowledge, French-Russian Institute of Business Administration, the Central Institute for Professional Skill Improvement, etc.
The population of Obninsk is more than 110000 and young people (the average age is 36 years) and a high level of education are the main features of the town.
Obninsk streets and squares are named after the managers of the first NPS construction, scientists-physicists: Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Igor Vasil'evich Kurchatov, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences Dmitry Ivanovich Blokhintsev, Academician of the Ukraine Academy of Sciences Alexander Il'ich Lejpunsky.