View source for Volgodonsk

{{Short description|City in Rostov Oblast, Russia}}
{{Infobox Russian inhabited locality
|en_name=Volgodonsk
|ru_name=Волгодонск
|image_skyline=Здание администрации Волгодонска и городской Думы.JPG
|image_caption=Volgodonsk City Administration building
|coordinates = {{coord|47|31|N|42|09|E|display=inline,title}}
|map_label_position=bottom
|image_coa=Coat of Arms of Volgodonsk (Rostov oblast).png
|coa_caption=
|image_flag=Flag of Volgodonsk (Rostov oblast).png
|flag_caption=
|anthem=
|anthem_ref=
|holiday=July&nbsp;27
|holiday_ref=
|federal_subject=[[Rostov Oblast]]
|federal_subject_ref=<ref name="Ref133" />
|adm_city_jur=Volgodonsk [[City of federal subject significance|Urban Okrug]]
|adm_city_jur_ref=<ref name="Ref133" />
|adm_ctr_of=Volgodonsk Urban Okrug
|adm_ctr_of_ref=<ref name="Ref133" />
|inhabloc_cat=City
|inhabloc_cat_ref=<ref name="Ref133" />
|urban_okrug_jur=Volgodonsk Urban Okrug
|urban_okrug_jur_ref=<ref name="Ref874" />
|mun_admctr_of=Volgodonsk Urban Okrug
|mun_admctr_of_ref=<ref name="Ref874" />
|leader_title=Head of Administration
|leader_title_ref=
|leader_name=Yuri Marinenko
|leader_name_ref=
|representative_body=Council of Deputies
|representative_body_ref=
|area_of_what=
|area_as_of=
|area_km2=
|area_km2_ref=
|pop_2010census=170841
|pop_2010census_rank=107th
|pop_2010census_ref=<ref name="2010Census">{{ru-pop-ref|2010Census}}</ref>
|pop_density=
|pop_density_as_of=
|pop_density_ref=
|pop_latest=
|pop_latest_date=
|pop_latest_ref=
|established_date=July&nbsp;27,{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} 1950
|established_title=
|established_date_ref=<ref name="gr">{{cite book|title=Энциклопедия Города России|year=2003|publisher=Большая Российская Энциклопедия|location=Moscow|isbn=5-7107-7399-9|page=86}}</ref>
|current_cat_date=1956
|current_cat_date_ref=
|prev_name1=
|prev_name1_date=
|prev_name1_ref=
|postal_codes=347360—347399
|postal_codes_ref=
|dialing_codes=8639
|dialing_codes_ref=
|website=http://www.volgodonskgorod.ru/
}}

'''Volgodonsk''' ({{langx|ru|Волгодонск}}, {{IPA|ru|vəlgɐˈdonsk|IPA}}) is a [[types of inhabited localities in Russia|city]] in [[Rostov Oblast]], [[Russia]], located in the east of the [[oblast]] on the west bank of the [[Tsimlyansk Reservoir]]. Population: {{ru-census2010|170,841|;}} {{ru-census2002|165,994|;}} {{su-census1989|175,593|;}} 28,000 (1970).{{Historical populations|7=1959|8=15710|9=1970|10=28000|11=1979|12=91313|13=1989|14=175593|15=2002|16=165994|17=2010|18=170841|19=2021|20=168048|type=|footnote=Source: Census data}}

==History==
{{stack|[[File:Volgodonsk 1999.jpg|thumb|200px|Aftermath of the 1999 bombing]]| }}
Volgodonsk was founded in 1950<ref name="gr" /> as a small settlement for the Tsimlyansk [[hydroelectric dam]] maintenance personnel. It grew in size due to the construction of the [[Volga–Don Canal]].

On September 16, 1999, a powerful [[Car bomb|truck bomb]] exploded outside an apartment building, killing 17 people and injuring a further 69. It was the fourth explosion in a series of [[Russian apartment bombings|apartment bombings in Russia]] that killed more than 300 people.

==Administrative and municipal status==
Within the [[subdivisions of Russia#Administrative divisions|framework of administrative divisions]], it is incorporated as '''Volgodonsk [[City of federal subject significance|Urban Okrug]]'''—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the [[administrative divisions of Rostov Oblast|districts]].<ref name="Ref133">Law #340-ZS</ref> As a [[subdivisions of Russia#Municipal divisions|municipal division]], this administrative unit also has urban okrug status.<ref name="Ref874">Law #186-ZS</ref>

==Economy==
Volgodonsk is one of the economic leaders of Rostov Oblast. The economy of the city is centered around the nuclear industry. It is home to the [[Atommash]] factory, which manufactures nuclear reactors and related heavy machinery. The plant mainly builds [[Rosatom|Rosatom's]] [[VVER]] type [[pressurized water reactor]]s both for domestic use and export. Four such reactors (VVER-1000 model) generated about 26 600 GWh of electricity at the  [[Rostov Nuclear Power Plant|Rostov nuclear power plant]], located just 18&nbsp;km from the city center. Atommash, the power plant, along with the two thermal power stations, are the city's main employers.

===Transportation===
[[File:Автобус в Волгодонске.jpg|thumb|MARZ bus]]
The city is a regional transport hub on the Volga–Don Canal.  A railway and M4 highway pass nearby. Bus routes were launched in 1954. There are presently thirty bus routes. Trolleybuses have been running since 1977. There are currently six trolleybus routes in the city.  Volgodonsk port has a strategic importance as access to major ports of different countries.

==Culture==
Volgodonsk is one of the major cultural centers of Rostov Oblast. There are six art schools, two museums, seventeen historical and cultural sites, and three buildings recognized as architectural monuments of regional importance ([[Cossacks (sculpture composition)|Cossacks]], [[Peaceful Atom (Volgodonsk)|Peaceful Atom]]). The [[Cathedral of the Nativity, Volgodonsk|Cathedral of the Nativity]] is also situated in Volgodonsk.

== Notable people ==
* [[Oleg Drozdov|Oleh Drozdov]] (born 1966), Ukrainian architect, artist, and teacher
* [[Vitali Kazantsev]] (born 1981), Russian football coach and former player
* [[Aleksei Germashov]] (born 1982), Russian professional football player
* [[Aleksandr Omelchenko]] (born 1983), Russian professional footballer
* [[Olga Beliaeva]] (born 1985), Russian water polo player
* [[Nikita Borisoglebsky]] (born 1985), Russian violinist
* [[Dmitry Kudryashov (boxer)|Dmitry Kudryashov]] (born 1985), Russian professional boxer and the current WBA International cruiserweight champion
* [[Anna Grineva]] (born 1988), Russian water polo player
* [[Anna Ustyukhina]] (born 1989), Russian water polo goalkeeper
* [[Ekaterina Prokofyeva]] (born 1991), Russian water polo player
* [[Yuliya Yefimova]] (born 1992), Russian swimmer
* [[Pavel Filatyev]] (born 1988), former soldier in [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russia's invasion of Ukraine]]

== Twin towns ==
* {{Flagicon|Hungary}} [[Tamási]]

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*{{RussiaAdmMunRef|ros|adm|law}}
*{{RussiaAdmMunRef|ros|mun|list|volgodonsk}}

{{Cities and towns in Rostov Oblast}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2011}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Rostov Oblast]]
[[Category:Cities and towns built in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1950]]
[[Category:1950 establishments in Russia]]