Dubna
Encyclopedia
Dubna is a town in Moscow Oblast
, Russia
. 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 centre and one of the largest scientific foundations in the country. It is also home to MKB Raduga
, a defence aerospace company specializing in design and production of missile systems. The modern town was developed in the middle of the 20th century (and town status was granted in 1956). Population:
, on the Volga River
, just downstream 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, and the dam serves as the only bridge. The western boundary of the town is defined by the Moscow Canal
joining the Volga, while the eastern boundary is defined by Dubna River
joining the Volga.
Dubna is the northernmost town of Moscow Oblast.
The public transport connections to Moscow include express trains, suburban trains and bus shuttles which depart from the Savyolovsky Rail Terminal.
and existed until 1216. Fortress was destroyed during the feudal war between the sons of Vsevolod the Big Nest. Village Gorodische was located on the right bank of Volga river and belonged to Kashin Principality. Dubna customs post ( was located in the area and was a part of Principality of Tver.
Before the Great October Socialist Revolution few villages were in the area: Podberezie was on the left bank of Volga, and Gorodische , Alexandrovka , Ivankovo , Yurkino , Kozlaki on the right bank.
Right after revolution one of the first collective farms was organized in Dubna area.
In 1931 Orgburo
of the Communist Party
decided to build Volga-Moscow canal
. Genrikh Yagoda
, then the leader of 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.
. 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 December 13, 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 element
s, and radiobiology
. In 1960 a town of Ivankovo situated on the opposite (left) bank of the Volga was merged into Dubna.
Outstanding physicists of the 20th century including Nikolay Bogolyubov
, Georgy Flyorov
, Vladimir Veksler
, Bruno Pontecorvo
used to work at the institute. A number of elementary particles and heavy nuclei (including the 118th element
) were discovered and investigated there. In recognition of that, in 1997 the chemical element
105 Dubnium
(Db) was named after the town. In 1964 Dubna hosted the prestigious International Conference on High Energy Physics
.
, 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 AFK Sistema
and other investors including government structures have been announced to build a Russian analogue of silicon valley
in Dubna. As of beginning of 2007, nothing has commenced.
There are several museums in Dubna, among which are:
Popular water sports in Dubna include windsurfing, kitesurfing
, and water-skiing.
Since 2004, Dubna has been a venue for Waterski World Cup stops. Dubna is a venue for the 2011 World Waterski Championships (July, 17-24 2011).
, Ukraine
Givat Shmuel, Israel
La Crosse, Wisconsin
, United States
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast , or Podmoskovye , is a federal subject of Russia . Its area, at , is relatively small compared to other federal subjects, but it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and, with the 2010 population of 7,092,941, is the second most populous federal subject...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It has a status of naukograd
Naukograd
A naukograd , meaning "science city", is a formal term for towns with high concentration of research and development facilities in Russia and the Soviet Union, some specifically built by the Soviet Union for these purposes. Some of the towns were secret, and were part of a larger system of closed...
(i.e. town of science), being home to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research
Joint Institute for Nuclear Research
The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, JINR , in Dubna, Moscow Oblast , Russia, is an international research centre for nuclear sciences, with 5500 staff members, 1200 researchers including 1000 Ph.D.s from eighteen member states The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, JINR , in Dubna, Moscow...
, an international nuclear physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
research centre and one of the largest scientific foundations in the country. It is also home to MKB Raduga
MKB Raduga
MKB Raduga is a Russian aerospace company, concerned with the production of various missile systems and related technologies. It is headquartered in Dubna in the Moscow Oblast...
, a defence aerospace company specializing in design and production of missile systems. The modern town was developed in the middle of the 20th century (and town status was granted in 1956). Population:
Geography
The town is 120 m above sea level, situated approximately 125 km north of MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, on the Volga River
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...
, just downstream the Ivankovo Reservoir. The reservoir is formed by a hydroelectric dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
across the Volga situated within the town borders. The town lies on both banks of the Volga, and the dam serves as the only bridge. The western boundary of the town is defined by the Moscow Canal
Moscow Canal
The Moscow Canal , named the Moscow-Volga Canal until the year 1947, is a canal that connects the Moskva River with the main transportation artery of European Russia, the Volga River. It is located in Moscow itself and in the Moscow Oblast...
joining the Volga, while the eastern boundary is defined by Dubna River
Dubna River (Volga basin)
Dubna is a river in Vladimir Oblast and Moscow Oblast in Russia, a right tributary of the Volga. The length of the river is 167 kilometres. The area of its basin is 5,350 km². Its largest tributary is the Sestra River. The town of Dubna is located at the confluence of the Dubna and Volga...
joining the Volga.
Dubna is the northernmost town of Moscow Oblast.
The public transport connections to Moscow include express trains, suburban trains and bus shuttles which depart from the Savyolovsky Rail Terminal.
Pre-World War II
Fortress Dubna belonging to Rostov-Suzdal Principality was built in the area in 1132 by the order of Yuri DolgorukiYuri Dolgoruki
Prince Yuri I Dolgorukiy , also known as George I of Rus, was the founder of Moscow and a key figure in the transition of political power from Kiev to Vladimir-Suzdal following the death of his elder brother Mstislav the Great...
and existed until 1216. Fortress was destroyed during the feudal war between the sons of Vsevolod the Big Nest. Village Gorodische was located on the right bank of Volga river and belonged to Kashin Principality. Dubna customs post ( was located in the area and was a part of Principality of Tver.
Before the Great October Socialist Revolution few villages were in the area: Podberezie was on the left bank of Volga, and Gorodische , Alexandrovka , Ivankovo , Yurkino , Kozlaki on the right bank.
Right after revolution one of the first collective farms was organized in Dubna area.
In 1931 Orgburo
Orgburo
The Orgburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union existed from 1919–52, until the 19th Congress, when the Orgburo was abolished and its functions were transferred to the enlarged Secretariat....
of the Communist Party
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
decided to build Volga-Moscow canal
Moscow Canal
The Moscow Canal , named the Moscow-Volga Canal until the year 1947, is a canal that connects the Moskva River with the main transportation artery of European Russia, the Volga River. It is located in Moscow itself and in the Moscow Oblast...
. Genrikh Yagoda
Genrikh Yagoda
Genrikh Grigoryevich Yagoda , born Enokh Gershevich Ieguda , was a Soviet state security official who served as director of the NKVD, the Soviet Union's Stalin-era security and intelligence agency, from 1934 to 1936...
, then the leader of State Political Directorate
State Political Directorate
The State Political Directorate was the secret police of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1934...
, 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
Korcheva
Korcheva was a town in central Russia, on the territory of the modern Tver Oblast, on the Volga River, with a population of a few thousand people...
were submerged under water.
Science
The decision to build a proton accelerator for nuclear research was taken by the Soviet government in 1946. An impracticable 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 KurchatovIgor Kurchatov
Igor Vasilyevich Kurchatov , was a Soviet nuclear physicist who is widely known as the director of the Soviet atomic bomb project. Along with Georgy Flyorov and Andrei Sakharov, Kurchatov is widely remembered and dubbed as the "father of the Soviet atomic bomb" for his directorial role in the...
. The general supervisor of the project including construction of a settlement, a road and a railway connecting it to Moscow (largely involving penal labour
Penal labour
Penal labour is a form of unfree labour in which prisoners perform work, typically manual labour. The work may be light or hard, depending on the context. Forms of sentence which involve penal labour include penal servitude and imprisonment with hard labour...
of Gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
inmates) was the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
chief Lavrentiy Beria
Lavrentiy Beria
Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria was a Georgian Soviet politician and state security administrator, chief of the Soviet security and secret police apparatus under Joseph Stalin during World War II, and Deputy Premier in the postwar years ....
. After three years of intensive work, the accelerator was commissioned on December 13, 1949.
The town of Dubna was officially inaugurated in 1956, together with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research
Joint Institute for Nuclear Research
The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, JINR , in Dubna, Moscow Oblast , Russia, is an international research centre for nuclear sciences, with 5500 staff members, 1200 researchers including 1000 Ph.D.s from eighteen member states The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, JINR , in Dubna, Moscow...
(JINR), which has developed into a large international research laboratory involved mainly in particle physics
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
, heavy ion
Heavy ion
Heavy ion refers to an ionized atom which is usually heavier than helium. Heavy-ion physics is devoted to the study of extremely hot nuclear matter and the collective effects appearing in such systems, differing from particle physics, which studies the interactions between elementary particles...
physics, synthesis of transuranium element
Transuranium element
In chemistry, transuranium elements are the chemical elements with atomic numbers greater than 92...
s, and radiobiology
Radiobiology
Radiobiology , as a field of clinical and basic medical sciences, originated from Leopold Freund's 1896 demonstration of the therapeutic treatment of a hairy mole using a new type of electromagnetic radiation called x-rays, which was discovered 1 year previously by the German physicist, Wilhelm...
. In 1960 a town of Ivankovo situated on the opposite (left) bank of the Volga was merged into Dubna.
Outstanding physicists of the 20th century including Nikolay Bogolyubov
Nikolay Bogolyubov
Nikolay Nikolaevich Bogolyubov was a Russian and Ukrainian Soviet mathematician and theoretical physicist known for a significant contribution to quantum field theory, classical and quantum statistical mechanics, and to the theory of dynamical systems; a recipient of the Dirac Prize...
, Georgy Flyorov
Georgy Flyorov
Georgy Nikolayevich Flyorov was a prominent Soviet nuclear physicist.-Biography:Flyorov was born in Rostov-on-Don and attended the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute Georgy Nikolayevich Flyorov (March 2, 1913 – November 19, 1990) was a prominent Soviet nuclear physicist.-Biography:Flyorov was born...
, Vladimir Veksler
Vladimir Veksler
Vladimir Iosifovich Veksler was a prominent Soviet experimental physicist....
, Bruno Pontecorvo
Bruno Pontecorvo
Bruno Pontecorvo was an Italian-born nuclear physicist, an early assistant of Enrico Fermi and then the author of numerous studies in high energy physics, especially on neutrinos. According to Oleg Gordievsky and Pavel Sudoplatov , Pontecorvo was also a Soviet agent...
used to work at the institute. A number of elementary particles and heavy nuclei (including the 118th element
Ununoctium
Ununoctium is the temporary IUPAC name for the transactinide element having the atomic number 118 and temporary element symbol Uuo. It is also known as eka-radon or element 118, and on the periodic table of the elements it is a p-block element and the last one of the 7th period. Ununoctium is...
) were discovered and investigated there. In recognition of that, in 1997 the chemical element
Chemical element
A chemical element is a pure chemical substance consisting of one type of atom distinguished by its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its nucleus. Familiar examples of elements include carbon, oxygen, aluminum, iron, copper, gold, mercury, and lead.As of November 2011, 118 elements...
105 Dubnium
Dubnium
The Soviet team proposed the name nielsbohrium in honor of the Danish nuclear physicist Niels Bohr. The American team proposed that the new element should be named hahnium , in honor of the late German chemist Otto Hahn...
(Db) was named after the town. In 1964 Dubna hosted the prestigious International Conference on High Energy Physics
ICHEP
ICHEP or International Conference on High Energy Physics is one of the most prestigious international scientific conferences in the field of particle physics, bringing together leading theorists and experimentalists of the world. It was first held in 1950, and is biennial since 1960...
.
Economy
Before the dissolution of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, JINR and MKB Raduga
MKB Raduga
MKB Raduga is a Russian aerospace company, concerned with the production of various missile systems and related technologies. It is headquartered in Dubna in the Moscow Oblast...
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
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
allows many to commute and work there. Plans by AFK Sistema
Sistema
AFK Sistema is a large Russian conglomerate company, headed by Vladimir Yevtushenkov. In March 2006, Yevtushenkov controlled 62% of the shares in Sistema....
and other investors including government structures have been announced to build a Russian analogue of silicon valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
in Dubna. As of beginning of 2007, nothing has commenced.
Culture
Since 2007 Dubna is a headquarter and primary location of international jazz festival MuzEnergo with free for public one-day open air festival in summer and one-week events in local venues in spring and autumn.There are several museums in Dubna, among which are:
- Museum of Archeology and Local History of Dubna
- The JINR Museum of the History of Science and Technology
- Museum of Natural History at Dubna International University
- Museum of Locks
Sport
Among sport facilities in Dubna, there are 2 stadiums, a waterski stadium on the Volga river, 3 swimming pools, tennis courts, and 5 sport complexes.Popular water sports in Dubna include windsurfing, kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
, and water-skiing.
Since 2004, Dubna has been a venue for Waterski World Cup stops. Dubna is a venue for the 2011 World Waterski Championships (July, 17-24 2011).
Notable personalities
In addition to a number of world-known scientists, the following people can be noted:- Natalia Rumyantseva, 3 times figure water skiing world champion and overall water skiing world champion of 1993, was born in Dubna and is an honorary citizen of the town. She was overall water skiing champion of Europe in 1982, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1992. Nataliya Rumyantseva cup is held annually since 1997 in Dubna.
- A notable Russian Avant-gardeAvant-gardeAvant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
painter Vyatcheslav Shmagin resides in the town.
Trivia
- One of the world's tallest statue of Vladimir LeninVladimir LeninVladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
, 25 m high, built in 1937, is located in Dubna at the confluence of the Volga and the Moscow Canal. The accompanying statue of Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
of similar size was demolished in 1963 during the period of de-stalinizationDe-StalinizationDe-Stalinization refers to the process of eliminating the cult of personality, Stalinist political system and the Gulag labour-camp system created by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Stalin was succeeded by a collective leadership after his death in March 1953...
.
Twin towns/sister cities
Dubna is twinned with the following sister cities: AlushtaAlushta
Alushta is a resort town in Crimea, Ukraine, founded in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian. It is situated on the Black Sea on the road from Gurzuf to Sudak, as well as on the Crimean Trolleybus line....
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
Givat Shmuel, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...