BELORETSK

BELORETSK, a town and railway station in the RB, adm. centre of Beloretsky Raion (since 1930). Located on the Belaya River,  250  km  SE  of  Ufa.  Territory  – 43.19 km². Population – 68.8 thous. people (2010); 65.5 thous. people (2018).

One of the major ferrous metallurgy industrial centers in the RB. Mechanical engineering and metalworking, wood­ working, and food industry are well­ developed. There are: Beloretsky Me­ tallurgical Plant, Beloretsky Plant of Springs and Bow Springs, Ural Spring Plant, OOO Teplo-Trade, Zavod Strop­ komplyekt, Maximum Electromechanical Plant, Beloretsk Educational Production of All­Russia Association of the Blind People, etc. The Kuibyshev (Karlaman–Beloretsk section) and South­Ural (Magnitogorsk– Beloretsk section) railways and the following highways: Ufa–Beloretsk, Beloretsk–Ucha­ ly–Miass, and Sterlitamak–Beloretsk–Mag­ nitogorsk cross the territory.

In B., there are branches of the following educational institutions: International Insti­ tute of Economics and Law, Magnitogorsk Technical  University,  and  Bashkir  Economics and Law College. Colleges: med., metallurgical, pedagogical, construction. Schools: 11 general education schools, and a boarding lyceum. Supplementary schools: computer, music, sports, and painting; 2 youth sports school, House of Technical Creativity, Recreation and Educational Centre of Tourism, Local History and Excursions, Young Naturalists Club. Also, there are: 20 pre­ school educational institutions; Central Clinical Hospital, branches of Antituber­ culosis Hospital and Center for Prevention and Control of Aids and Infectious Diseases; Municipial Palace of Culture, Dyefitsit Theatrical Studio, the Metallurg Cinema; 8 libraries, a museum, and an art gallery. In B., there are: Beloretsky Folk Academic Choir, 12 folk and 5 exemplary amateur art groups. The Beloretsky Rabochy, The Metallurg in the Russian language and The Ural newspapers are published.

Founded in 1762 as a settlement for Beloretsk Plant employees. Since 1923, has had its current name and status. In B., there are more than 40 objects of cultural heritage, including the Beloretsky Plant Ensemble of buildings (built in the 2nd half of the 18th century), Manager Kuznetsov’s Palace and Volost Council building of the middle 19th century, 2­year Vocational School building (1880), 2 mansions of the Beloretsk Plant Administration (late 19th century), Water Tower (1916), 1st Apartment Building (1926–32), Metallurgists Palace of Culture (1933), ensemble of buildings on the Metallurgists’ Square (1950), etc. In 1990, B. was included in the List of Historical Settlements of the RSFSR.