Ulyanovsk region

Overview

• The Ulyanovsk region was established on January 19, 1943
  • Region territory: 37.3 thousand km2
  • Population: 1350.7 thousand people (2005).
  • Administrative center: Ulyanovsk
  • Distance from Ulyanovsk t
  • Moskow: 893 km
  • Urban population: 73%
  • Other cities: Dimitrivgrad, Novoulyanovsk, Sengiley

Time zone

The Ulyanovsk region is located in the Moscow Time Zone Moscow Time Zone (MSK/MSD). UTC offset is +3:00 (MSK)/+4:00 (MSD).

Climate

The climate is moderately continental. The average long-term temperature in January is -13°C; in July +19°C. The average annual precipitation is about 400 mm. The growing season is 174 days. . Fixed snow cover is typically present from late October – early November to mid-April. Overnight frosts occur until late May.

Natural resources

The Ulyanovsk region is noted for the high level of the lands reclamation. The agricultural grounds occupy more than 60% of the total available territory of the region with 45.5% given for the arable land. The share of the arable land exceeds 80% of the agricultural grounds; the pastures and grasslands occupy 17.6%, and the share of the perennial plantations (gardens, berry bushes and nursery gardens) is 0.4%. A part of the region available land is occupied with forests and bushes (more than 25%) and water (approximately 6%).

There are 2,030 rivers, including small rivers, streams and brooks, which run more than 10.294 km within the territory of Ulyanovsk region; besides, there are about 800 springs, 1.223 lakes and 230 ponds. Many of the springs with large reserve of high quality water are low-explored and undeveloped yet. The mineral water extracted from the Undory and Bestuzhev depths are used both for bottling as drinking water and for treatment in the health centers of the region., providing the manufacture of 12 thousand m3 of water per day.

The region possesses the minerals used for production of the building materials: lime, brick, macadam, claydite and concrete. More than 16 chalky deposits are discovered (with only 3 of them being exploited). Large reserves of building rock and 30 deposits of the minerals used for production of brick (with only 3 of them being exploited) are detected.

48 oilfields are found in Ulyanovsk region. This makes the region a promising one for further prospecting work. The silica sand deposit in Tashla is the largest source of raw materials for the glass industry. This silica sand of unique quality has no analogue within the territory of Russia.

The siliceous minerals (diatomite) have the universal importance for manufacture of thermo-insulating bricks, and filtration diatomic powders are widely applied in brewing and production of sugar, starch and treacle. The regional reserves of the commercially valuable siliceous minerals represent about 1/4 of the total Russian resources.

At present there are about 500 peat deposits of 32.2 mln tons in Ulyanovsk region.

Ulyanovsk region takes the advantage of the unique natural potential to widen the scales of minerals` extraction and to offer its products on the local and foreign markets. Production of concrete, glass, plastic, perfumery, medicine, dye and fertilizer is the most perspective for the regional economy.

Economy

Ulyanovsk and Dimitrovgrad are industrial cities and contain a number of large plants and factories. Rural part of Ulyanovsk Oblast is agricultural and is focused primarily on animal husbandry, to the lesser extent on crop farming.

• The largest enterprises of Ulyanovsk region:
  • OJSC "UAZ" – Machine building
  • OJSC "Aviastar-SP" – Aircraft industry
  • CJSC “Volga-Dnepr Airlines” – Cargo freight
  • OJSC "Confectionary factory "Volzhanka" (“SladCo”) – Food industry
  • OJSC "Ulyanovsk Motors Plant" – Machine building
  • GNC NIIAR (Federal State Unitary Enterprise “State Scientific Center of Russian Federation – Reseach Institute of Atomic Reactors) – Scientific and research work in the sphere of nuclear power, Processing and disposal of nuclear wastes
  • CJSC "Contactor" – Instruments making
  • GUP NPO "Mars" – Instruments making

OJSC "UAZ" is the company producing and selling reliable light duty cross-country such as UAZ-Patriot, UAZ Simbir, UAZ-3160, UAZ Hunter and UAZ-31514.

CJSC Aviastar-SP is a Russian aircraft factory based in Ulyanovsk. It has replaced the soviet Ulyanovsk Aviation Industrial Complex and manufactures the cargo aircraft An-124 Ruslan and the whole Tu-204 family (except Tu-214). In 2007, 1.25% of Aviastar-SP capital has been injected into United Aircraft Corporation by the Russian Federation.

CJSC “Volga-Dnepr Airlines” is the world's largest transporter of outsize and heavyweight air cargo. The airline has earned a 56% share of the global market in this specialist sector. With Scheduled and Air Charter licenses granted to Volga-Dnepr by more than 140 countries, the airline continues to prove its ability to provide air cargo solutions for customers to and from virtually any point of the globe.

OJSC Confectionary factory "Volzhanka"is a member of the “SladCo” Confectionery Association, producing confectionery and pastry.

GNC NIIAR (Federal State Unitary Enterprise “State Scientific Center of Russian Federation – Reseach Institute of Atomic Reactors) is provided with an unique experimental and production base and highly skilled scientific and factory personnel and offers the following goods and services: radionuclide sources and preparations, automated radiation monitoring system, gamma-radiation treatment (sterilization) of expendable medical tools, facilities and technologies for applying protective pyrolytical chromium coatings, etc.

Investment climate

The volume of capital investments in 2005 grew 3.1 times in comparison with 2000 and made 12.9 billion rubles. For comparison: in Privolzhsky Federal Area (PFO) this parameter has grown 2.7 times. On given parameter Ulyanovsk region occupies the 7th place among PFO regions, outstripping Tatarstan (3.0) and Samara region (2.9). The rating of investment appeal by estimation of "Expert - RA" expert agency has a factor of 3b1.

In structure of capital investments per forms of ownership, the increase of volumes of private investments (from 40.4 % in 2003 up to 44.8 % in 2005), as well as of the state investments (from 23.7 % in 2004 up to 32.4 % in 2005) is observed.

The prevailing share of investments in 2005 was used for purchase of machines and equipment, construction of buildings and structures, modernization of production, creation of infrastructure and purchase of second-hand main assets from other organizations and objects of the uncompleted construction.

The most financing consuming by economic kinds of activity, have become the enterprises of processing industries, and also the manufacture and distribution of electric power, gas and water (correspondingly 43.3 % and 26.8 % of the total amount of financial investments).

The rates of growth of capital investments for January - May 2006 have made 114.1 % (3428.7 million rubles) against the similar period of the last year, the planned target being 110 %. Concerning the ownership forms, the Russian portion makes 92.7 % (3.1 billion rubles), while last year it was 96.1 %. Thus, the share of joint financing (Russian and foreign) has grown at 3.4 %. Besides, the share of private investments has increased in the general structure from 22 % up to 24.4%.

Infrastructure

Motorways. The length of motor ways makes 7948 km. Stable work of the branch is provided by 20 motor transportation enterprises which ensure reliable communication with other regions of Russian Federation.

Railways. The length of tracks makes 709 km. The railway communication with other regions of Russia is carried out by the main railways: Ulyanovsk - Inza - Ruzaevka - Ryazan - Moscow and Ulyanovsk - Dimitrovgrad - Novocheremshansk - Ufa - Chelyabinsk - Kurgan.

The airports. In Ulyanovsk region, two airports are located: «Ulyanovsk central airport» and "Vostochniy", having international status. The annual volume of passenger transportations makes 30 thousand people, cargo transportations - 55 thousand tons. The airports are equipped with modern radio-electronic and navigating equipment, allowing to accept the aircrafts of all types without restrictions on weather minimum of the first category of ICAO (International civil organization aviation).

River transport. In the region, there are two river ports: in Ulyanovsk and Senguiley. The transportation is carried out by OJSC «Ulyanovsk River Port ». The port is equipped with powerful portal cranes, escalators, special loaders, conveyors, allowing to process thousand tons of various cargoes. The annual volume of passenger traffic makes 17 thousand men, cargo traffic - 508 thousand tons.

Oil and gas mains. The gas mains pass through the territory of the region: Chelyabinsk - Petrovsk, Urengoy - Novopskov, Urengoy - Petrovsk, Staraya Binaradka - Dimitrovgrad - Ulyanovsk, Novospasskoye - Ulyanovsk and oil pipeline "Druzhba" (OJSC "MN "Druzhba»).