Seversk

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Coat of arms of Seversk

Seversk (Russian: Се́верск) is a closed city in Tomsk Oblast, Russia, located fifteen kilometers northwest of Tomsk on the right bank of the Tom River at 56°37′N 84°50′E. Population: 109,106 (2002 Census). Founded in 1949, the city was known as Pyaty Pochtovy (Пя́тый Почто́вый) until 1954 and as Tomsk-7 (Томск-7) until 1992. Town status granted in 1956.

Seversk is the site of Siberian Group of Chemical Enterprises, founded in 1954. It comprises several nuclear reactors and chemical plants for separation, enrichment, and reprocessing of uranium and plutonium. Nuclear warheads were being produced and stored on the premises.

The town was a secret city in the Soviet Union until President Boris Yeltsin decreed in 1992 that such cities could use their historical names. The town appeared on no official maps until then. As it was the tradition with Soviet towns containing secret facilities, Tomsk-7 is actually a P.O. Box number and implied that the place was located some distance from the city of Tomsk.

Despite the order removing Seversk's secret status, the city still remains closed to non-residents. Permission to visit to the city may only be granted by the institution being visited.

One of the most serious nuclear accidents at SGCE occurred on April 6, 1993, when a tank containing a highly radioactive solution exploded.