Zelenograd (English) Зеленоград (Russian) |
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- City[1] - Administrative Okrug of Moscow[1] |
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Zelenograd on the map of Moscow |
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Coordinates: | |
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Administrative status | |
Country | Russia |
Federal subject | Moscow |
Administratively subordinated to | Moscow[1] |
Municipal status | |
Prefect[2] | Anatoly Smirnov[2] |
Statistics | |
Area | 37.22 km2 (14.37 sq mi)[3] |
Population (2002 Census) | 215,727 inhabitants[4] |
Density | 5,796 /km2 (15,010 /sq mi)[5] |
Time zone | MSD (UTC+04:00)[6] |
Founded | March 3, 1958 |
City status since | January 15, 1963 |
Postal code(s) | 124xxx |
Dialing code(s) | +7 (495), (499)[7] |
Official website |
Zelenograd (Russian: Зеленогра́д, lit. Green City) is a city,[1] which, along with the territories and settlements under its jurisdiction, forms one of the administrative okrugs of Moscow - Zelenograd Administrative Okrug (ZelAO).[1] It is located 37 kilometers (23 mi) from the center of the Russian capital along Leningradskoye Shosse highway.
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Zelenograd was one of the most powerful centers of electronics, microelectronics and computer industry in the Soviet Union, and it still plays a similar role in modern Russia. It was developed as a reflection of the California Silicon Valley and known also as Soviet/Russian Silicon Valley.
Zelenograd was founded in 1958 and planned as center of textile industry initially. In 1962 Alexander Shokin (Chairman of State Committee of Electronic Technology, then first Minister of Electronic Technology) proposed to change the line of future city business to electronics. Some researchers of Soviet electronics history mentioned, that similar idea was proposed to the Soviet government by two fugitive Silicon Valley engineers - Alfred Sarant (more known in Russia as Philip Staros) and Joel Barr (Joseph Berg).
Before 1989 Zelenograd was a de-facto closed city in some aspect: it was prohibited to take photos in the central parts of the city, near the plants, teaching and research facilities and the foreigners were not admitted into the city, as the buses entering the city were sporadically checked at the border.[8]
As Zelenograd was built de novo on a previously empty, forested place, its architecture and civic layout yields to one general architectural plan (chief architects Igor Rozhin (1956–1963), then Igor Pokrovsky (1963–2002)).
In 1988, Zelenograd incorporated the former village of Kryukovo, one of the important sites during the Battle of Moscow (October 1941 – January 1942). Several monuments to the Defenders of Moscow and the heroes of the Great Patriotic War are located in Zelenograd and the surrounding area, the most famous of which is the Shtyki Memorial, from which the remains of the Unknown Soldier were taken for reinterment at the Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden in Moscow.
Zelenograd is home to the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology (MIET).
Zelenograd was headquarters of Sitronics Concerne since its founding in 1997 until 2005 (when its headquarters moved to Moscow). Now the city is the headquarters of its microelectroniс solutions department. The leading company of the department is NIIME and Mikron (Mikron) - the one of two largest Russian integrated circuits manufacturers. Also the city is the headquarters of Angstrem, which is another largest Russian ICs manufacturer.
A local soccer team Zelenograd (nickname — Zeleno-Belye (Green-Whites)) was founded in 2002 and in 2007-2010 had been playing in the Russian Second Division. A local rugby team Zelenograd was founded in 2006 and played in Russian Rugby Championship 2008 (but it could not get to Championship 2009).
The city color is green and its emblemic animal is the squirrel (more precisely Sciurus vulgaris).
The Skhodnya River originates near the village of Alabushevo (one of settlements, which are under Zelenograd jurisdiction) and forms three ponds within the precincts of city: Water-tower Pond (School Lake), Small and Large City Pond.
Zelenograd is divided into five districts.