Fokino is a city (since 1964) in the Bryansk region. It forms an
administrative unit within the Dyatkovo district and the city district
of the same name.
Named in honor of I. I. Fokin, a participant in
the revolutionary events in Bryansk.
Population - 12,538 people.
(2021).
By Order of the Government of the Russian Federation
dated July 29, 2014 No. 1398-r “On approval of the list of
single-industry towns,” the city was included in the category
“Single-industry municipalities of the Russian Federation
(single-industry towns) in which there are risks of deterioration of the
socio-economic situation.”
In the central part of the city, many houses were built in the
post-war years by captured Germans. In general, the architectural
appearance of the city is determined by its industrial enterprises, the
workshops and pipes of which are much higher than civil buildings. The
only church is located on the outskirts of the city in a low adapted
building.
The Sibenets residential district is located 5 km from
the main part of the city. It is a residential area of the city of
Fokino. It was built up in the 1970s and 1990s with modern multi-storey
buildings with appropriate infrastructure. Since 1999, it has also had
its own Orthodox church.
Location
Fokino is located in the north-eastern part of the
Bryansk region, within the East European Plain. The geographic
coordinates of the city are approximately 53°27′ north latitude and
34°24′ east longitude. It is located 16 km from Bryansk, 150 km
southwest of Kaluga and about 380 km southwest of Moscow. Fokino is the
administrative center of the urban district, bordering the Dyatkovo
district in the north and the Bryansk district in the south and east.
Relief
Fokino lies in the Bryansk forest-steppe zone, on a gently
rolling plain:
Altitude above sea level: About 180–200 meters, which
is typical for the Central Russian Upland. The central part of the city
is at an altitude of 190 meters.
Features: The relief is soft, with
small hills and lowlands. The city is stretched along the Bolva River,
which divides it into two parts: the western (historical, with a cement
plant) and the eastern (residential district of Shibenets). The slopes
along the river are gentle, which facilitated construction and
industrial development.
Water resources
The main waterway of
Fokino is the Bolva River:
Bolva River: The right tributary of the
Desna (the Dnieper basin), flows through the city center from north to
south. Its length is about 213 km, the width within Fokino is 10-20
meters. The river is shallow, with a sandy-clay bottom, used for water
supply and recreation.
Ponds and streams: In the vicinity there are
small artificial reservoirs created for the needs of the plant and
irrigation. There are no large lakes nearby.
Climate
The
climate of Fokino is moderately continental, typical for central Russia:
Winter: Cold and snowy (November–March), average January temperature is
-7…-9°C, with frosts down to -25°C. Snow cover lasts about 4 months.
Summer: Moderately warm (June–August), average July temperature is
+18…+20°C, rarely above +30°C. Rains are frequent.
Precipitation:
About 600–650 mm per year, with a peak in July–August. In spring and
autumn the area is damp due to the proximity of the river.
Winds:
Predominantly western and southwestern, softened by forests.
Soils and vegetation
Soils: Predominantly grey forest and
sod-podzolic soils, moderately fertile, suitable for growing grain and
potatoes. The Bolva floodplain has alluvial soils.
Vegetation: Fokino
is located in a mixed forest and forest-steppe zone. About 30-40% of the
district's territory is covered with forests - pine, birch, oak, aspen.
Within the city limits, forests have been cut down for development, but
green areas along the river and on the outskirts remain. The meadows in
the Bolva floodplain are rich in herbs, and the forests are rich in
berries (strawberries, blueberries) and mushrooms.
Natural
features
Forest-steppe: The transition zone between forests and
steppes creates a variety of landscapes - open fields alternate with
copses.
Minerals: Limestone and clay are mined in the district, which
became the basis for the cement plant - the city-forming enterprise of
Fokino.
Ecology: The air is polluted by emissions from the plant,
especially in the western part of the city. The Bolva River suffers from
runoff, but remains relatively clean for swimming.
Transport
geography
Fokino is conveniently located due to its proximity to
Bryansk:
Roads: The A-240 highway (Bryansk - Orel) passes through the
city, providing a connection with Bryansk (20-30 minutes by car). An
asphalt road connects Fokino with Dyatkovo (25 km).
Public transport:
Buses and minibuses from Bryansk (No. 106, 108, every 20-30 minutes,
30-40 rubles, 30 minutes on the way) to the stop "Fokino-center".
Railway: The nearest station is Bryansk-Orlovsky (16 km), from which
trains go to Moscow, Orel and other cities.
Ecology
The
ecological situation is mixed: forests and a river provide clean air on
the outskirts, but the cement plant (AO Maltsovsky Portland Cement)
creates dust and emissions, especially in the western part. The
authorities are trying to reduce the impact by modernizing production.
Fokino is a city in the Bryansk region of Russia, located on the
Bolva River (a tributary of the Desna), 16 km north of Bryansk. Its
history is closely connected with the development of industry,
revolutionary events and the Soviet period. Here are the main stages of
its history:
Ancient period and early mentions
The territory
of modern Fokino was inhabited in ancient times, as evidenced by
archaeological finds in the Bryansk region dating back to the Bronze Age
(2nd millennium BC). However, the first written mentions of settlements
in this area appear much later. Until the end of the 19th century, there
was a village called Borovka, which was part of the Bryansk district of
the Oryol province. Residents were engaged in agriculture and crafts,
and the Bolva River provided fishing and water supply.
Late 19th
century: industrial beginnings
The history of Fokino as a town begins
in 1899, when the Maltsovsky Portland Cement cement plant was founded
near the village of Borovka. The initiator of the construction was
entrepreneur Sergei Ivanovich Maltsov, known for developing industry in
the Oryol province. The plant used local deposits of limestone and clay,
which made it an important production center. A workers' settlement
quickly grew around the enterprise, populated by workers and their
families. This settlement became the basis of the future city.
Early 20th century: revolution and development
At the beginning of
the 20th century, the settlement near the plant was actively developing.
By the 1910s, a school, a hospital, and residential buildings for
workers were already operating here. During the revolutionary events of
1917, the plant workers supported the Bolsheviks, which strengthened the
position of the Soviet government in the region. In memory of these
events, the city later received its name.
Soviet period
1929:
The settlement near the cement plant received the status of a workers'
settlement and was named Cementny. This reflected its industrial
specialization and population growth.
1930s: As part of the
industrialization of the USSR, the plant was modernized, increasing the
production of cement for construction needs. The settlement became an
important link in the economy of the Bryansk region.
The Great
Patriotic War (1941-1943): In October 1941, Fokino (then Cementny) was
occupied by German troops. The plant was partially destroyed, and the
population was evacuated or sent to forced labor. Liberation occurred on
September 17, 1943, during the Bryansk offensive operation. After the
war, the plant was restored and continued to operate. 1964: On February
25, 1964, the workers' settlement of Cementny received city status and
was renamed Fokino in honor of Ivan Ivanovich Fokin (1885-1918), a
revolutionary, participant in the Civil War, and one of the Bolshevik
leaders in Bryansk. The village of Borovka was included in the city
limits.
1969: The settlement of Shibenets was included in Fokino,
which became a microdistrict with multi-story buildings, expanding the
city territory.
Post-Soviet period
1990s: After the collapse
of the USSR, Fokino faced economic difficulties. The cement plant, while
remaining a city-forming enterprise, experienced a decline in production
due to reduced demand and outdated equipment. The population began to
decrease due to the outflow of young people to Bryansk and other cities.
2002: Fokino received the status of an urban district, which gave it
administrative independence. However, the economy remained dependent on
the plant.
2014: The city was included in the list of single-industry
towns in Russia with an unstable socio-economic situation, which opened
up access to federal support programs. This made it possible to
modernize the infrastructure and support the plant.
Modernity
Today, Fokino is a small industrial town with a population of about
12,500 people (2021). The cement plant (now Maltsovsky Portland Cement
JSC, part of the EUROCEMENT group holding) remains a key enterprise,
producing about 2 million tons of cement per year. The city retains its
Soviet appearance with typical buildings, but is actively developing
cultural life: there is a local history museum, a House of Culture, and
monuments dedicated to the Great Patriotic War.
The city-forming enterprise is the Maltsovsky Portland Cement Cement
plant.
There are also other businesses in the city: JSC
Bryanskshifer, ceramic drainage pipe plant, reinforced concrete products
plant, asbestos cement products plant.
In 2009, for manufacturing
enterprises, the volume of shipped goods of their own production,
completed works and services on their own amounted to 4.24 billion
rubles.