Surgut

Surgut () is a city in Russia, on the Ob River near its junction with the Irtysh River, the largest in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and second largest in Tyumen Oblast. Surgut was founded in 1594 by order of Tsar Feodor I and is one of the oldest in Siberia. The name of the city, according to one tradition, originates from the Khanty words "sur" (fish) and "gut" (hole, pit). Population:

The urbanization of Surgut took place in the 1960s, when it became a center of oil and gas production. On June 25, 1965 the work settlement of Surgut was granted town status. The city's holiday is celebrated annually on June 12. The current mayor is Dmitry Valeryevich Popov (since 2010). Ex-mayor Alexander Sidorov (since 1996) oversaw the construction of the Surgut Bridge, the longest one-tower cable-stayed bridge in the world.

Economy

Surgut's economy is tied to oil production (the city is known as "The Oil Capital of Russia") and the processing of natural gas. The most important enterprises are the oil firm Surgutneftegaz (often known as Surgut) and Surgutgazprom (a unit of Gazprom). Surgut electric plants GRES-1 and GRES-2 produce over 7200 megawatts and supply most of the region with relatively cheap electricity.

Sport

• Universitet Surgut - basketball team in the Russian Basketball Super League

Transport

The city is served by Surgut Airport, which offers flights to Moscow, Dubai, Saint Petersburg, Irkutsk, and a number of other...
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