The town of Salekhard (called Obdorsk before 1935) is the capital of the world’s biggest gas-producing district — the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area. It is the only town on our planet which is located right on the latitude of the polar circle. The history of Salekhard began in 1595, when Russian Cossacks lay the foundation of the Obdorsk palisade here. At that time the products of deer-raising, fishery and hunting were the main wealth of the territory.

In 1990 Salekhard was included in “The list of historic towns of the Russian Federation”. Having celebrated its hundredth anniversary in 1995, the town began rapidly developing as a capital of a Federation subject. Here subdivisions of the federal government bodies are quartered, four newspapers and three magazines are issued, four big banks function in the town. Such giant oil and gas companies as JSC “Gazprom”, JSC “Sibur”, JSC “LUKoil-West Siberia”, JSC “ITERA-Rus” have their representative offices in the town. A wooden town is being quickly dressed in stone.

Possessing a modern landing strip and airport buildings, Salekhard is turning into a big business, financial and transport junction of the regional and international import.

In the late 1990s Salekhard became a place where different representative international congresses and forums are held. The Conference of Parliamentarians from the countries of the Arctic region was held here in 1998, and international anthropological film festivals were conducted in the town during the years 1998-2001. In September, 2001, the capital of the region welcomed the guests and participants of the 11th Annual International Congress “New high technologies for gas and oil industry, power engineering and communications”.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE MUNICIPAL ENTITY “SALEKHARD TOWN”.
72 Respubliki St., Salekhard 629008, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, Tyumen Region, Russia.
Tel.: (34922) 4-5067. Fax: (34922) 4-0182.