Visaginas

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title: "Visaginas" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["visaginas", "visaginas-municipality", "cities-in-utena-county", "cities-in-lithuania", "cities-and-towns-built-in-the-soviet-union", "populated-places-established-in-1975", "municipalities-administrative-centres-of-lithuania", "russian-communities"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visaginas" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement "]

FieldValue
nameVisaginas
settlement_typeCity
coordinates
pushpin_mapLithuania#Europe
pushpin_relief1
pushpin_label_positionleft
pushpin_map_captionLocation of Visaginas
image_skyline{{Photomontage
photo1aVisaginas, August 2021.jpg
photo2aVisagino Šv. Panteleimono cerkvė 2.JPG
photo2bVisagino katalikų bažnyčia.JPG
photo3aVisaginas, Lithuania - panoramio (156).jpg
photo3bVisaginas, Lithuania - panoramio (70).jpg
spacing2
color_borderwhite
colorwhite
size275
image_map
map_captionMap of Visaginas Municipality
image_flagFlag of Visaginas.svg
image_shieldVisaginas COA.svg
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_name
subdivision_type1Ethnographic region
subdivision_name1Aukštaitija
subdivision_type2County
subdivision_name2[[File:Utena County flag.svg
subdivision_type3Municipality
subdivision_name3Visaginas municipality
subdivision_type6Capital of
subdivision_name6Visaginas municipality
established_date1975
established_titleEstablished
established_date21995
established_title2Granted city rights
population_total18024
population_as_of2020-01-21
population_density_km2auto
area_total_km213.8
elevation_m164
population_demonymVisaginian/Visaginians (English)
visaginietis/visaginiečiai (Lithuanian)
timezoneEET
utc_offset+2
timezone_DSTEEST
utc_offset_DST+3
website
::

| name = Visaginas | nickname = | settlement_type= City | coordinates = | | pushpin_map =Lithuania#Europe |pushpin_relief=1 | pushpin_label_position = left | pushpin_map_caption =Location of Visaginas | image_skyline = {{Photomontage | photo1a = Visaginas, August 2021.jpg | photo2a = Visagino Šv. Panteleimono cerkvė 2.JPG | photo2b = Visagino katalikų bažnyčia.JPG | photo3a = Visaginas, Lithuania - panoramio (156).jpg | photo3b = Visaginas, Lithuania - panoramio (70).jpg | spacing = 2 | color_border = white | color = white | size = 275 | image_map = | map_caption = Map of Visaginas Municipality | image_flag = Flag of Visaginas.svg | image_shield = Visaginas COA.svg | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = | subdivision_type1 = Ethnographic region| | subdivision_name1 = Aukštaitija | subdivision_type2 = County| | subdivision_name2 = [[File:Utena County flag.svg|23px]] Utena County | subdivision_type3 = Municipality| | subdivision_name3 = Visaginas municipality | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type6 = Capital of | subdivision_name6 = Visaginas municipality | established_date = 1975 | established_title = Established | established_date2 = 1995 | established_title2= Granted city rights | population_total = 18024 | population_as_of = 2020-01-21 | population_density_km2 = auto | area_total_km2 = 13.8 | elevation_m = 164 | population_demonym =Visaginian/Visaginians (English) visaginietis/visaginiečiai (Lithuanian) | timezone=EET | utc_offset=+2 | timezone_DST=EEST | utc_offset_DST=+3 | website=

Visaginas () is a city in northeastern Lithuania. It is the centre of Lithuania's youngest municipality, located on the north-eastern edge of the country. It was built as a town for workers engaged in the construction of the now decommissioned Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. Visaginas is the only city in Lithuania where the majority of the population speaks Russian as their first language. Originally the aerial view of Visaginas was designed to resemble a butterfly. However, after work on the nuclear power plant was cancelled, so was further construction of the town. Currently Visaginas consists of three residential regions that locals refer to as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Microdistricts. Visaginas has 14 streets. The city grew up in a pine forest by Lake Visaginas. Tourism is currently an area of great potential, as is the possibility of a new nuclear power plant.

The administrative centre of Visaginas municipality is situated near the country's biggest lake, Drūkšiai. Its administrative boundaries are in the process of being defined. The Vilnius–Daugavpils (Latvia) railway runs alongside the city, providing convenient communication with those cities.

History

Before World War II, from 1922 to 1939, the area of modern Visaginas lay within the boundaries of the in the of the Wilno Voivodeship in Poland.

In 1975 on the shores of Lake Visaginas a satellite settlement was founded for workers of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, in place of four villages that were demolished, the largest of which was named Visaginas. The new settlement was named Sniečkus after Antanas Sniečkus, a former first secretary of the Lithuanian Communist Party. In 1977 it was granted the status of urban-type settlement. Following the restoration of independence, the settlement was renamed to Visaginas in 1992 and received municipal rights in 1995. It is governed by a city council, which elects the mayor. In 1996, the city's coat of arms was confirmed by a decree of the President of Lithuania.

The settlement was developed in complexes, with construction designed to create an infrastructure for the cultural and everyday life of the residents. Efforts were made to preserve the natural surroundings as much as possible.

Population

In 1996, the population was 33,100, of which 55.68% were Russians, 15.88% Lithuanians, 10.29% Belarusians, 9.13% Poles, 5.69% Ukrainians and 0.95% Tatars. Orthodox Christians made up 40.42% of the total population, Roman Catholics 27.29%, the Non-affiliated 27.29%, Old Believers 2.89% and Muslims 0.46%. In 2001, the population was 52.43% Russian, 14.96% Lithuanian and 32.61% other. In 2011, the population was 22,361. Russians accounted for 52.16% (11,664) of the inhabitants, Lithuanians – 18.27% (4,086), Belarusians – 9.89% (2,211), Poles – 9.32% (2,084), and Ukrainians – 5.16% (1,154). In 2021, the population was 19,633. Russians accounted for 47.36% (9,299) of the inhabitants, Lithuanians – 20.13% (3,953), Belarusians – 9.60% (1,884), Poles – 10.23% (2,009), and Ukrainians – 5.23% (1,027).

|align=center| percentages = pagr |1931|30 |1979|6212 |1989|32438 |2001|29554 |2011|22361 |2021|19446 |source = 1902, 1923, 1959 & 1970, 1979, 1989, 2001, 2011}}

Industry

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Ignalina_Nuclear_Power_Plant,_Visaginas,Lithuania-_20080730.jpg" caption="[[Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Visaginas,Lithuania-panoramio(29).jpg" caption="Column with a sculpture and a [[Geiger counter"] ::

Power was the main branch of industry: the country's only nuclear power plant, one of the world's most powerful, is situated near Visaginas. It ceased operations in December 2009 over safety concerns and is currently being decommissioned. Over 5,000 people were employed in the plant. There are opportunities to developing the construction industry in order to utilize the existing industrial potential (concrete, ferroconcrete, and wood), and also the electronics industry, polish and paint, and clothing. There are over 1,500 companies in the city active in light industry, trade and services.

Education, culture, and sports

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Visagino_stadionas.JPG" caption="Central Stadium"] ::

The city has a polytechnic school, six secondary schools, an elementary school, eight nursery schools, music and acrobatics colleges, a sports centre and other institutions engaged in organizing educational and leisure activities, including 11 sports clubs with more than 1,600 members. Professional training is available in soccer, Greco-Roman wrestling, and skiing. An annual country music festival "Visaginas Country" is held in the city .

Twin city – sister cities

Visaginas is twinned with:

References

References

  1. (12 June 2012). "Visagino elektrinė: atominis miestas remia, bet netiki".
  2. {{in lang. lt [https://www.visaginas.lt/savivaldybe/istorija/21 Brief history of the Visaginas municipality] visaginas.lt
  3. {{in lang. lt [https://www.lrvalstybe.lt/savivaldybes/visagino-savivaldybe Visaginas municipality] lrvalstybe.lt
  4. Rekasiute, Neringa. (12 June 2019). "In a Soviet-era nuclear town, I brought Lithuania's forgotten side to light". The Guardian.
  5. Rasa Baločkaitė. "[http://www.tlu.ee/stss/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Balo%C4%8Dkait%C4%97.pdf Post-Soviet Transitions of the Planned Socialist Towns: Visaginas, Lithuania] {{Webarchive. link. (2017-12-02 ." ''Studies of Transition States and Societies''. Vol. 2/Issue 2 (November 2010). p. 68.)
  6. "Miestų gyventojai pagal tautybę 2011".
  7. "Official Statistics Portal".
  8. "Tarptautinis bendradarbiavimas". Visagino savivaldybė.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

visaginasvisaginas-municipalitycities-in-utena-countycities-in-lithuaniacities-and-towns-built-in-the-soviet-unionpopulated-places-established-in-1975municipalities-administrative-centres-of-lithuaniarussian-communities