Mariinska System

Demonstration Location 

The history of Cherepovets as a settlement began with the establishment of a monastery in the mid 1300s at the confluence of the Sheksna and the Yagorba rivers. The monks Feodosiy and Afanasiy are traditionally ascribed as the founders of the town. The monastery is first mentioned in written records in 1449.A small village, known as Fedosyevo, grew up around the monastery and church buildings. This village now forms the heart of modern Cherepovets. Official town status came in 1777 by the order of Empress Catherine the Great.

The construction of the Mariinska Canal System (today known as the Volga-Baltic Waterway) was one of the most significant engineering achievements of the early 19th Century. The System connected Cherepovets with the Volga and the Baltic Sea.

Oxford of Russia

Towards the end of the 19th Century a mechanical university was established and a high school for women opened. The town began to gain a reputation as the Oxford of Russia. However, the population remained low, reaching just 30,000 people at the end of the 1930s.The town grew rapidly at the end of World War II. An industrial boom that lasted from the 1950s to 1970s further swelled the population. An urban community began to grow to the south of the old city.

The city today

Cherepovets now has around 300,000 residents. About half the population are employed directly or indirectly through the steel industry. The city is the headquarters of SeverStal, the largest steelmaker in Russia.

Speaking at the start of the Design Charrette, Sergei Zubar, Vice Mayor (Administration) of Cherepovets said the town was expecting demand for an additional 20,000 houses in the next 10 to 20 years.According to the Vice Mayor, the average salary in Cherepovets is around US$1,000 a month. This compares very favourably with the Russian average of US$550/month. This, and the high level of employment in the area is driving the growth of the city.

The Vice Mayor explained that the city was hoping to cope with this demand by establishing a series of satellite villages around the city. The City hopes the new villages will be largely self-supporting. The area where the winning entry will be built is just south of an existing settlement. While the population of the settlement is quite small, the Vice Mayor indicated that it was important to consider these residents during the charrette to develop a master plan for the site.