Lipetsk Oblast

   An administrative region of the Russian Federation. Lipetsk is part of the Northwestern Federal District and Economic Region. Deep in the chernozem region of Russia, the oblast is bordered by Ryazan, Tambov, Voronezh, Kursk, Oryol, and Tula. Lipetsk was formed from the breakup of several other regions in 1954. Its defining geographic features are the Galichya Mountain Reserve and the Usman Pine Forest, part of the larger Voronezh Biosphere Preserve. The regional capital is a tourist destination as a result of its salubrious mineral waters. The oblast is 24,100 square kilometers and has a population of slightly more than 1.2 million. The region is thoroughly industrialized and suffers from high levels of air pollution. Nonferrous metallurgy—driven by the industrial giant Novolipetsky Metallurgical Combine—is a major industry in the oblast, accounting for 60 percent of the gross regional product. The region produces a significant portion of the country’s concrete, refrigeration equipment, tractors, and cast iron.

   Lipetsk was one of only eight territorial units permitted to hold gubernatorial elections in late 1992. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation candidate, Mikhail Narolin, defeated the federally supported contender. As a result, there was strong support for the anti-Yeltsin forces during the constitutional crisis of 1993 and for Gennady Zyuganov in both the 1996 and 2000 presidential elections. He was replaced by the current governor, Oleg Korolyov, who won convincing majorities in 1998 and 2002 before being reappointed by Vladimir Putin in 2005. Korolyov has been praised by Jewish groups for promoting interfaith relations in the oblast since coming to power. He has also expanded commercial ties with the city of Moscow through good relations with Yury Luzhkov, as well as Finland and Italy (Korolyov hosted Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in 2004). Lipetsk is one of Russia’s few “donor regions,” contributing more to the federal budget than receiving from it.