In 1935 due to industrial development of nickel and copper deposits, a settlement of Moncha-Guba was re-organized into employees' settlement Monchegorsk. On October 20, 1937, it was included into the list of towns, and on December 9, 1949 into the list of the region subordinated towns with a subject town area. Monchegorsk has been constructed according to the united general plan, which was elaborated in 1936 by the architect S.E. Brovtsev.

   Monchegorsk is 146 kilometers off Murmansk.

   The administrative-territorial unit of Monchegorsk with the subordinated territory has the status of a municipal formation and in accordance with Murmansk region law 536-01 of 21.12.2004 considers a town district.

   Its territory totals to 3.4 thousand m² (2.3% Murmansk region territory), including 35.5 km² of the town.

   The number of constant citizens of Monchegorsk is 53.7 thousand people (as of January 1, 2005).

   Monchegorsk is situated in the middle part of the Kola Peninsula on the bank of the Imandra Lake, the largest lake of Murmansk region. This is a land of snowy mountains and lakes, with the Main Range tops, woody slopes and even surface of Chuna and Moncha tundra's.

   The area is rich in copper, nickel and chromites ores, quartzite, sand-and-gravel mixture, crashed stone and facing stone deposits. 

   Non-ferrous metallurgy is the key-industry of the town. The Severonickel Metallurgical Combines the town forming enterprise. Since 1999, the plant is a structural division of "Kola Mining & Metallurgical Company", a subsidiary of OAO "GMK Norilskiy Nickel", one of the world leaders in producing non-ferrous and precious metals. The plant is the world biggest producer of nickel (18.3%) and palladium (49.5%) and the world fourth producer of platinum (12.5%). In 2005, the income from metal realization totaled to USD 7.2 mlrd.

   The promoters of the company are two subsidiaries of RAO "Norilskiy Nickel" located within Kola Peninsula - AO "Pechenganickel Mining Plant" and AO "Severonickel Plant". 

  At present, the main office of the Company is in Monchegorsk. The principal product of the plant is nickel. Besides, the plant produces copper and cobalt concentrate, as well as concentrates of noble and platinum group metals. Sulfur, a waste product, is used to produce the sulfuric acid.

  The principal products of the plant meet the world standards and have been registered at London metal exchange. "Kola Mining & Metallurgical Company" forms more than 1/3 of the town budget and about 40% of region export. It is also a leading consumer of electric power and a participant in transportation cargo turnover of the region.

   The share of the Company in Russian nickel producing is 45%, copper - 17%, cobalt concentrate - 40%.

   The transportation infrastructure includes 30 km railroad link, which connects Monchegorsk with the St.-Petersburg - Murmansk railway. The auto highway St.-Petersburg - Murmansk runs through the Monchegorsk territory.

   The unique Lapland sanctuary is not far from the town. There is a local museum. In June 1970, a stone fan club and a museum of colors stones, which became a decoration of the town, ‘were born‘in Monchegorsk. The water, ski and mountain tourist routes start here. In 1997, Aleksiy II, the Partiarch of Moscow and Russia, during his visit to Monchegorsk blessed the Saint-Ascension Cathedral of Monchegorsk of the Murmansk and Monchegorsk Eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Cathedral is now the most attracted town sightseeing.

Monchegorsk: photo from space (Google Maps)