Gubakha

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Gubakha is a town in Perm Krai, Russia, on the Kosva River, about 400 kilometers northeast of Perm. It serves as the administrative center of the Gubakhinsky Urban Okrug. As of 2023, the population is about 22,900.

Gubakha began in the mid-18th century after iron ore was found on Krestovaya Mountain. The village at the confluence of the Gubashka and Kosva rivers acted as a wharf for transporting ore to the Kama. In 1825, coal was discovered on Krestovaya, and mining grew after the railway was built in 1879. Gubakha gained town settlement status in 1928, and in 1936 the Gubakhinskiy coke plant started, becoming a key part of the area’s industry. In 1959 the nearby town of Ugleuralsk was merged into Gubakha.

Administratively, Gubakha is a town of krai significance and forms the Gubakha Urban Okrug municipally. The town’s economy centers on coke production, chemicals, biochemicals, toys, and power. A strong industrial base was built during World War II, when equipment from evacuated plants arrived in Gubakha to boost production. By 1955 the coke plant was fully operational, and in 1957 it began using gas coke oven technology. In 1964, the plant started producing methylamines used for rocket fuel. In 1993, the industrial complex was reorganized into Metrafrax, a joint-stock company with 51% of its stock owned by employees.

The Kizel State Regional Power Plant is located in Gubakha. The Gubakha Coke plant has a capacity of about 1.3 million tonnes of metallurgical coke per year, but it has never operated at full capacity. The town also hosts a medical school and an orphanage.