Bugulma, Tatarstan Republic, Volga Federal district, Russia

🇷🇺 Bugulma (Бөгелмә) is a town in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia.

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Bugulma serves as the administrative centre of Bugulminsky District, even though it is not a part of it. As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the town of republic significance of Bugulma—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, the town of republic significance of Bugulma is incorporated within Bugulminsky Municipal District as Bugulma Urban Settlement.

Bugulmisky district is located in the south-east of Tatarstan. It shares borders with Aznakaevsky, Almetyevsky, Bavlinsky, Leninogorsky and Yutazinsky districts of the republic, as well as Samara (Klyavlinsky district) and Orenburg (Northern district) regions. The total area is 1405 km².

The area is located on the Bugulma plateau, and the height ranges here from 200 to 300 meters. Among the regional rivers are Bugulminsky Zay, Stepnoy Zay, Dymka and Sula. The climate is temperate continental with humid summers and moderately cold winters. The district is home to 913 plant species and 294 animal species, some of which are listed in the Red Book of Tatarstan. There are natural reserves and wildlife sanctuaries in the region. Among the specially protected are the Adonis Forest and Novo-Aleksandrovsky Slope reserves, Karabash Mountain, Tatarsko-Dymskaya Polyana and the Yutaza River, as well as ancient archaeological sites.

Economy Ak Bars Aero has its head office at Bugulma Airport.

Currently, Bugulma is a large industrial hub of the Republic of Tatarstan, and the oil industry plays a special role in the regional economy. Among the largest enterprises operating in oilfield services are TNG-Group, Tatneft, Bugulminskii Mekhanicheskii Zavod (Bugulma Mechanical Plant), Bugulminskii Elektronasosnyi Zavod (Bugulma Electric Pump Plant), Bugulminskii Opytnyi Zavod Nefteavtomatiki (Bugulma Experimental Oil Automation Plant), Zavod Zhelezobetonnykh Izdelii (Reinforced Concrete Products Plant), Novye Tekhnologii Ekspluatatsii Skvazhin (New Well Operation Technologies) and plants. In 2017, the research and production company Gazovye Kompleksnye Sistemy (Gas Integrated Systems) launched a new workshop for the production of large-sized equipment in Bugulma, the investment of which amounted to more than 100 million rubles. In addition to these, the regional industry includes a garment factory, a brick factory and other large companies. In total, the share of industrial companies in the gross regional product is about 30%. In order to diversify risks, the administration supports the development of food production enterprises, for example, bakery plants, a dairy and a meat processing plant operate here.

Investment The administration's focus on the development of the agricultural sector attracts new investors to the regional economy. Large companies and enterprises, whose workforce varies from 400 to 6000 people, are involved in the innovation activity of the Bugulminsky district. In the previous decade, the largest investments fell on mechanical engineering (about 45%) and geological exploration (21%); in the appliance industry and scientific research, the share of investments constituted 12% and 17%, respectively. From 2008 to 2010, the lowest investments were made in the food industry— about 0.2% of the total. Since 2010, the Bugulma administration has been focusing on diversifying the economy, developing the food industry, as well as attracting federal and international capital to the region. Economists point out that the gross regional product of the Bugulma region is growing by 5-6% annually, and the unemployment rate is generally below the republican average. In 2017, the production volume of the district amounted to 15 billion rubles.

Transport Bugulma is located 333 km south-east of Kazan, 257 km from Samara and 230 km from Ufa. There is a railway junction on the Ulyanovsk—Ufa line, as well as a number of highways: R-239 Kazan—Orenburg—border with Kazakhstan; M-5 “Ural” Moscow—Samara—Chelyabinsk; 16K-0606 Bugulma—Leninogorsk; 16K-0078 Bugulma—Aznakayevo; 16K-0607 Karabash (R-239)—Leninogorsk. In the south of the district, a part of the international highway is being built which will connect Western Europe to Western China. To the north of Bugulma is the regional airport “Bugulma” connecting the cities of the Almetyevsk agglomeration.