Korolyov near Moscow for research township status

The federal government is weighing an opportunity for the town of Korolev near Moscow to receive research township status, Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov said in an opening address to a cabinet conference on R&D and innovation policies. The status will entitle space-related industrial companies in the town to government allocations and promotion. The issue symbolically came up for discussion shortly before galas dedicated to a 40th anniversary of the world's first manned space flight--Yuri Gagarin's endeavour of April 12, 1961, added Mr. Klebanov. Over sixty Russian industrial and research seats have received research township status for today. Obninsk, the first to obtain it, is seat of the world's first nuclear power plant, commissioned in 1954. "Korolev, recent Kaliningrad, is on a par with Obninsk as cradle of Russian space efforts and rocket engineering," remarked the Vice-Premier.

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