15:48, 24 April 2003

Ust-Labinsk

Rayon (sector) centre, Krasnodar kray (region), 62 km north-east of Krasnodar. Located in the Kuban-Priazov Lowland, on the right bank of the Kuban River, at its confluence with the Laba River. Railway station in the Kavkazskaya - Krasnodar line. A motor road junction (to Krasnodar, Maykop, Labinsk, etc.). Population (1992 est.) 42.4 thousand, (1979 est.) 38.5 thousand.

At the end of the 19th century, the stanitsa (Cossack village) of Ust-Labinskaya had more than 5 thousand citizens, a functioning church, a 2-class school, a female school, a postal telegraph office. The main occupation of the population was arable farming and cattle breeding (fine-fleece sheep breeding). The town of Ust-Labinsk since 1958.

Present Ust-Labinsk is an agricultural centre, with enterprises of food-processing industry (sugar, butter-and-cheese factories, meat-processing, aromatic plants, an elevator). A mechanical plant and a repair and engineering works (production of auto spares and repair of equipment for sugar industry). A brickworks. The area of Ust-Labinsk has gas production.