Shikhany, Russia
Шиханы
Shikhany is a town of 6,688 people in Saratov Oblast, Russia, founded in 1928.
Weather in Shikhany
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Shikhany
Shikhany, also spelled Shikhansky (Russian: Шиханы) is a closed town in Saratov Oblast, Russia, 130 kilometers (81 mi) north of Saratov on the right bank of the Volga River Population: 6,067 (2010 census); 6,738 (2002 census); 12,763 (1989 Soviet census).. It has been a closed town since 1997, but lost this status on 1 January 2019. The town is 2 kilometres from the major chemical weapons base Shikhany-2 (previously known as Vol'sk-18).
From the Wikipedia article Shikhany (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare3
History
The original settlement at Shikhany was founded in 1820 as part of the estate of Count Vasily Vasil'evich Orlov-Denisov. The first school was opened at the site in 1876. By 1917, there were still only five inhabitants resident in two houses. The subsequent expansion of the settlement was presumably a consequence of the opening of the adjacent chemical warfare establishment. On 30 June 1997, the town was transformed by an edict of President Yeltsin into a Closed Administrative-Territorial Formation (ZATO). Under the terms of this edict, travel to Shikhany was restricted and special police, procuracy and courts operated directly under Moscow jurisdiction. This status was revoked on 1 January 2019.
The town comprises Shikhany-1, the town proper, Shikhany-2, the military chemical base, and Shikhany-4, the arsenal. Shikhany-4 appears to be the location of the 115th Arsenal of the Russian Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops.
From the History section of Shikhany on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Shikhany
8 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Balakovo Airport (BWO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 47 km away.
- Vol’sk 15 km southeast, about 15 min by car
- Sennoy 17 km west, about 17 min by car
- Tersa 23 km east, about 23 min by car
- Cherkasskoye 35 km north, about 35 min by car
- Podlesnoye 36 km south, about 36 min by car
- Voskresenskoye 37 km southwest, about 37 min by car
- Sinodskoye 39 km west, about 39 min by car
- Balakovo 42 km east, about 42 min by car
- Marks 55 km southwest, about 55 min by car
- Khvalynsk 74 km northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Трасса Р228, поворот на Шиханы - panoramio, Rokoches, CC BY 3.0
Page built November 4, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.