Novokuznetsk, formerly Stalinsk, in southwestern Siberia Russia. A major industrial center in the mineral-rich Kuznetsk Basin, the city is at the head of navigation of the Tom' River and is served by several railroad lines. Manufactures include iron and steel, chemicals, aluminum, and coke. The city was founded as Kuznetsk in 1617 around a Russian fortress. In 1932 an iron and steel works was completed nearby, and the new industrial sector was united with the older settlement and named Stalinsk. The city was renamed Novokuznetsk in 1961. Population (1999 estimate) 565,000.
