Zheshart

Zheshart (Finn. Siesarta) is a smallish Uralican city in Komiland county, and the first city going westbound from Highway UH-5's eastern terminus in Vogvozdino. It is roughly an hour and a half's drive from Syktyvkar, and sits on the Vychegda River.

Although the settlement itself was first mentioned in 1586, there have been archaeological finds that suggest the area was inhabited as early as a whole millennium earlier - with the Komi being the original inhabitants of the land, many people have no issue accepting this fact.

Zheshart's size exploded in 2008 upon the discovery of marble in the area, and this marble when exhausted revealed a much larger portion of iron. Naturally, mining and ferrous metallurgy are very important to the economy for this reason. That said, there is also a plywood factory, a booming machine-building industry, and a sizable retail sector in the city as well. There is a great deal of communication between the port authorities of Zheshart and Syktyvkar as well - when the Syktyvkar river ports are too full, cargo boats are encouraged to dock in Zheshart instead. Some people call the city "Syktyvkar Junior" as a result.

Culture
Although the population is largely ethnic Russian and Finnish, a great many people in the city speak the Komi language in everyday life. English is also widely spoken, especially in the port, where international vessels are common visitors.

Zheshart has long been known for its churches, of which there are many more nowadays due to the Christian nature of Uralica. The most noteworthy is the Temple of Jesus Christ The Forgiver, re-christened and refurbished in 2008 after being half-destroyed during the Unjust War. There is also a well-kept historical museum and a few cinema plazas.

It is also known, though, for the natural beauty that surrounds it. Wild berries grow in abundance in the area, and more recently, blackberry, raspberry, and loganberry farms have been established, because of the hardiness of those berries. These farms are a popular tourist spot in the general area.

Neighbourhoods and Suburbs

 * Blackberry Flats
 * Bashlykovo
 * Rim'ya