Beloyarsky Webcam – Central Square of a Siberian Gas Town

The Beloyarsky Webcam looks across the central square of Beloyarsky, a town of about 20,000 people on the Kazym River in Russia’s Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. The tall white Pioneers monument rises on a round base at the left of the frame, with brick and white apartment blocks behind it. To the right, a long modern building with a band of green glass lines the square, and rooftops run back to a dark strip of forest on the horizon. Snow covers the square for about half the year, and in winter the sun stays low enough to throw long shadows across it even at noon. Zummer, the company behind the camera, puts pan and zoom buttons on its own page, so the framing can shift from one visit to the next.

About Beloyarsky

Beloyarsky dates its founding to 5 June 1969, when a landing party of seven people came ashore on the left bank of the Kazym, a right tributary of the Ob. The settlement, first called Bely Yar, was set up as a base for building and servicing gas pipelines. It became a workers’ settlement named Beloyarsky in 1973 and a town on 22 August 1988. Today it is the administrative center of Beloyarsky District, and the 2021 census counted 19,994 residents.

The Pioneers monument in the shot honors that first landing party. It was unveiled in September 2004 for the town’s 35th anniversary and stands at 10 Tsentralnaya Street, the same address as the Kamerton Culture and Leisure Centre, the district’s main venue for festivals, concerts and civic events. Zummer’s own description of the camera also places the town’s Alley of Glory in the frame. The town center sits about 22 meters (72 feet) above sea level on the West Siberian Plain, some 322 kilometers (200 miles) northwest of Khanty-Mansiysk, the okrug capital.

Gas still shapes the local economy. Local employers include subdivisions of Gazprom Transgaz Yugorsk and Beloyarskneftegaz, and the wider economy rests on oil and natural gas extraction. There is no railway into town, so people arrive by air through Beloyarsky’s own airport, by river, or by long-distance bus.

Weather and Climate in Beloyarsky

Beloyarsky lies about 317 kilometers (197 miles) south of the Arctic Circle, and winter dominates the year. The long-term average is -22°C (-8°F) in January and -2°C (28°F) across the whole year. In recent winters, from 2019 to 2024, January days typically peaked around -16°C (3°F) while nights fell to about -23°C (-9°F), and cold snaps pushed the thermometer below -40°C (-40°F). Snow usually settles in late October and stays on the square into May. Light is the other limit. In early November the noon sun climbs only about 11 degrees, and at the December solstice it peaks under 3 degrees above the horizon, so the camera’s winter daylight is short, flat and full of long shadows.

Spring comes late, with April days near 2°C (36°F) and nights around -7°C (19°F) while the snow is still lying. July is the warmest month, with a long-term mean of 17°C (63°F) and recent afternoon highs around 23°C (73°F). Around the June solstice the sun sinks less than 3 degrees below the horizon at midnight, so the sky never fully darkens and the square can stay visible on camera through the white nights. Autumn is brief: September days average about 12°C (54°F), and by November highs are back down near -7°C (19°F). Annual precipitation comes to about 547 millimeters (21.5 inches).

Things to Do Near Beloyarsky

The Nuvi-At Ethno-Cultural Centre in Microdistrict 4a is the best introduction to the region. Opened in 2010, it took over the collection of the old Beloyarsky local history museum, and its exhibition building is designed after the chum, the traditional conical dwelling of the north. The displays focus on the Kazym Khanty, the Khanty people of the Kazym River. Back on Tsentralnaya Street, the Sports Palace at number 3 opened in 2003 with an artificial ice rink measuring 30 by 61 meters (98 by 200 feet) and seating for 450 spectators, plus a separate hall for football and volleyball.

The Victory Park Memorial Complex, opened on 15 September 2001, is styled after an Orthodox chapel, and marble slabs along its central path carry the names of local people who did not return from the war. The stone Church of St Seraphim of Sarov at 5 Barsukova Street was completed in 2003 with donations from local businesses and residents, on the site of a wooden church that burned in 2001. On Studencheskiy Boulevard, the Lady on a Bench sculpture is the work of Belarusian sculptor Ivan Kozak, and the Sey Pan embankment gives the town a walk along its waterfront.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Beloyarsky located?

Beloyarsky is in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug in western Siberia, Russia, on the left bank of the Kazym River, a right tributary of the Ob. It lies about 322 kilometers (200 miles) northwest of Khanty-Mansiysk and roughly 317 kilometers (197 miles) south of the Arctic Circle.

What can you see on the Beloyarsky Webcam?

The camera looks over the town’s central square on Tsentralnaya Street. The white Pioneers monument stands on the left, apartment blocks fill the background, and a long green-glazed building runs along the right side, with forest on the far horizon. Visitors to Zummer’s page can pan and zoom the camera, so the view sometimes points elsewhere.

What is the weather like in Beloyarsky?

Winters are long and severe, with a January average of -22°C (-8°F) and cold snaps below -40°C (-40°F). Summers are short and mild, with July averaging 17°C (63°F) and afternoons often reaching around 23°C (73°F). Snow usually lies from late October into May.

What is the Pioneers monument in Beloyarsky?

It honors the seven people who landed on the bank of the Kazym on 5 June 1969 to found the settlement as a gas pipeline base. The monument was unveiled in September 2004 for the town’s 35th anniversary and stands on the central square at 10 Tsentralnaya Street.

Why does the Beloyarsky Webcam look dark in winter?

At this latitude the December sun peaks less than 3 degrees above the horizon, and the town gets less than four and a half hours of daylight around the solstice. For most of the day in December and early January, the square is in twilight or darkness.

Who operates the camera in Beloyarsky?

The camera belongs to Zummer, a company based in Tyumen that publishes it on its own website along with a camera on the road to Salekhard. Its page includes buttons that move and zoom the camera.

How do you get to Beloyarsky?

Beloyarsky has no railway connection. Travelers fly into the town’s airport, with flights to Khanty-Mansiysk taking about 1 hour 10 minutes, or arrive by long-distance bus or by river.

Source: Zummer