Birsk
Birsk
a city in the Bashkir ASSR. Landing on the upper right shore of the Belaia River, near where the Bir River empties into it, 110 km north of Ufa. Population, 32,000 (1967). Light industry and the food industry are the most important. There are garment and artistic-articles factories; plants making ballpoint pens, powdered milk, dried vegetables, and liquor and vodka; and a meat combine. Birsk is a petroleum and gas prospecting base for northern and northeast Bashkiria. There is a pedagogical institute and medical and pharmaceutical colleges. Birsk was founded as a fort in 1663 on the site of the village of Arkhangel’skoe.