city and centre of a rayon (sector), Tula oblast (province), western Russia. Coal mining began in the locality in 1870, exploiting the lignite (brown coal) of the Moscow coalfield; chemical concerns, the product of foreign investment, were also soon established. Today, as well as having a continuing coal industry, Shchyokino has an important chemical-industry complex, based largely on natural gas piped from Stavropol. Pop. (1991 est.) 68,800.