city, Sverdlovsk oblast (province), western Russia, located near the Chusovaya River in the mid-Urals. Founded in 1724 in connection with copper mining, it was called Polevskoy Zavod until 1928; it became a city in 1942. Copper is still mined and refined there; ferrous metallurgy, hoisting and transport equipment production, and a chemical industry based on Siberian fluorspar are located in the city. Pop. (1991 est.) 71,900.