city, Volgograd oblast (region), southwestern Russia, on the Volga River. Volzhsky was founded in 1951 to house persons working on the large hydroelectric station on the Volga. On completion of the project in 1961, industry was brought in and the population increased rapidly. There is a major chemical industry using petrochemical products from Volgograd and natural gas. Other industries produce ball bearings, steel pipes, and grinding wheels. Pop. (2005 est.) 309,428.