Novozybkov is a town (since 1809) in the southwest of the Bryansk Region of Russia, the administrative center of Novozybkov District. It stands on River Karna. In the middle of the town there is lake-pond Karna formed by River Karna.

The town takes the area of 3140 hectares. With the population of 41.7 thousand people (as of 2010), it is the third largest town of the region after Bryansk and Klintsy.

History of Novozybkov

Novozybkov was founded as the large village Zybkaya around 1686. Most of the pioneering settlers were Old Believers migrating from the central regions of Great Russia to escape from prosecution of authorities. Throughout the town’s history Old Believers played a considerable role in life and development of Novozybkov and made a remarkable part of its population. Novozybkov town and Novozybkov District became widely known in the late 19th century thanks to development of match industry. From the 1880s Novozybkov started playing an appreciable role and as a transport railway junction as well.

On April, 26th, 1986, the day of the Chernobyl accident, Novozybkov and the neighboring Krasnogorsk District of the Bryansk Region were contaminated with radioactive fallouts from the Chernobyl NPP. Till date these two districts remain the most contaminated ones in the Russian Federation both in regards of the overall area of contaminated land, and the intensity of contamination. The zone, unsuitable for people’s habitation (more than 40 curies per km ²) starts 1 km to the West of the town boundaries.