BALASHIKHA

also spelled Balaicha, city, Moscow oblast (province), western Russia, situated 15 miles (25 km) east of Moscow on the banks of the Pekhorka River. Balashikha developed in the 19th century, first as the site of a cloth factory and later as a centre for papermaking. In Soviet times it underwent rapid growth and was incorporated in 1939. The city is now a heavy-industrial centre, specializing in machine building. Balashikha's 19th-century townscape contrasts markedly with the newer sections. Pop. (1989 prelim.) 136,000.