Izhevsk
Izhevsk
| Izhevsk (English) Ижевск (Russian) Иж, Ижкар (Udmurt) |
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 Location of The Udmurt Republic in Russia |
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 Izhevsk
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| Coordinates: 56°50′N 53°11′E / 56.833°N 53.183°ECoordinates: 56°50′N 53°11′E / 56.833°N 53.183°E | |
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| City Day | June 12 |
| Administrative status | |
| Country | Russia |
| Federal subject | Udmurt Republic |
| Capital of | Udmurt Republic |
| Municipal status | |
| Urban okrug | Izhevsk Urban Okrug |
| Head | Alexander Ushakov |
| Representative body | City Duma |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 316.66 km2 (122.26 sq mi) |
| Population (2010 Census, preliminary) |
628,100 inhabitants |
| - Rank in 2010 | 19th |
| Population (2002 Census) | 632,140 inhabitants |
| - Rank in 2002 | 20th |
| Density | 1,984 /km2 (5,140 /sq mi) |
| Time zone | MSD (UTC+04:00) |
| Founded | April 10, 1760 |
| Previous names | Ustinov (until 1987) |
| Postal code(s) | 426xxx |
| Dialing code(s) | +7 3412 |
| Official website | |
Izhevsk (Russian: Иже́вск, IPA: [ɪˈʐɛfsk]; Udmurt: Иж, Ижкар, Iž, Ižkar) is the capital city of the Udmurt Republic, Russia. The city is situated on the Izh River in the Western Urals. From 1984 to 1987 Izhevsk carried the name Ustinov (Усти́нов, in honor of Minister of Defense of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union, Dmitriy Ustinov). The city is an important industrial center, and is the economic, industrial and administrative hub of the republic. Izhevsk is especially noted for its military industry, with Russia's biggest munitions enterprise, Izhmash, manufacturer of the AK-47, based in the city. Population: 628,100 (2010 Census preliminary results); 632,140 (2002 Census); 635,109 (1989 Census).
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History
Izhevsk was founded in 1760 as a settlement surrounding a newly built ironworks. The ironworks and the town were built by Count Peter Shuvalov as a private venture and passed to the crown after the count's death in lieu of the latter's large debt to the treasury. The location was selected to better accommodate a dam on the river Izh, which was completed in 1763.
In 1774 the town was taken by Pugachev's rebel army, which executed the administrative staff of the ironworks and looted the factory.
In 1807 Alexander I ordered the construction of a munitions factory in place of the ironworks. The newly established plant came to dominated the economy of the town. In 1865 the plant passed into private ownership by a group of investors which included Ludwig Nobel. In 1884 the factory returned to government control.
On March 5, 1917, workers at the plant formed a worker's soviet, which included representatives of the workers, the army, and of other citizens. Two days later the factory administration resigned and was replaced with elected officials. By the middle of September of the same year, Bolsheviks came to control both the council and the council's influential newspaper.
On October 27, 1917, Soviet government was officially announced, with the council officially dissolved soon thereafter. The former leaders of the council were arrested June 1918, contributing to the beginning of an uprising against Bolshevik rule. The struggle for control of the city continued until the arrival of the Red Army, which took Izhevsk on November 7. On April 13, 1919 the city was occupied by units of Admiral Kolchak's White Army, only to fall again, this time decisively, to another assault by the Red Army in June 8 of the same year.
The Soviet period saw significant growth in the size and importance of Izhevsk. In 1921 the city became the capital of Votsk Autonomous Oblast, a precursor to the Udmurt Republic.
The first tramway lines were opened in 1935, and the now emblematic City Circus was founded in 1943.
World War II had a profound effect on the city, with much of the industrial infrastructure evacuated from the western regions of the Soviet Union, being relocated to the city. Elements of the evacuated enterprises were used to create the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, which remains an important manufacturer of military components.
Military industry remained the core of the local economy after the war, leading to Izhvesk being designated a closed city, inaccessible to foreigners. The city's Izhmash factory began manufacturing the AK-47 automatic rifle in 1948, and continues to produce modern variants of the design to this day. The rifle's designer, Mikhail Kalashnikov still lives in Izhevsk. In 1966 Izhmash began manufacturing the Izh automobiles.
In 1984 the city changed its name to Ustinov; in honor of former minister of defense Dmitriy Ustinov. Three years later, in spite of vocal protests by a significant number of citizens, Izhevsk regained its historical name.
Izhevsk weathered the turbulent post-soviet years reasonably well, carried through by the continued demand for its military production. The city remains an important industrial and military center of the country, being referred to as the "Armory of Russia" (a title it shares with the city of Tula).
Economy
Izhevsk is the most important economic center of the Udmurt Republic, with the majority of financial and industrial activity concentrated in the city. Military industry remains the backbone of the local economy, with a number of enterprises operating in the city. By far the most important of these is Izhmash which produces small arms, and assault rifles popular both in Russia and abroad. the plant also produces motorcycles and automobiles under IZH brandname.
In 2006, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez visited Izhevsk to tour the Izhmash manufacturing center where he announced his government's intention to purchase a large number of Izhevsk-produced rifles.
Life and culture
Education
Izhevsk is the scientific and cultural center of the Udmurt Republic. The state took a major share in childcare and education from early on. 320 public kindergartens/ preschools provide affordable childcare for 32,000 children. 100 public schools provide free general education to over 100,000 Izhevsk students. A wide variety of technical colleges and two-year professional schools award associate degrees, most notably in medical assistance, performing arts and teaching.
The Ural department of the Russian Scientific Academy is represented in Izhevsk by several institutions, specializing in physics, applied mechanics and technical sciences, and economics, and the Institute of History, Language and Literature of Udmurtia does the same. Four out of five higher education institutes in the Udmurt Republic are located in Izhevsk: Udmurt State University, Izhevsk State Technical University, Agricultural Academy, and Medical Academy. Each of these educational institutions admits foreign students.
Udmurt State University celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2006. It is the oldest educational institution in the Udmurt Republic. Some 28,000 students are currently studying at the University, which offers 86 different majors. The University has thirteen departments and seven institutes. Out of 1,000 faculty members 130 hold Doctor of Science (Dr.Sc.) degrees, and 460 are Candidates of Sciences (Cand.Sc., equivalent to first year of Ph.D.). UdSU graduate school offers 11 attestation committees qualified to award Cand.Sc. and Dr.Sc. degrees in ecology, economics, law, psychology, pedagogics, ethnology, history, culture, linguistics of the Ural region, and Udmurt linguistics.
Izhevsk is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and European Commission Intercultural cities programme.
Museums
Izhevsk's most notable museums include the Kalashnikov Museum, the Arsenal Museum, the Galina Kulakova Museum, the National Fine Arts Gallery, the "Galeria" Arts Center, the Izhmash Museum, the National Kuzebai Gerd Museum, and the Gennadiy Krasilnikov Apartment-Museum. The Presidential Palace is also popular with tourists.
Theatre
Izhevsk has a number of theaters, among the most prominent of which are:
- State Opera and Ballet Theater of the Udmurt Republic
- Korolenko State Russian Theater for Drama
- "Young Man" Alternative Theater
- State Puppet Theater of the Udmurt Republic
- National State Theater of the Udmurt Republic
- Academic Choir Chapel
- State Philarmony of the Udmurt Republic
- Izhevsk Circus
Sport
The Izhvesk ice hockey team HC Izhstal play in the Russian Major League. The city football club FC SOYUZ-Gazprom Izhevsk play in the Russian Second Division.
Entertainment
In the post-Soviet period Izhevsk became known as home to a vibrant art and music scene. Some of the most famous institutions include the Italmas, an Udmurt folk theater and dance company, and the local circus. In 2001-2004 a beautiful new auditorium was built in the center of town to serve as a permanent home for the city circus. Today circus acts from Izhevsk and other Russian and European cities entertain visitors at the Izhevsk Circus.
Cityscape
Remarkable buildings and structures
- Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Neoclassical building from 1823 patterned after St. Andrew's Cathedral in Kronstadt (whose architect was Andreyan Zakharov).
- St. Michael's Cathedral was built by the Izhevsk arms works in the early 20th century, destroyed by the Bolsheviks and rebuilt to the original design in 2007.
- Pesochnaya TV Mast ( 195 m tall guyed tubular steel mast built in 1962, which is equipped with 6 crossbars running in 2 levels from the mast structure to the guys, [1] )
Izhevsk Pond
Izhvesk City Pond is now one of the city's most popular places for recreation. Its area is over 22 km2, yet it was artificially created (in parts dug by hand) in the 1760s for industrial needs. Empress Elizabeth of Russia granted Count Peter Shuvalov official permission to create three factories in the Kama River region September 15th, 1757.
Construction of the three-step industrial dam at the critical point where the two rivers (Izh and Yagul/Podborenka) join started both the pond and the city in April 1760.
The dam was reconstructed in 1809–1815 when Alexander Deryabin converted the original metalworking factory into the new arms producing facility. It was subsequently modernized again in 1983–1984 in order to extend the dam. Today a number of major Izhevsk industrial plants are still located along the pond.
In 1972, the Izhevsk Pond Embankment, a three mile-long walkway and a system of boulevards and squares, was extended along the pond. Some consider the resulting esplanade and pond embankment one of Izhevsk finest attractions. The “Friendship of Nations” Square, with its central monument celebrating 400 years of Udmurtia's union with Russia, is a focal point of the esplanade and a hip place for youth recreation. During the summer months excursion boats operate from Izhevsk to the village of Volozhka.
International relations
- Izhevsk is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the EU Intercultural cities programme.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Izhevsk is twinned with the following sister cities:
- ^ Izhevsk website, (in Russian).
- ^ a b Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2011). "Предварительные итоги Всероссийской переписи населения 2010 года (Preliminary results of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census)" (in Russian). Всероссийская перепись населения 2010 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2010). Federal State Statistics Service. http://www.perepis-2010.ru/results_of_the_census/results-inform.php. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
- ^ a b Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2004-05-21). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек (Population of Russia, its federal districts, federal subjects, districts, urban localities, rural localities—administrative centers, and rural localities with population of over 3,000)" (in Russian). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002). Federal State Statistics Service. http://www.perepis2002.ru/ct/doc/1_TOM_01_04.xls. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ The value of density was calculated automatically by dividing the 2010 Census population by the area specified in the infobox. Please note that this value may not be accurate as the area specified in the infobox does not necessarily correspond to the area of the entity proper or is reported for the same year as the population.
- ^ Правительство Российской Федерации. Постановление №725 от 31 августа 2011 г. «О составе территорий, образующих каждую часовую зону, и порядке исчисления времени в часовых зонах, а также о признании утратившими силу отдельных Постановлений Правительства Российской Федерации». Вступил в силу по истечении 7 дней после дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Российская Газета", №197, 6 сентября 2011 г. (Government of the Russian Federation. Resolution #725 of August 31, 2011 On the Composition of the Territories Included into Each Time Zone and on the Procedures of Timekeeping in the Time Zones, as Well as on Abrogation of Several Resolutions of the Government of the Russian Federation. Effective as of after 7 days following the day of the official publication).
- ^ "Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 г. Численность наличного населения союзных и автономных республик, автономных областей и округов, краёв, областей, районов, городских поселений и сёл-райцентров. (All Union Population Census of 1989. Present population of union and autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts and okrugs, krais, oblasts, districts, urban settlements, and villages serving as district administrative centers.)" (in Russian). Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года (All-Union Population Census of 1989). Demoscope Weekly (website of the Institute of Demographics of the State University—Higher School of Economics. 1989. http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus89_reg.php. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ Council of Europe (2011 [last update]). "Intercultural city: Izhevsk, Russian Federation". coe.int. http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Cities/izhevsk_en.asp. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ Izhevsk twinning
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