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Izhevsk (russian: Иже́вск, p=ɪˈʐɛfsk; udm, Ижкар, ''Ižkar'', or , ''Iž'') is the
capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...
of
Udmurtia Udmurtia (russian: Удму́ртия, r=Udmúrtiya, p=ʊˈdmurtʲɪjə; udm, Удмуртия, ''Udmurtija''), or the Udmurt Republic (russian: Удмуртская Республика, udm, Удмурт Республика, Удмурт ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. It is situated along the
Izh River The Izh (russian: Иж; udm, Оӵ, ''Oč''; tt-Cyrl, Иж, translit=İj ) is a river in Udmurtia and Tatarstan, Russian Federation, a right-bank tributary of the Kama. It is long, of which are in Tatarstan, and its drainage basin covers .
, west of the
Ural Mountains The Ural Mountains ( ; rus, Ура́льские го́ры, r=Uralskiye gory, p=ʊˈralʲskʲɪjə ˈɡorɨ; ba, Урал тауҙары) or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western ...
in
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...
. It is the 21st-largest city in Russia, and the most populous in Udmurtia, with over 600,000 inhabitants. From 1984 to 1987, the city was called Ustinov (russian: Усти́нов), named after Soviet Minister of Defence
Dmitry Ustinov Dmitriy Fyodorovich Ustinov (russian: Дмитрий Фёдорович Устинов; 30 October 1908 – 20 December 1984) was a Marshal of the Soviet Union and Soviet politician during the Cold War. He served as a Central Committee sec ...
.Izhlife.ru
Как Ижевск 900 дней был Устиновым
The city is a major hub of industry, commerce, politics, culture and education in the
Volga Region The Volga Region (russian: Поволжье, ''Povolzhye'', literally: "along the Volga") is a historical region in Russia that encompasses the drainage basin of the Volga River, the longest river in Europe, in central and southern European Russ ...
. It is known for its
defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...
,
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
and
metallurgy Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the sc ...
industries. Izhevsk has the titles of the Armory Capital of Russia and the City of Labor Glory.


History


Pioneer settlements

The pioneer settlements on the territory where modern Izhevsk now stands were founded by
Udmurts The Udmurts ( udm, Удмуртъёс, ) are a Permian ( Finnic) ethnic group in Eastern Europe, who speak the Udmurt language. In the course of history, Russian-speakers have referred to them as ' (), Otyaks, Wotyaks or Votyaks. Etymology The n ...
in the 5th century. There were two fortified settlements situated on the banks of the Karlutka River. Later this territory joined the
Khanate of Kazan The Khanate of Kazan ( tt, Казан ханлыгы, Kazan xanlıgı; russian: Казанское ханство, Kazanskoye khanstvo) was a medieval Tatar Turkic state that occupied the territory of former Volga Bulgaria between 1438 and 1552 ...
. In 1552, Russia conquered the Khanate and, in 1582,
Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584. Ivan ...
conferred the lands by the Karlutka and
Izh River The Izh (russian: Иж; udm, Оӵ, ''Oč''; tt-Cyrl, Иж, translit=İj ) is a river in Udmurtia and Tatarstan, Russian Federation, a right-bank tributary of the Kama. It is long, of which are in Tatarstan, and its drainage basin covers .
s on Bagish Yaushev, a
Tatar The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
is an umbrella term for different
morza Morza (plural ''morzalar''; from Persian ''mirza'') is a Princely title in Tatar states, such as Khanate of Kazan, Khanate of Astrakhan and others, and in Russia. After the fall of Kazan some morzalar joined Russian service. Some morzalar lost the ...
. The
quit-rent Quit rent, quit-rent, or quitrent is a tax or land tax imposed on occupants of freehold or leased land in lieu of services to a higher landowning authority, usually a government or its assigns. Under feudal law, the payment of quit rent (Latin ...
had been imposed on the Udmurt population ever since. The Yaushevs owned the land until the reign of
Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
(1682–1721).


Ironworks construction

On September 15, 1757, Count Pyotr Shuvalov, owner of seven factories in the
Urals The Ural Mountains ( ; rus, Ура́льские го́ры, r=Uralskiye gory, p=ʊˈralʲskʲɪjə ˈɡorɨ; ba, Урал тауҙары) or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through European ...
, bought land in the Kama Region and got permission from
Empress Elizabeth Elizabeth Petrovna (russian: Елизаве́та (Елисаве́та) Петро́вна) (), also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian ...
to build three
ironworks An ironworks or iron works is an industrial plant where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e. the singular of ''ironworks'' is ''ironworks''. Ironworks succeeded bloomeri ...
there. In those days, ironworks were powered with
steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
, and wood was the only fuel. For that reason it was decided to build one of the plants on the forest-rich land near the
Izh River The Izh (russian: Иж; udm, Оӵ, ''Oč''; tt-Cyrl, Иж, translit=İj ) is a river in Udmurtia and Tatarstan, Russian Federation, a right-bank tributary of the Kama. It is long, of which are in Tatarstan, and its drainage basin covers .
and make iron bands and
cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...
anchors. Another ironworks was built on the Votka River. In April 10, 1760,
serfs Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...
from neighboring villages and artisans from other Shuvalov's plants began dam construction under the direction of Alexey Moskvin, a mining engineer and a trustee of Shuvalov. This date is considered to be the date of Izhevsk's foundation.Official website of Izhevsk
History of the city
.
Construction proceeded at a slow pace. The
serf Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...
s were unhappy with being taken from their villages, with arduous duties and regular physical punishment, leading to tumultuous rebellions. In 1762 Shuvalov died. His son Andrey inherited the factories. In accordance with the
ukase In Imperial Russia, a ukase () or ukaz (russian: указ ) was a proclamation of the tsar, government, or a religious leader (patriarch) that had the force of law. "Edict" and "decree" are adequate translations using the terminology and concepts ...
of
Catherine the Great , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...
dated November 15, 1763, all Shuvalov's ironworks, including the one at Izhevsky Zavod, lapsed to the Crown for debts. Since that time, it has been under the authority of the
Collegium of Mining The Collegium of Mining (''Berg-kollegia''; also College) was an executive body in the Russian Empire from 1722, when the Collegium of Mining and Manufacturing split into two. It was closed in 1783 under Catherine II of Russia , en, Catherin ...
, an institution in charge of the Russian mining industry. The ironworks on the Izh and Votka Rivers were called Kama Plants. In 1763 construction of the dam and ironworks was completed and the first bloomery iron was smelted. As a result of the dam construction, the
Izhevsk Reservoir The Izhevsk Pond (russian: Ижевский пруд) is an artificial body of water, or reservoir, created in 1760 at the urging of Peter Ivanovich Shuvalov for the needs of an iron works in Izhevsk, Russia. It is placed at the confluence of the ...
, one of the biggest in Europe was formed. Near the ironworks, the settlement was built. This settlement was named Izhevsky Zavod, meaning "the factory on the Izh" in Russian. Initially the ironworks made palm-wide iron bands from long. These bands were supplied to
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
for the rebuilding of the
Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty, Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of th ...
. The iron from Izhevsky Zavod was also used for construction in
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
.


Pugachev's Rebellion

In October 1773, the news of the
popular revolt This is a chronological list of conflicts in which peasants played a significant role. Background The history of peasant wars spans over two thousand years. A variety of factors fueled the emergence of the peasant revolt phenomenon, including: ...
against
Catherine II , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anha ...
on the
Yaik The Ural (russian: Урал, ), known before 1775 as Yaik (russian: Яик, ba, Яйыҡ, translit=Yayıq, ; kk, Жайық, translit=Jaiyq, ), is a river flowing through Russia and Kazakhstan in the continental border between Europe and Asia ...
and the manifestos of
Yemelyan Pugachev Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev (russian: Емельян Иванович Пугачёв; c. 1742) was an ataman of the Yaik Cossacks who led a great popular insurrection during the reign of Catherine the Great. Pugachev claimed to be Catherine's ...
reached Izhevsky Zavod. The
Cossack The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...
passing himself off as Peter III proclaimed liberty for
serfs Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...
and called for killing nobles and factory owners. This had the backing of the serfs and artisans. So
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
Feodor Wenzel, the manager of the Goroblagodat and Kama plants, and Aleksey Alymov, the manager of Izhevsky Zavod ironworks, were forced to escape to
Kazan Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: ɑzan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering a ...
. On January 1, 1774, a detachment of
Yemelyan Pugachev Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev (russian: Емельян Иванович Пугачёв; c. 1742) was an ataman of the Yaik Cossacks who led a great popular insurrection during the reign of Catherine the Great. Pugachev claimed to be Catherine's ...
's rebel army reached the town. The rebels destroyed the ironworks, burned its office buildings, and wrecked the houses of the managers. They demolished the food depot and distributed the food to the people. The ironworks money was sent to the staff of the rebel army, near
Ufa Ufa ( ba, Өфө , Öfö; russian: Уфа́, r=Ufá, p=ʊˈfa) is the largest city and capital of Bashkortostan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Belaya and Ufa rivers, in the centre-north of Bashkortostan, on hills forming the ...
. The serfs were freed. Some of them joined the detachment. Iron production stopped for a while. Around this time, Catherine realized the seriousness of the rebellion and sent and army led by General
Aleksandr Bibikov Aleksandr Ilyich Bibikov (russian: Алекса́ндр Ильи́ч Би́биков) (, Moscow – , Bugulma) was a Russian statesman and military officer. Bibikov came from an old noble family; Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov was his brother-i ...
to crush the insurrection. In April 1774, Pugachev's army fought losing battles everywhere and was forced to leave Izhevsky Zavod. The managers returned and cowed serfs and artisans into submission, forcing them to pledge allegiance to
Catherine the Great , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...
. A list of workers who had joined the rebel army was compiled for future reprisal. In spite of opposition from the forces of Wenzel and Alymov Brothers, Pugachev's army occupied the town again on June 27, 1774. The crowds hailed
Yemelyan Pugachev Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev (russian: Емельян Иванович Пугачёв; c. 1742) was an ataman of the Yaik Cossacks who led a great popular insurrection during the reign of Catherine the Great. Pugachev claimed to be Catherine's ...
. He dealt with the complaints of serfs and workers for two days. Forty-two persons, including Wenzel and Alymovs, were executed. On June 29, Pugachev left Izhevsky Zavod and set out for
Kazan Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: ɑzan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering a ...
. Many workmen of Izhevsky Zavod joined his detachments and fought selflessly in last battles of the Rebellion, which was mostly crushed by early September 1775. In spite of the defeat of the rebel army and the execution of its leader, bands of rebels continued to fight. New managers of the ironworks suppressed serfs and brought back artisans by force, cracking down on the bands of rebels. The ironworks was restored and began to function by the end of 1775. The former order was reinstated. The forced laborers weren't interested in boosting productivity and the practice fell into decay by the 19th century.


Arms factory foundation

In 1800, Emperor
Paul I Paul I may refer to: *Paul of Samosata (200–275), Bishop of Antioch *Paul I of Constantinople (died c. 350), Archbishop of Constantinople *Pope Paul I (700–767) *Paul I Šubić of Bribir (c. 1245–1312), Ban of Croatia and Lord of Bosnia *Paul ...
ordered an arms factory built in the Urals in view of a mounting threat from
Napoleonic France The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Eur ...
. Andrew Deryabin, a mining engineer, chief of Goroblagodat, Perm, Kama and Bogoslov plants, chose the site for the new plant. He saw several places in the
Perm Perm or PERM may refer to: Places *Perm, Russia, a city in Russia **Permsky District, the district **Perm Krai, a federal subject of Russia since 2005 **Perm Oblast, a former federal subject of Russia 1938–2005 **Perm Governorate, an administrat ...
and Vyatka governorates and concluded that the most suitable place for plant foundation was Izh Zavod. It occurred to him to turn the ironworks into the armory.
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome * Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
approved of Deryabin's project and construction began on the arms factory building on June 10, 1807, considered the year of Izhevsk's second birth.


Dudin's plan

The new factory had a shortage of manpower. Staff vacancies were filled by serfs, workmen from Urals mining plants and recruits. Armorers were transferred from other arms factories and hired from
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, mainly from Denmark and Sweden. The population of the settlement grew quickly so that by the end of 1808 there were more than 6,000 inhabitants. Because of housing requirements, people had to build their houses after work, at night. Houses were made from wood found in forests near the factory. At the same time, workers built new barracks for the soldiers and housing for factory employees, officers and officials, the hospital, schools and other social facilities. The settlement was built according to the master plan. Architect Feodor Dudin was an author of this plan and a director of all construction works. The principle of an urban grid was the basis of the new master plan. Wide and straight streets crossed side streets running perpendicular to them. Their accurate network formed small rectangular blocks. On May 18, 1810, a major fire burned in Izhevsky Zavod. 174 houses, the warehouse, and two wooden churches were destroyed. After the fire, implementation of Dudin's plan began. The houses were made of pinewood logs. As a rule, a house consisted of two ''
izba An izba ( rus, изба́, p=ɪzˈba, a=Ru-изба.ogg) is a traditional Slavic countryside dwelling. Often a log house, it forms the living quarters of a conventional Russian farmstead. It is generally built close to the road and inside a ya ...
s'', joined with an inner porch. Houses of the poor consisted of one ''izba''. Armorers and officials erected two-storied and five-wall log houses. There were 15 streets in Izh by the 1820s. In 1812, Izhevsky Zavod was divided into three administrative parts because of growth in population and territory. In 1816, there were 1,710 houses, 8 factory stone buildings, a prison, a cemetery, a stone church and a school in the settlement. The population was 8,324. In the 1820s, 1830s, and 1840s, a number of large stone building was erected. St.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Alexander Nevsky Cathedral may refer to the following (alphabetically by country, then by town): * Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Baku in Azerbaijan * Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia in Bulgaria * Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn, Estonia * Al ...
was built between 1818 and 1823, and visited by Tsar
Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
(who considered Alexander Nevsky his patron saint) shortly after its completion. Other noteworthy large stone buildings which still remain from that era include the Arsenal (1823–25), Public Offices (1843–45) and house of contractor Egor Novikov. All improved Izhevsk's appearance. By 1850, the settlement had more than doubled, to population of 19,163. Its territory was about 6200 square miles. 3499 buildings were wooden, and 27 others, including three churches, were made of stone. The settlement had 1066 wells.


Izhevsky Zavod after the Emancipation Reform of 1861

On February 19, 1861, Emperor of Russia Alexander II carried out the Emancipation Reform. On October 9, 1865, Berg-kollegia, apprehending a prospective cost increase, leased the arms factory to a partnership of industrialists. In 1866, serfs of the factory obtained their liberty with the 1861 Emancipation Manifesto and gained self-government. Izhevsky Zavod was divided into two
volost Volost ( rus, во́лость, p=ˈvoləsʲtʲ; ) was a traditional administrative subdivision in Eastern Europe. In earlier East Slavic history, ''volost'' was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz, a principality; either as an absolute ...
s: Nagornaya Volost and Zarechnaya Volost, or Zareka. Each
volost Volost ( rus, во́лость, p=ˈvoləsʲtʲ; ) was a traditional administrative subdivision in Eastern Europe. In earlier East Slavic history, ''volost'' was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz, a principality; either as an absolute ...
had its board of administration and consisted of rural groups. Rural circles were headed by a ''
starosta The starosta or starost (Cyrillic: ''старост/а'', Latin: ''capitaneus'', german: link=no, Starost, Hauptmann) is a term of Slavic origin denoting a community elder whose role was to administer the assets of a clan or family estates. Th ...
'', selected in the gathering. There were seven rural societies in Nagornaya Volost; Zarechnaya Volost consisted of four. Administrations of
volost Volost ( rus, во́лость, p=ˈvoləsʲtʲ; ) was a traditional administrative subdivision in Eastern Europe. In earlier East Slavic history, ''volost'' was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz, a principality; either as an absolute ...
s reported to the Board of
Sarapul Sarapul ( Udmurt and russian: Сара́пул) is a city and a river port in the Udmurt Republic, Russia, located on the right bank of the Kama River, southeast of Izhevsk, the capital of the republic. Population: History Sarapul is one of t ...
Zemstvo A ''zemstvo'' ( rus, земство, p=ˈzʲɛmstvə, plural ''zemstva'' – rus, земства) was an institution of local government set up during the great emancipation reform of 1861 carried out in Imperial Russia by Emperor Alexander ...
. They were led by volost ''starshinas'', elected for three years. Volost administrations were in charge of doing duty and paying taxes. They issued passports, managed improvement of territory and other local affairs. Administrative and police oversight was carried out by the factory administration. Besides the administration delivered documents of title to land and house. The ponds, pastures and hayfields were turned over to the
armorer Historically, an armourer is a person who makes personal armour, especially plate armour. In modern terms, an armourer is a member of a military or police force who works in an armoury and maintains and repairs small arms and weapons systems, wit ...
s and
artisans An artisan (from french: artisan, it, artigiano) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art, s ...
. The abolition of serfdom aggravated wealth inequalities between the inhabitants of Izhevsky Zavod. Well-to-do sections of population included the factory management, skilled armorers and artisans, administrative professionals, officials, clergy and merchants. Such stratification had an influence on view of the settlement. Working people were driven out of Nagornaya Part and settled in
bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...
gy Zareka. At that time, Koltoma, another working-class locality, grew. In the early 1870s, there were about twenty private stone buildings in Izhevsky Zavod. In Zarechnaya Part all houses were made of wood. Civic life depended on government contract work. In the years of war or army re-equipment, the orders grew, and so did the workforce and labour earnings. After the government orders were filled and wages were cut, most workmen left the arms factory and the settlement fell into decay until the next government contract.


Enterprises in Izhevsky Zavod

In 1872, the steel works was founded in Izhevsky Zavod. In 1884, the arms factory and the steel works passed to the state. Private armories appeared in Izhevsky Zavod. *In 1860, an armorer named Ivan Fyodorovich Petrov began making hunting rifles at a small armory in Zaręka. Later, he set up shop in
Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administra ...
,
Omsk Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk ...
,
Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət ), colloquially shortened to Nizhny, from the 13th to the 17th century Novgorod of the Lower Land, formerly known as Gork ...
and the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...
. He and his sons also sold gunpowder in Izhevsky Zavod. One of his sons, Vasily, later opened his own armory. *Andrian Nikandrovich Evdokimov was a competitor of the Petrovs. He had the armory on Bazarnaya Street. *Nikolay Ilyich Berezin built his enterprise on Bazarnaya Street, too. He produced guns. He also owned a small iron foundry in the northeast suburbs. *Merchants Porsev and Kilin were the owners of two brick factories. There were twelve private industrial enterprises in Izhevsky Zavod by 1914.


Izhevsky Zavod merchants

In the 1870s, trade blossomed in Izhevsky Zavod. The Bodalev Brothers, Mokletsov, Ogloblin, Sveshnikov and Sozykin were the most successful merchants. It was profitable to deal in spirits. There were three vodka distilleries, four wine warehouses, three wine cellars, and about fifty taverns in 1872. This year Ivan Bodalev opened his brewery on the bank of the reservoir.


Religious buildings

At the turn of the 19th century, there were four temples in Izhevsky Zavod. St. Michael's Cathedral was built between 1897 and 1915. Izhevsky Zavod was one of the residence centers of the Udmurt Jews, who spoke ''Udmurtish'' ''Yiddish''.Altyntsev A.V., "The Concept of Love in Ashkenazim of Udmurtia and Tatarstan", Nauka Udmurtii. 2013. № 4 (66), p. 131. (Алтынцев А.В.
"Чувство любви в понимании евреев-ашкенази Удмуртии и Татарстана".
Наука Удмуртии. 2013. №4. С. 131: Комментарии.)
In the workmen's settlement since 1849 under the Jewish religious needs the house of worship was allocated.
Лехаим. 2009. №1 (201).
Шумилов Е.Ф., "Евреи на Ижевском оружейном заводе".
Ренев Е.
Шалом. Народ Торы в старом Ижевске.
Инвожо. 2012. № 8. С. 46.
A second prayer house was opened in 1917. Both
synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
s were closed in 1930 by the Soviet authorities.


The Russian Revolution and the Russian Civil War

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 mid-September of the same year,
Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
s took control of both the council and its 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 in June 1918, contributing to an uprising against Bolshevik rule. The struggle for control of the city continued until the arrival of the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
, which took Izhevsk on November 7. On April 13, 1919, the city was occupied by units of
Admiral Kolchak Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak (russian: link=no, Александр Васильевич Колчак; – 7 February 1920) was an Imperial Russian admiral, military leader and polar explorer who served in the Imperial Russian Navy and fought ...
's
White Army The White Army (russian: Белая армия, Belaya armiya) or White Guard (russian: Бѣлая гвардія/Белая гвардия, Belaya gvardiya, label=none), also referred to as the Whites or White Guardsmen (russian: Бѣлогв ...
, only to fall again, this time decisively, to another assault by the Red Army in June 8 of the same year.


The Soviet period

The Soviet period saw significant growth in the size and importance of Izhevsk. In 1921, the city became the
administrative center An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or ...
of Votsk Autonomous Oblast, a precursor to the
Udmurt Republic Udmurtia (russian: Удму́ртия, r=Udmúrtiya, p=ʊˈdmurtʲɪjə; udm, Удмуртия, ''Udmurtija''), or the Udmurt Republic (russian: Удмуртская Республика, udm, Удмурт Республика, Удмурт ...
. On December 28, 1934, Izhevsk received status of capital of the
Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic The Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union, named after the Udmurt people. It originated on 4 November 1920 as the Votyak Autonomous Oblast ("Votyak" is an obsolete name for Udmurts, "Vot" be ...
. The first tramline was opened in 1935. It was 5 km long. On March 14, 1937, the Republic's constitution was adopted. It consolidated the capital status of Izhevsk. In the autumn of 1941 several defense-related plants evacuated to Izhevsk. In June, 1943,
Izhevsk Mechanical Plant Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (russian: Ижевский Механический Завод, ''Izhevsky Mekhanicheskiy Zavod'') or IZHMEKH (ИЖМЕХ) was a major firearms manufacturer founded in Izhevsk in 1942 for manufacturing small arms. Histo ...
was founded. During World War II, Izhevsk plants produced 12 and a half million small arms.
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
had a profound effect on the city; much of the industrial infrastructure evacuated from the western regions of the Soviet Union was relocated to the city. Elements of the evacuated enterprises were used to create the
Izhevsk Mechanical Plant Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (russian: Ижевский Механический Завод, ''Izhevsky Mekhanicheskiy Zavod'') or IZHMEKH (ИЖМЕХ) was a major firearms manufacturer founded in Izhevsk in 1942 for manufacturing small arms. Histo ...
, which remains an important manufacturer of military components. Military industry remained the core of the local economy after the war, so Izhvesk was designated a
closed city A closed city or closed town is a settlement where travel or residency restrictions are applied so that specific authorization is required to visit or remain overnight. Such places may be sensitive military establishments or secret research ins ...
, inaccessible to foreigners. The city's
Izhmash JSC Kalashnikov Concern (), known until 2013 as the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant (), is a Russian defense manufacturing concern and joint-stock company headquartered in the city of Izhevsk in the Republic of Udmurtia as well as the capital c ...
factory began manufacturing the
AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...
automatic rifle in 1948, and continues to produce modern variants of the design to this day. The rifle's designer,
Mikhail Kalashnikov Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov ( rus, Михаи́л Тимофе́евич Кала́шников, p=kɐˈlaʂnʲɪkəf; 10 November 1919 – 23 December 2013) was a Soviet and Russian lieutenant general, inventor, military engineer, writer, a ...
lived in Izhevsk until his death in 2013. In 1966, Izhmash began manufacturing the
Izh Izh may refer to; * IZh (Russian: ), a Russian automobile marque of the Izhevsk Machinebuilding Plant * Izh (river) (Russian: ), Udmurt Republic, Russia * Ingrian language Ingrian can refer to: *Of or pertaining to the region of Ingria *The Ingr ...
brand of automobiles. In 1984, the city was renamed Ustinov; in honor of former minister of defense
Dmitry Ustinov Dmitriy Fyodorovich Ustinov (russian: Дмитрий Фёдорович Устинов; 30 October 1908 – 20 December 1984) was a Marshal of the Soviet Union and Soviet politician during the Cold War. He served as a Central Committee sec ...
. Three years later, despite vocal protests by a significant number of citizens, Izhevsk regained its historical name. Izhevsk weathered the
post-Soviet The post-Soviet states, also known as the former Soviet Union (FSU), the former Soviet Republics and in Russia as the near abroad (russian: links=no, ближнее зарубежье, blizhneye zarubezhye), are the 15 sovereign states that wer ...
years reasonably well, carried through by the continued demand for its military products. The city remains an important industrial and military center of the country, referred to as the "Armory of Russia", a title it shares with the city of
Tula Tula may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Tula Mountains *Tula Point India *Tulā, a solar month in the traditional Indian calendar Iran * Tula, Iran, a village in Hormozgan Province Italy * Tula, Sardinia, municipality (''comune'') in the pr ...
.


2022 school shooting

On 26 September 2022, Artem Kazantsev, a former pupil, committed a
mass shooting There is a lack of consensus on how to define a mass shooting. Most terms define a minimum of three or four victims of gun violence (not including the shooter or in an inner city) in a short period of time, although an Australian study from 200 ...
at School No. 88 in the city. Seventeen people, including eleven children, were killed, and 24 others were injured. The school has about 1,000 pupils. Kazantsev later killed himself at the scene.


Administrative and municipal status

Izhevsk is the
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
of the republic.Law #46-RZ Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as the city of republic significance of Izhevsk—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the
districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
. As a municipal division, the city of republic significance of Izhevsk is incorporated as Izhevsk Urban Okrug.Law #17-RZ


Demographics

Population: 629,455 (2012 est.); According to the 2010 census, the capital of Udmurtia is home to more than 100 ethnicities. More than two-thirds of residents are
Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...
(68.8%). Other groups include
Udmurts The Udmurts ( udm, Удмуртъёс, ) are a Permian ( Finnic) ethnic group in Eastern Europe, who speak the Udmurt language. In the course of history, Russian-speakers have referred to them as ' (), Otyaks, Wotyaks or Votyaks. Etymology The n ...
(14.8%),
Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
is an umbrella term for different
(8.9%),
Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian. The majority ...
,
Belarusians , native_name_lang = be , pop = 9.5–10 million , image = , caption = , popplace = 7.99 million , region1 = , pop1 = 600,000–768,000 , region2 = , pop2 ...
, Mari,
Bashkirs , native_name_lang = bak , flag = File:Bashkirs of Baymak rayon.jpg , flag_caption = Bashkirs of Baymak in traditional dress , image = , caption = , population = approx. 2 million , popplace ...
, Chuvash,
Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
,
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
and
Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
. Izhevsk was one of the homes of the Udmurt Jews. Jews have lived in Izhevsk since the 1830s.


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 JSC Kalashnikov Concern (), known until 2013 as the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant (), is a Russian defense manufacturing concern and joint-stock company headquartered in the city of Izhevsk in the Republic of Udmurtia as well as the capital c ...
, 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 Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was a Venezuelan politician who was president of Venezuela from 1999 until his death in 2013, except for a brief period in 2002. Chávez was also leader of the Fifth Republ ...
visited Izhevsk to tour the
Izhmash JSC Kalashnikov Concern (), known until 2013 as the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant (), is a Russian defense manufacturing concern and joint-stock company headquartered in the city of Izhevsk in the Republic of Udmurtia as well as the capital c ...
manufacturing center where he announced his government's intention to purchase a large number of Izhevsk-produced rifles.


Transport

City public transport included buses, trolleybuses and
trams A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
. The main railway station is located in the southern part of the city. Bus in Izhevsk, Russia.jpg,
NefAZ-5299 Neftekamsk Automotive Plant (NefAZ) is a Russian manufacturer of city buses located in the city of Neftekamsk, Bashkortostan. Bus models In 1981, NefAZ began manufacturing buses, including public buses. In  2005, NefAZ manufactured 1,25 ...
bus Izhevsk trolleybus (route 10).JPG, Trolleybus Tram 1002 (Izhevsk).jpg, Tatra T3RF tram Trams on Central square (Izhevsk).jpg, Trams on Central square Izh tram.jpg, Tatra KT4DM tram


Climate

Izhevsk has a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Dfb'') with long, cold winters and short, warm summers. Summers are quite a bit warmer than at corresponding latitudes in
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
, courtesy of the city's far inland location. Winters are a lot colder than said areas, also due to the distance from the
North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...
, which results in limited temperature moderation. Even so, winters are a lot less severe than those in Russian cities east of the
Ural Mountains The Ural Mountains ( ; rus, Ура́льские го́ры, r=Uralskiye gory, p=ʊˈralʲskʲɪjə ˈɡorɨ; ba, Урал тауҙары) or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western ...
. An extreme July temperature of was recorded during the
2010 Northern Hemisphere summer heat waves The 2010 Northern Hemisphere summer heat waves included severe heat waves that impacted most of the United States, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Hong Kong, North Africa and the European continent as a whole, along with parts of Canada, Russia, Indoc ...
.


Life and culture


Education

Izhevsk is the scientific and cultural center of the Udmurt Republic. Early on, the state took a leading role in childcare and education. 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 Udmurt State University ( Udmurtian Удмурт кун университет; russian: Удмуртский государственный университет) is a public university in the city of Izhevsk, Russia. Established in 1931, UdSU ...
, Izhevsk State Technical University, Agricultural Academy, and Izhevsk State 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 The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
and
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
Intercultural cities Cross-cultural communication is a field of study that looks at how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they endeavor to communicate across cultures. Intercultural communi ...
programme.


Museums and galleries

There are about fifty museums and galleries in Izhevsk. The most popular of them are: *The Kalashnikov Museum and Exhibition Complex of Small Arms; *The Gerd National Museum — the Arsenal; *The Udmurt Republican Museum of Fine Arts; *The Izhmash Museum; *The Museum of Medicine and Pharmacy; *The Museum of Electrification and Electroenergetics; *The Gennadiy Krasilnikov Memorial Flat; *The National Center of Decorative and Applied Arts and Handicraft; *The Galerea Exhibition Center. The Kalashnikov Museum and Exhibition Complex of Small Arms, or the Kalashnikov Museum, opened in 2004. Its expositions tell about Izhevsk as one of the most important centers of Russian arms production. The main person of the museum narration is
Mikhail Kalashnikov Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov ( rus, Михаи́л Тимофе́евич Кала́шников, p=kɐˈlaʂnʲɪkəf; 10 November 1919 – 23 December 2013) was a Soviet and Russian lieutenant general, inventor, military engineer, writer, a ...
. The museum and exhibition complex holds the permanent exposition devoted to this legendary Russian armourer. There are temporary expositions in addition to the permanent exposition launched in 2004. The Museum has a demonstration hall, including the shooting gallery where different models of historical and contemporary arms are presented, and the pneumatic shooting gallery. 17 kilometers from Izhevsk is the Ludorvay Architectural and Ethnographic Open-air Museum. It was founded in 1990 on the premises of the former Russian settlement Ilyinka. Total area of the culture preserve is about 40 hectares. It divided into five exhibition parts: the Sector of Central Udmurts, the Sector of Southern Udmurts, Russian sector, the Windmill, and the Mushtor Apiary Complex.


Theaters and philharmonics

Izhevsk has a number of theaters, among the most prominent of which are: *State Russian Drama Theatre; *State National Theatre of the Udmurt Republic; *State Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Udmurt Republic; *State Puppet Theatre of the Udmurt Republic; *Modern Dramaturgy and Direction Centre; *"Young Man" Municipal Theatre; *"Ptitsa" Theatre-Studio; *State Philharmonic of the Udmurt Republic.


Circus

One of the integral parts of Izhevsk cultural life is the State Circus of the Udmurt Republic. Residents of Izhevsk have liked circus throughout the history of the city. In olden days the settlement was visited by vagrant performers — skomorokhs with mountain bears, strongmen and fakirs. Since the turn of the 19th century, shows took places in booths — temporary structures with benches for the rich and standing room for the poor. The first Izhevsk circus was built by Aleksandr Koromyslov in 1895. It had existed until the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
began. On 21 September 1926, the Kolart Circus was opened. It was made of wood and seated 1,500 spectators. In 1943, at the height of The
Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sout ...
, the stone circus building was erected in the Kolart's place. It was designed by P.M. Popov after the pattern of
Ciniselli Circus Circus Ciniselli (Russian: ''Цирк Чинизелли'') was the first brick-built circus in Russia; it is situated beside the Fontanka in Saint Petersburg. The building, which still stands, was opened on 26 December 1877, with a large stage (1 ...
in
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. On 29 November 1943, wounded soldiers saw the first show there. The Circus seated 1,800 spectators and was considered one of the best in the Soviet Union. On January 14, 1990, the Circus was closed because of dilapidation. On 29 December 1999, the building was razed. On January 17, 2000, a cornerstone of new circus was laid. The project was designed by Moscow architect Mikhail Vesnin. In the judgment of specialists, the contemporary building of the Circus is one of the best in Russia. It seats 1,800 spectators like the predecessor and has current technologies and high-performance audio and light equipment. The International Circus Art Festival has been held at the State Circus of the Udmurt Republic yearly in March since 2008. Circus stars come to Izhevsk from every corner of the globe. Some of the world's leading circus art festivals and circus managers and producers join the festival jury.


Sports

The Izhvesk ice hockey team
HC Izhstal Izhstal Izhevsk (russian: Ижсталь Ижевск) is a professional ice hockey team based in Izhevsk, Udmurtia, Russia. They are currently playing in the Supreme Hockey League (VHL), the second highest professional league in Russia. History ...
plays in the
Supreme Hockey League The Supreme Hockey League (SHL) (russian: Высшая хоккейная лига (ВХЛ), links=no, ''Vysshaya hokkeinaya liga (VHL)''), also known as the Major Hockey League or Higher Hockey League (HHL), is a professional ice hockey league i ...
. In the season 2013-14 the team finished the regular season 19th and failed to qualify for the playoffs. The
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club Zenit-Izhevsk plays in the
Russian Professional Football League The Russian Second League (russian: Первенство России II дивизиона ФНЛ), formerly Russian Professional Football League is the third level of Russian professional football. History In 1998–2010, it was run by the Pr ...
. In the season 2013-14 the team finished fifth in the zone Ural-Povolzhye. The women's
handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
team Universitet plays in Russian Superleague. The
sledge hockey Sledge hockey, also known as Sled hockey in American English, and Para ice hockey in international competition, is an adaptation of ice hockey for players who have a physical disability. The sport was invented in the early 1960s at a rehabilitat ...
team Udmurtia was twice champion of Russia (2010, 2014).


Entertainment

In the post-Soviet period, Izhevsk became known as home to a vibrant art and music scene. Izhevsk is sometimes referred to as "the capital of Russian electronic music". The most well-known Izhevsk electronic act was Стук Бамбука в XI Часов (''Stuk Bambuka v XI Chasov''), whose only album ''Лёгкое дело холод'' (1991) is now considered classic. Currently the music scene continues to evolve creating new talents such as Anna Krab calling herself the Electronic Queen of Udmurtia and Distract-a-bee with a dick-logo tending to release an album every week. Italmas (Италмас) is an Udmurt folk theater and dance company.


Cityscape


Notable buildings and structures

*
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Alexander Nevsky Cathedral may refer to the following (alphabetically by country, then by town): * Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Baku in Azerbaijan * Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia in Bulgaria * Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn, Estonia * Al ...
is a Neoclassical building from 1823 patterned after St. Andrew's Cathedral in
Kronstadt Kronstadt (russian: Кроншта́дт, Kronshtadt ), also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt or Kronštádt (from german: link=no, Krone for "crown" and ''Stadt'' for "city") is a Russian port city in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of ...
(whose architect was
Andreyan Zakharov Andreyan Zakharov (russian: Андрея́н Дми́триевич Заха́ров; 19 August 1761 – 8 September 1811) was a Russian Imperial architect and representative of the Empire style. His designs also alternated neoclassicism with ecle ...
) * 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 six crossbars running in two levels from the mast structure to the guys)


Pond

Izhvesk City Pond's area is over 22 km2, yet it was artificially constructed (in parts dug by hand) in the 1760s for industrial needs. Empress
Elizabeth of Russia Elizabeth Petrovna (russian: Елизаве́та (Елисаве́та) Петро́вна) (), also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian ...
granted Count Peter Shuvalov official permission to create three factories in the
Kama River The Kama (russian: Ка́ма, ; tt-Cyrl, Чулман, ''Çulman''; udm, Кам) is a long«Река ...
region September 15, 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
Andrey Fedorovich Deryabin Andrey, Andrej or Andrei (in Cyrillic script: Андрей, Андреј or Андрэй) is a form of Andreas/Ἀνδρέας in Slavic languages and Romanian. People with the name include: *Andrei of Polotsk ( – 1399), Lithuanian nobleman *An ...
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. 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 The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
.


Twin towns – sister cities

Izhevsk is twinned with: *
Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress *Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria *Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France **Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Brest, ...
, Belarus * Córdoba, Argentina *
Maracay ) , image_skyline = , image_caption =Top:Maracay Municipal Garden and Las Delicias area, Second:Sindoni Tower, Los Tamarindo residential area and overview to Maracay, Third:Maestranza Cesar Giron Bullring Stadium, Girardot Square and Maracay ...
, Venezuela *
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
, United States *
Tatabánya Tatabánya (; german: Totiserkolonie; sk, Banská Stará) is a City with county rights, city with county rights of 64,305 inhabitants in northwestern Hungary, in the Central Transdanubian region. It is the capital of Komárom-Esztergom County. L ...
, Hungary *
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...
, China *
Xining Xining (; ), alternatively known as Sining, is the capital of Qinghai province in western China and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. The city was a commercial hub along the Northern Silk Road's Hexi Corridor for over 2000 years, and wa ...
, China *
Yambol Yambol ( bg, Ямбол ) is a town in Southeastern Bulgaria and administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the Tundzha river in the historical region of Thrace. It is occasionally spelled ''Jambol''. Yambol is the admi ...
, Bulgaria It was twinned with
Będzin Będzin (; also ''Bendzin'' in English; german: Bendzin; yi, בענדין, Bendin) is a city in the Dąbrowa Basin, in southern Poland. It lies in the Silesian Highlands, on the Czarna Przemsza River (a tributary of the Vistula). Even though par ...
, Poland, until the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, for which Będzin cut ties.


Notable people


Science and technology

*
Yevgeny Dragunov Yevgeny Fyodorovich Dragunov (russian: Евге́ний Фёдорович Драгуно́в; February 20, 1920August 4, 1991) was a Soviet weapons designer, best known for his role in helping invent the semi-automatic rifle bearing his name, the ...
(1920–1991), firearm designer *
Victor Kalashnikov Victor Mikhailovich Kalashnikov (russian: Ви́ктор Миха́йлович Кала́шников; 16 July 1942 – 27 March 2018) was a Russian small arms designer known for developing the PP-19 Bizon machine pistols. Early life and educa ...
(1942–2018), weapons scientist and engineer, son of
Mikhail Kalashnikov Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov ( rus, Михаи́л Тимофе́евич Кала́шников, p=kɐˈlaʂnʲɪkəf; 10 November 1919 – 23 December 2013) was a Soviet and Russian lieutenant general, inventor, military engineer, writer, a ...
*
Vladimir Napolskikh Vladimir Vladimirovich Napolskikh (russian: Влади́мир Влади́мирович Напо́льских, born 1 April 1963, Izhevsk, USSR) is a Russian ethnographer, ethnologist, ethnohistorian, Finno-Ugrist and linguist. Doctor of Histor ...
(born 1963),
ethnographer Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject o ...
and
linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
*
Gennadiy Nikonov Gennadiy Nikolaevich Nikonov (russian: Геннадий Николаевич Никонов; August 11, 1950 – May 14, 2003) was a Russian gun engineer. His most famous accomplishments were probably as the designer of the AN-94 assault rifle, ...
(1950–2003), firearm designer *
Taisiya Osintseva Taisiya Sergeevna Osintseva (another spelling: Taisiya Sergeyevna Osintseva; Russian language, Russian: Таисия Сергеевна Осинцева) (October 9, 1923 – November 17, 2008) was a Russian Professor of Neurology, Honorary title ...
(1923–2008),
neurologist Neurology (from el, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the brain, the spinal c ...
and physician


Sport

*
Alina Zagitova Alina Ilnazovna Zagitova ( rus, Алина Ильназовна Загитова, , ɐˈlʲinə zɐˈɡʲitəvə; born 18 May 2002) is a Russian figure skater of Volga- Tatar origin. She is the 2018 Olympic champion, the 2019 World champion, ...
(born 2002),
figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...
, European, World and Olympic champion * Dmitri Bykov (born 1977), ice hockey
defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...
*
Andrei Kirilenko Andrei Gennadyevich Kirilenko (russian: Андрей Геннадьевич Кириленко; born February 18, 1981) is a Russian-American basketball executive and former professional basketball player, currently the commissioner of the Russ ...
(born 1981), basketball player, European champion *
Galina Kulakova Galina Alexeyevna Kulakova (russian: Галина Алексеевна Кулакова, born 29 April 1942) is a Soviet former cross-country skier, arguably the best skier on distances shorter than 10 km in the early 1970s. She won four Ol ...
(born 1942), cross-country skier, four-time Olympic champion * Maxim Maksimov (born 1979),
biathlete The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skiing and shooting sports, rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into sh ...
*
Valeriy Medvedtsev Valeriy Alekseevitch Medvedtsev (russian: Валерий Алексеевич Медведцев; born 5 July 1964) is a former Russian biathlete. Career On 16 January 1986, Medvedtsev achieved the feat of winning his World Cup debut. He train ...
(born 1964), biathlete * Vladimir Semakov (born 1985), Russian and Ukrainian biathlete, European champion *
Vladimir Shkurikhin Vladimir Shkurikhin (russian: Владимир Шкурихин, 26 July 1958 – 25 November 2017) was a Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian volleyball player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1988 Summer Olympics. In 1 ...
(born 1958), volleyball player, world and European champion *
Ivan Tcherezov Ivan Yuryevich Tcherezov (russian: Иван Юрьевич Черезов; born 18 November 1980) is a former Russian biathlete. He announced his retirement from biathlon at the end of the 2015–16 season. Biathlon results All results are sour ...
(born 1980), biathlete, world champion *
Tamara Tikhonova Tamara Ivanovna Tikhonova (russian: Тамара Ивановна Тихонова; born 13 June 1964) is a former Soviet Russian cross-country skier who competed from 1984 to 1992. She represented the Soviet Union at the 1988 Winter Olympics i ...
(born 1964), cross-country skier, two-time World and a two-time Olympic champion *
Pavel Tonkov Pavel Sergeyevich Tonkov (russian: Павел Сергеевич Тонков; born 9 February 1969 in Izhevsk) is a former professional road racing cyclist from Russia. His talents were first showcased when winning the world junior title as part ...
(born 1969),
racing cyclist Cycle sport is Competition, competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing ...
*
Fedor Tyutin Fedor Anatolievich Tyutin (russian: Фёдор Анатольевич Тютин, ''Fjodor Tjutin''; born 19 July 1983) is a Russian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Tyutin was drafted in the second round, 40th overall by the New York R ...
(born 1983), ice hockey defenceman, world champion *
Anna Zhigalova Anna Poliakova (maiden name Anna Zhigalova) is a Russian amateur sumo wrestler. She has won gold medals in both the heavyweight and openweight categories in the 2009, 2013 and 2017 World Games. She has also won seven golds at the Sumo World Cham ...
(born 1981), sumo wrestler *
Andrei Vedernikov Andrei Georgievich Vedernikov (russian: Андрей Георгиевич Ведерников; 1 October 1959 — 29 February 2020) was a Soviet cyclist. In 1981 he became the first Soviet cyclist to win the individual amateur road race at world ...
(born 1959), cyclist, world champion


Others

*
Alexander Saburov Alexander Nikolayevich Saburov (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Сабу́ров; 15 April 1974) was one of the leaders of Soviet partisan movement in Ukraine and western Russia during World War II. Saburov was born on to ...
(1908–1974), partisan in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Soviet general and politician *
Volodymyr Selivanov Volodymyr Selivanov or Vladimir Selivanov ( uk, Володимир Миколайович Селіванов; born 5 November 1945 in Izhevsk, Soviet Union, now Russia) is a Ukrainian jurist, researcher and politician. In 1992 - 1993 he served as a ...
(born 1945), Ukrainian statesman *
Artem Chigvintsev Artem Vladimirovich Chigvintsev (russian: Артём Влади́мирович Чи́гвинцев; born 12 June 1982) is a Russian-American professional dancer, specializing in Latin dancing. Chigvintsev was a cast member of '' Burn the F ...
(born 12 June 1982), professional dancer * Elena Evseeva (born 13 December 1982), ballerina *
Timofey Kulyabin Timofey Aleksandrovich Kulyabin (russian: Тимофей Александрович Кулябин, links=no; born 10 October 1984, Izhevsk) is a Russian theater and opera director. Biography Kulyabin was one of the most prominent young theatre ...
(born 1984), theater and opera director * Rauf & Faik (born 7 July 1999), pop duet musicians


Gallery

File:%D0%9D%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B6%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%98%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%BF%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B0.jpg, Izhevsk File:%D0%9F%D0%BE%D1%8E%D1%89%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D1%84%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD.jpeg, Izhevsk File:Izhevsk_Zenit_Stadium_3.JPG,
FC Zenit-Izhevsk FC Zenit Izhevsk (russian: ФК «Зенит-Ижевск» Ижевск) is a Russian football club from Izhevsk, founded in 2011. It played its first professional season in the Russian Second Division in 2011, where it replaced FC SOYUZ-Gazpro ...
Stadium File:%D0%98%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4_%22%D0%90%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD-%D0%A5%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3%22.jpg, Izhevsk, Russia File:Ippodromnaya_street_in_Izhevsk.JPG, Ippodromaya street, Izhevsk File:%D0%A3%D0%B4%D0%BC%D1%83%D1%80%D1%82%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D1%83%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%82.jpg, Udmurt State University, Izhevsk File:Karlutskaya_square_3.JPG, Karlutskaya square, Izhevsk File:Izhevsk Arsenal-21.jpg, Presidential palace


References


Notes


Sources

* *


External links


Official website of Izhevsk

Izhevsk Business Directory

Kalashnikov MuseumUdmurt State UniversityWebsite of IzhmashInformal blog in English about everyday life in Izhevsk
{{Authority control 1760s establishments in the Russian Empire Populated places established in 1760 Sarapulsky Uyezd