Izhevsk.

History

The city dates its founding to 10 April 1760, when engineer Alexey Moskvin began building a dam for Count Pyotr Shuvalov's ironworks. Among other things, the works supplied iron bands for the Moscow Kremlin, and in 1807 Andrey Deryabin turned it into an arms factory. Production of the Kalashnikov rifle began here in 1948, and its designer lived in Izhevsk until his death in 2013. From 1984 to 1987 the city was called Ustinov, but residents campaigned successfully for the return of its historic name.

Culture & traditions

The city's flagship museum is the Kalashnikov Museum of small arms, opened in 2004, and there is also the Arsenal Museum. Izhevsk has the Udmurt State National Theatre, an opera and ballet theatre and the State Circus of Udmurtia. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral dates from 1818–1823, while St Michael's Cathedral was rebuilt in 2007. The Ludorvay open-air museum of architecture and ethnography lies 17 km away, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky was born in nearby Votkinsk.

Sport

Izhevsk is a skiing and biathlon city: the Izhevsk Rifle competition has been held since 1969, and the Nechkino and Chekeril ski resorts are nearby. The city has the ice hockey club Izhstal, the football club Zenit-Izhevsk and the women's handball team Universitet. Figure skater Alina Zagitova, cross-country skier Galina Kulakova and basketball player Andrei Kirilenko are all connected with Izhevsk.

Practical information

Izhevsk Airport, the only one in Udmurtia, lies east of the city. Trains run from the railway station to Kazan, Yekaterinburg and elsewhere, and trams, trolleybuses and buses serve the city. Izhevsk is one hour ahead of Moscow (MSK+1). The climate is humid continental, averaging about −12 °C in January and +19 °C in July; summer is the best time to visit, and winter is the season for skiing.

What to see

• Kalashnikov Museum — the story of small arms and their designer
• Izhevsk Pond — an 18th-century reservoir covering over 22 km²
• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral — a church built in 1818–1823
• St Michael's Cathedral — rebuilt in 2007
• Ludorvay — an open-air museum of architecture and ethnography
• Votkinsk — Tchaikovsky's birthplace, 62 km from Izhevsk