Udmurtia.

History

The Udmurts' name is linked to the words 'odo-mort', meaning 'meadow people'. Sarapul was first recorded in 1596 as the village of Voznesenskoye. The Votkinsk ironworks were founded in 1759, and on 10 April 1760 work began on the dam of the Izhevsk ironworks; from 1807 the plant made arms, and Izhevsk, together with Tula, became known as Russia's armoury. The Votyak Autonomous Oblast was created on 4 November 1920, renamed Udmurt in 1932, and the republic has carried its current name since 1991.

Culture & traditions

The official languages are Russian and Udmurt. Udmurt folklore preserves old ritual performances and song-and-dance traditions. The composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk on 7 May 1840. Izhevsk has around 50 museums and galleries, including the Kalashnikov Museum opened in 2004, and has hosted an international circus festival since 2008. The merchant town of Sarapul on the Kama was known for shoemaking by the end of the 19th century.

Nature

The main rivers are the Kama and the Vyatka. Nechkinsky National Park, created in 1997, protects the valley of the Kama and its tributary the Siva and the shore of the Votkinsk Reservoir: the right bank is steep, the left gentle, both covered with pine, with Siberian spruce in the gullies. It is home to the Russian desman and 191 bird species, and holds sites of ancient hunters and fortified settlements of the Ananyino culture. The Izhevsk Pond, created in the 1760s, covers more than 22 km².

Sport

Izhevsk is the hometown of Olympic champions including figure skater Alina Zagitova and cross-country skier Galina Kulakova. The city has the ice hockey club Izhstal, and Votkinsk has the bandy team Znamya-Udmurtiya.

Food & drink

The best-known Udmurt dish is pelmeni, whose name translates as 'bread ear'. They are filled with meat, mushrooms, cabbage or even berries, and were traditionally made in large batches in autumn and kept through the winter. Perepechi are small open pies of unleavened rye dough filled with meat, mushrooms or vegetables and topped with egg and milk, served hot. Rye bread, meat and vegetables have long been the staples.

Practical information

Flights arrive at Izhevsk Airport, and trains at Izhevsk railway station. The republic is one hour ahead of Moscow (UTC+4). The climate is temperate continental, averaging −14.5 °C in January and +18.3 °C in July, with snowy winters. Summer is the best time to visit, ideal for the Kama banks and Nechkinsky Park.

What to see

• Votkinsk — Pyotr Tchaikovsky's birthplace.
• Kalashnikov Museum in Izhevsk — the story of the famous designer and the gunmaking city.
• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Izhevsk — a church built in 1818–23.
• Izhevsk Pond — a vast 18th-century factory reservoir in the heart of the city.
• Nechkinsky National Park — pine-clad Kama banks and ancient hillforts.
• Sarapul — an old merchant town on the right bank of the Kama.

Cities on the map

• Izhevsk 642,023