Izhevsk

Lore & Background

The pioneer settlements on the territory where modern Izhevsk now stands were founded by Udmurts 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. In 1552, Russia conquered the Khanate and, in 1582, Ivan the Terrible conferred the lands by the Karlutka and Izh Rivers on Bagish Yaushev, a Tatar morza. The quit-rent had been imposed on the Udmurt population ever since. The Yaushevs owned the land until the reign of Peter the Great (1682–1721). On September 15, 1757, Count Pyotr Shuvalov bought land in the Kama Region and got permission from Empress Elizabeth to build three ironworks there. On April 10, 1760, serfs from neighboring villages and artisans from other Shuvalov's plants began dam construction under the direction of Alexey Moskvin. This date is considered to be the date of Izhevsk's foundation. In 1762 Shuvalov died. His son Andrey inherited the factories. In accordance with the ukase of Catherine the Great dated November 15, 1763, all Shuvalov's ironworks, including the one at Izhevsky Zavod, lapsed to the Crown for debts. 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, one of the biggest in Europe, was formed. Near the ironworks, the settlement was built. This settlement was named Izhevsky Zavod. In October 1773, the news of the popular revolt against Catherine II on the Yaik and the manifestos of Yemelyan Pugachev reached Izhevsky Zavod. On January 1, 1774, a detachment of Yemelyan Pugachev'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. The serfs were freed. Some of them joined the detachment. Iron production stopped for a while. 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. 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 Pu

Reader's Guide

Izhevsk is the capital city of Udmurtia, Russia. It is situated along the Izh River, west of the Ural Mountains in Eastern Europe. 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, named after Soviet defence minister Dmitry Ustinov. The city is a major hub of industry, commerce, politics, culture and education in the Volga Region. It is known for its defense, engineering and metallurgy industries. Izhevsk holds the titles of Armory Capital of Russia and the City of Labor Glory.

Did You Know?

• The city was called Ustinov from 1984 to 1987, after Soviet defence minister Dmitry Ustinov.
• The pioneer settlements on the territory were founded by Udmurts in the 5th century.
• The date of Izhevsk's foundation is considered to be April 10, 1760, when dam construction began.
• The Izhevsk Reservoir was formed as a result of the dam construction and is described as one of the biggest in Europe.
• The arms factory was founded on June 10, 1807, considered the year of Izhevsk's second birth.