page_title: Izhevsk
section_title: The Soviet period
hierarchical_section_title: Izhevsk / History / The Soviet period
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Фото улицы Базарной (современная улица Максима Горького) в Ижевске 1918 года
context_page_description: Izhevsk is the capital city of Udmurtia, Russia, located along the Izh River in the Western Ural Mountains. Its population is 629,455, up from 627,734 recorded in the 2010 Census, making it the nineteenth-largest city in Russia and the largest in the republic.
  From 1984 to 1987, the city was called Ustinov, named after late Soviet Minister of Defence Dmitry Ustinov The city is a major hub of industry, commerce, politics, culture and education in the Volga Region. It is famous for its defense, engineering and metallurgy industries. Izhevsk has the titles of the Armory Capital of Russia and the City of Labor Glory.
context_section_description: The Soviet period saw significant growth in the size and importance of Izhevsk. In 1921, the city became the administrative center of Votsk Autonomous Oblast, a precursor to the Udmurt Republic. On December 28, 1934, Izhevsk received status of capital of the Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. 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 was founded. During World War II, Izhevsk plants produced 12 and a half million small arms.
  World War II 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, 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, 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 lived in Izhevsk until his death in 2013. In 1966, Izhmash began manufacturing the Izh brand of automobiles.
  In 1984, the city was renamed Ustinov; in honor of former minister of defense Dmitry Ustinov. Three years later, despite vocal protests by a significant number of citizens, Izhevsk regained its historical name.
  Izhevsk weathered the post-Soviet 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.
caption: Bazarnaya Street and Saint Michael's Cathedral in 1918
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