Sverdlovsk

Sverdlovsk is the name by which the city now known as Yekaterinburg was called from 1924 to 1991. It is the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast, located in the Ural region of Russia on the Iset River, at the eastern foothills of the Ural Mountains. The city is a major industrial, cultural, and educational center and one of the largest cities in the country.

History and name changes: The settlement was founded in 1723 as a metallurgical factory town by Vasily Tatishchev and Georg Wilhelm de Gennin, and was named Yekaterinburg after Catherine I of Russia. In 1924, it was renamed Sverdlovsk in honor of Bolshevik Yakov Sverdlov. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the city’s name was restored to Yekaterinburg in 1991, while Sverdlovsk Oblast retained its name.

Economy and transport: Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg) remains a key industrial center, with metallurgy, machinery, and other manufacturing sectors forming the backbone of its economy. It hosts several universities and research institutions, contributing to regional science and education. The city is a major transport hub in the Urals, with rail, road, and air connections linking it to western Russia and beyond. It also serves as a gateway to the broader Ural and Asian regions.

Notable aspects: The city contains numerous cultural institutions, museums, theaters, and universities, including large urban campuses such as Ural Federal University. Its history as a Soviet-era industrial center and its status as a regional capital have shaped its development and identity.

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