Russia is a country with a fairly high level of urbanization. Today in our country there are 15 million-plus cities. Which Russian cities are leading in terms of population at the moment? You will find the answer to this question in this fascinating article.

Urbanization and Russia

Is urbanization an achievement or a scourge of our modernity? It is difficult to answer this question. After all, this process is characterized by great inconsistency, provoking both positive and negative consequences.

This concept in a broad sense means the growth of the role of the city in human life. This process, bursting into our lives in the 20th century, fundamentally changed not only the reality around us, but also the person himself.

Mathematically speaking, urbanization is a measure of the proportion of the urban population of a country or region. Highly urbanized are those countries in which this figure exceeds 65%. In the Russian Federation, about 73% of the population lives in cities. You can find a list of cities in Russia by below.

It should be noted that the processes of urbanization in Russia took place (and are taking place) in two aspects:

1. The emergence of new cities that covered new spaces of the country.
2. Expansion of already existing cities and formation of large agglomerations.

History of Russian cities

In 1897, within the boundaries of modern Russia, the All-Russian counted 430 cities. Most of them were small towns, there were only seven large ones at that time. And all of them were up to the line of the Ural Mountains. But in Irkutsk - the current center of Siberia - there were hardly 50 thousand inhabitants.

A century later, the situation with cities in Russia has changed dramatically. It is quite possible that the main reason for this was the quite reasonable regional policy pursued by the Soviet authorities in the 20th century. One way or another, but by 1997 the number of cities in the country had increased to 1087, and the proportion of the urban population had grown to 73 percent. At the same time, cities increased twenty-three times! And today almost 50% of the total population of Russia lives in them.

Thus, only a hundred years have passed, and Russia has been transformed from a country of villages into a state of large cities.

Russia is a country of megacities

The largest cities of Russia in terms of population are distributed quite unevenly over its territory. Most of them are located in the most populated part of the country. Moreover, in Russia there is a steady trend towards the formation of agglomerations. It is they who form the framework grid (socio-economic and cultural) on which the entire system of settlement, as well as the country's economy, is strung.

850 cities (out of 1087) are located within European Russia and the Urals. In terms of area, this is only 25% of the territory of the state. But in the vast Siberian and Far Eastern expanses - only 250 cities. This nuance greatly complicates the process of developing the Asian part of Russia: the shortage of large metropolitan areas is felt especially acutely here. After all, there are colossal deposits of minerals. However, there is simply no one to develop them.

The Russian North also cannot boast of a dense network of large cities. This region is also characterized by focal settlement of the population. The same can be said about the south of the country, where in the mountainous and foothill regions only lonely and brave brave cities "survive".

So can Russia be called a country of big cities? Of course. Nevertheless, in this country, with its vast expanses and colossal natural resources, there is still a shortage of large cities.

The largest cities in Russia by population: TOP-5

As mentioned above, as of 2015, there are 15 million-plus cities in Russia. Such a title, as you know, is given to that settlement, the number of inhabitants of which has exceeded one million.

So, we list the largest cities in Russia by population:

1. Moscow (from 12 to 14 million inhabitants according to various sources).
2. St. Petersburg (5.13 million people).
3. Novosibirsk (1.54 million people).
4. Yekaterinburg (1.45 million people).
5. Nizhny Novgorod (1.27 million people).

If you carefully analyze the population (namely, its upper part), you will notice one interesting feature. We are talking about a fairly large gap in the number of residents between the first, second and third lines of this rating.

Thus, over twelve million people live in the capital, and about five million live in St. Petersburg. But the third largest city in Russia - Novosibirsk - is inhabited by only one and a half million inhabitants.

Moscow is the largest metropolis on the planet

The capital of the Russian Federation is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. It is very difficult to say how many people live in Moscow. Official sources speak of twelve million people, unofficial sources give other figures: from thirteen to fifteen million. Experts, in turn, predict that in the coming decades, the population of Moscow may even increase to twenty million people.

Moscow is included in the list of 25 so-called "global" cities (according to Foreign Policy magazine). These are the cities that make the most significant contribution to the development of world civilization.

Moscow is not only a significant industrial, political, scientific, educational and financial center of Europe, but also a tourist center. Four objects of the Russian capital are included in the UNESCO heritage list.

Finally...

In total, about 25% of the country's population lives in 15 million-plus cities in Russia. And all these cities continue to attract more and more people.

The largest cities in Russia are, of course, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk. All of them have significant industrial, cultural, as well as scientific and educational potential.

Almost all residents of our country know that the largest city in terms of population is Moscow - the capital of the Russian Federation, and the second largest city in terms of population is the city of St. Petersburg - the northern "capital". And what other cities are in the top 10 in terms of population in our country - Russia. Two cities are constantly fighting for third place, which periodically replace each other in this position - this is the Ural capital Yekaterinburg and the Siberian capital Novosibirsk. The population of these cities fluctuates around one and a half million people. Also in the top 10 are such cities - Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Chelyabinsk, Omsk, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, whose population is more than one million people. All these cities are classified as cities with a population of one million in the Russian Federation. Also, this category of cities, in addition to the above, includes such cities as Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Voronezh, Volgograd. Another 21 cities in our country have a population of 500,000 to 1,000,000. Other cities in the country have a smaller population.

Moscow.


The capital of the Russian Federation with a population of 12,330,126 people. The largest city not only in Russia, but also in the world, where it takes 10th place. The city was founded in 1147. Located on the Moscow River. The largest city in Europe.

St. Petersburg.


Northern, cultural "capital" with a population of 5,225,690. The second most populated city in Russia. A hero city that was under blockade for 872 days during the Great Patriotic War. Until January 26, 1924, it was called Petrograd, until September 6, 1991, Leningrad. It was founded in 1703 by order of Peter the Great. The third city in Europe in terms of population.

Novosibirsk.


The Siberian capital with a population of 1,584,138 people. The third most populated city in Russia, the largest in Siberia. Founded in 1893, received city status in 1903. Until 1925 it was called Novo-Nikolaevsk.

Yekaterinburg.


The capital of the Urals with a population of 1,444,439 people. Founded November 7, 1723. From 1924 to 1991 it was called Sverdlovsk. During the reign of Catherine II, the Siberian Highway was laid through the city - the main road to the riches of Siberia - Yekaterinburg became a "window to Asia", like St. Petersburg - a "window to Europe".

Nizhny Novgorod.


It closes the top five Russian cities in terms of population - 1,266,871 people. The city was founded in 1221 - one of the oldest cities in our country. From 1932 to 1990 it was called Gorky.

Kazan.


Capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. Population 1,216,965 people. The city was founded in 1005. The largest tourist center.

Chelyabinsk.


Population 1,191,994. Founded in 1736. The largest industrial center of the country.

Omsk.


City of Siberia with a population of 1,178,079 people. Founded in 1716. The second city in Siberia in terms of population. It is located at the confluence of the Irtysh and Om rivers.

Samara.


Population 1,170,910. Founded in 1586. From 1935 to 1991, the name Kuibyshev began. The city has the highest railway station in Europe. Samara has the longest embankment in Russia.

Rostov-on-Don.


Population 1,119,875 people. The city was founded in 1749. The city is located on the Don River. The city is called the "gates of the Caucasus", the southern capital.

About 147 million people - that's how many people live in Russia today. How many of them are women, men, children and pensioners? What nationalities are the most numerous in the country? What are the characteristics of the rural and urban population of Russia? Let's try to answer all these questions.

The population of Russia: some dry numbers

The Russian Federation is the first country in the world in terms of area and the ninth in terms of population. The main demographic indicators of the state (as of 2016):

• 146,544,710 - the population of Russia (as of January 1, 2016);
• 1.77 - total fertility rate (for 2015);
• 18,538 - increase in the population of the country for the first 11 months of 2016;
• 8.57 people/sq. km. - average population density;
• 20-24 years - the average age of the birth of the first child (for women);
• more than 200 nations and ethnic groups live in modern Russia.

Registration of the population in the Russian Federation

Population census data make it possible to compile the most complete and accurate demographic picture of the country. This information helps to analyze the dynamics of general demographic indicators in the state or its specific region.

A population census is a labor-intensive and unified process of collecting, systematizing, analyzing and processing data on the population of a country or region. This event is carried out on the basis of the principles of confidentiality, universality and strict centralization of the entire process.

The first general in the history of Russia was held in 1897 under the guidance of the scientist and geographer P.P. Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky. In Soviet times, the inhabitants of the country were "counted" nine more times. After the collapse of the USSR, the population census in Russia was carried out twice - in 2002 and 2010.

In addition to censuses, registration of demographic indicators in Russia is carried out by Rosstat, territorial offices of registry offices, as well as passport offices.

The current demographic situation in Russia

The total population of the Russian Federation: almost 143 million people and another 90,000 citizens staying abroad. These are the data of the last population census conducted in the country in autumn 2010. Compared to the 2002 census, the population of Russia has decreased by more than two million.

In general, the current demographic situation in Russia can be characterized as a crisis. Although it is too early to talk about the "extinction of the nation". Moreover, in recent years, a positive natural increase in the population (albeit insignificant) has been recorded. The life expectancy in the country is also increasing. So, since 2010, it has grown from 68.9 to 70.8 years.

According to the most pessimistic scenarios, by 2030 the population of Russia will be reduced to about 142 million people. According to optimistic demographers, its population will grow to 152 million inhabitants.

Sex and age structure of the population

According to the latest census, there are 10.8 million more women in Russia than men. And this “chasm” between the sexes is only widening every year. The main reason for this situation is the increased mortality among men of mature (working) age. Moreover, more than half of these deaths occur due to diseases of the cardiovascular system.

The current age composition of the Russian population is as follows:

• group of children and minors (0-14 years old): 15%;
• citizens of working age (15-64 years old): 72%
• pensioners (over 65): about 13%.

Ethnic composition of the population

In accordance with the current Constitution, Russia is a multinational state. The data of the latest population censuses once again confirm this thesis.

So, in Russia there are more than two hundred nationalities and ethnic groups. The most numerous nation in the country are Russians (about 80%). However, they are dispersed across the territory of the Russian Federation rather unevenly. The smallest number of Russians is in the Chechen Republic (no more than 2%).

Other nations whose population within Russia exceeds one percent:

• Tatars (3.9%);
• Ukrainians (1.4%);
• Bashkirs (1.2%);
• Chuvash (1%);
• Chechens (1%).

Citizens of the Russian Federation speak several hundred languages ​​and various dialects. The most common of them are Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian, Belarusian, Tatar. But 136 languages ​​on the territory of modern Russia are under a serious threat of complete extinction (according to the international organization UNESCO).

Rural and urban population of Russia

Today in Russia there are 2386 cities and more than 134 thousand 74% of the country's inhabitants live in cities, 26% - in villages and villages. The rural and urban population of Russia differ greatly in ethnic, gender and age composition, level and way of life.

In modern Russia, two seemingly incompatible trends are combined in an amazing way. On the one hand, the number of villages in the country is rapidly declining, and “rural Russia”, glorified in poetry and prose, is gradually dying out. On the other hand, the country is characterized by the so-called de-urbanization (within 0.2% per year). Russia is one of the few countries in the world where people are actively moving from cities to villages for permanent residence.

As of the beginning of 2016, the urban population of Russia is almost 109 million people.

Cities of Russia

If a locality has a population of at least 12,000 people, provided that 85% of them are not employed in agriculture, then it can be considered a city. All cities in Russia by population are divided into:

• small (up to 50,000 inhabitants);
• medium (50-100 thousand);
• large (100-250 thousand);
• large (250-500 thousand);
• the largest (500-1000 thousand);
• "millionaires" (with a population of over one million people).

To date, the list of millionaire cities in Russia consists of 15 names. And in these fifteen settlements almost 10% of the population of the Russian Federation is concentrated.

Many large cities in Russia are developing very rapidly, acquiring satellite settlements and forming urban agglomerations with stable economic and social relationships.

Villages of Russia

There are five types of rural settlements on the territory of Russia:

• villages;
• villages;
• farms;
• villages;
• villages.

About half of all rural settlements in the country are the smallest (the population of which does not exceed 50 people).

The traditional one is slowly dying out. And this is one of the most painful demographic problems of modern Russia. Since 1991, about 20 thousand villages and villages have disappeared from the map of the state. Impressive and scary figure!

The last population census, conducted in 2010, once again proved the sad statistics: from many Russian villages, only names and empty houses remained. And we are talking here not only about the villages of Siberia or the Far East. Just a few hundred kilometers from Moscow, you can find recently abandoned villages. The saddest situation is observed in the Tver region, which is located just in the middle between the two capitals of the country - Moscow and St. Petersburg. Large migrations to these two promising megacities, combined with high mortality rates, lead to the extinction of dozens of small settlements.

Why is the Russian village dying out? There are many reasons, although they are all closely related. Lack of work, normal medicine and infrastructure, total inconvenience and the impossibility of self-realization drive villagers to big cities.

Population of Crimea: total number, national, linguistic and religious composition

As of the beginning of 2016, 2.3 million people live within the Republic of Crimea. During 2014-2016, about 22 thousand people migrated from the territory of the peninsula to mainland Ukraine (for political reasons). During the same period of time, at least 200,000 refugees from the war-torn cities and villages of Donbass moved to Crimea.

The population of Crimea is representatives of 175 nationalities. The most numerous among them are Russians (68%), Ukrainians (16%), Crimean Tatars (11%), Belarusians, Azerbaijanis and Armenians. The most widely spoken language on the peninsula is Russian. In addition to him, here you can often hear the Crimean Tatar, Armenian, Ukrainian speech.

Most of the population of Crimea professes Orthodoxy. as well as Uzbeks and Azerbaijanis are adherents of the Muslim religion. The local peoples of the Karaites and Krymchaks are Judaists by religion. Today, there are more than 1,300 religious communities and organizations on the peninsula.

The level of urbanization in the republic is quite low - only 51%. In recent decades, the total number of rural areas has increased significantly due to the Crimean Tatars, who at that time actively returned to their historical homeland and settled mainly in villages. Today there are 17 cities in Crimea. The largest of them (along Sevastopol, Kerch, Evpatoria and Yalta.

Conclusion

26% / 74% - this is the ratio of the rural and urban population of Russia today. There are a lot of acute demographic problems in the state, the solution of which should be approached comprehensively. One of them is the process of extinction of villages and small towns in modern Russia.

The largest settlements of the Russian Federation are traditionally chosen according to two criteria: the occupied territory and the population. The area is determined by the master plan of the city. Population - by the All-Russian population census, or Rosstat data, taking into account births and deaths, if they are relevant.

There are 15 largest cities in Russia with a population of more than 1 million people. According to this indicator, Russia ranks third in the world. And their number continues to grow. More recently, Krasnoyarsk and Voronezh have been included in this category. We present you the top ten most densely populated Russian cities.

Population: 1,125 thousand people.

Rostov-on-Don became a million-plus city relatively recently - only thirty years ago. It is the only one among the ten largest cities in Russia that does not have its own subway. Its construction in 2018 will only be discussed. While the administration of Rostov is busy preparing for the upcoming World Cup.

Population: 1,170 thousand people.

In the penultimate place in the list of the largest cities in Russia in terms of population is the administrative center of the Volga region - Samara. True, starting from 1985, the population preferred to leave Samara as soon as possible, until the situation improved by 2005. And now the city even has a small migration increase.

Population: 1,178 thousand people.

The situation with migration in Omsk is not brilliant - many educated Omsk residents prefer to move to Moscow, St. Petersburg and neighboring Novosibirsk and Tyumen. However, since 2010, the population in the city has been steadily growing, mostly due to the redistribution of the population in the region.

Population: 1,199 thousand people.

Unfortunately, Chelyabinsk is experiencing problems with amenities: residents complain about the abundance of dirt, giant puddles in spring and summer, when, due to non-functioning storm sewers, entire microdistricts turn into something like Venice. It is not surprising that about 70% of Chelyabinsk residents are thinking about changing their place of residence.

Population: 1,232 thousand people.

The capital of the Republic of Tatarstan rightfully bears the title of one of the most comfortable cities in Russia. This is probably one of the reasons why the city has experienced a steady population growth since the mid-90s. And since 2009, Kazan has become a plus not only due to migration, but also in terms of natural growth.

Population: 1,262 thousand people.

The ancient and very beautiful city is going through hard times in terms of the number of residents. The peak was in 1991, when its population exceeded 1,445 thousand people, and since then it has only been falling. A slight increase was observed only in 2012-2015, when the population increased by about 10 thousand people.

Population: 1,456 thousand people.

"The Capital of the Urals" became a million-plus city exactly 50 years ago, in 1967. Since then, having experienced a population decline in the "hungry 90s", the city's population has been growing slowly but steadily. It is rising, as in all large cities of Russia, mainly due to migrants. But not the ones you think about - the replenishment of the population mainly (more than 50%) comes from the Sverdlovsk region.

Population: 1,602 thousand people.

The third place in the list of the largest cities in Russia is occupied by the center of the Novosibirsk region. In addition to the status of "millionaire", the city can also boast of entering the top 50 cities in the world with the longest traffic jams. True, Novosibirsk is hardly happy with such a record.

However, unlike traffic jams, things are more or less successful with the demographic situation in the city. Novosibirsk is implementing a number of regional and state programs aimed at increasing the birth rate and reducing mortality. For example, at the birth of a third or subsequent child, a family is awarded a regional certificate for 100,000 rubles.

According to the city authorities, if the current dynamics of population growth continues, then by 2025 the number of inhabitants of the Novosibirsk region will increase to 2.9 million people.

Population: 5,282 thousand people.

The cultural capital of Russia, where polite intellectuals bow to each other, raising their berets, and where such beasts as “bun” and “curb” live, demonstrates a steady increase in both area and population.

True, it was not always so; starting from the end of the USSR, the population preferred to leave St. Petersburg. And only since 2012, positive dynamics began to be observed. In the same year, the five millionth inhabitant was born in the city (for the second time in its history).

1. Moscow

Population: 12,381 thousand people.

It is unlikely that the answer to the question: "What is the largest city in Russia?" came as a surprise to some. Moscow is the largest city in Europe in terms of population, but is not included in the first.

More than 12 million people live here, and if we add to this the population of the Moscow region, which regularly travels to Moscow for work and shopping, the figure is more than impressive - 16 million. Due to the current economic situation in the country, the population as a modern Babylon and the territories adjacent to it will only increase. According to experts' forecasts, by 2030 this number may reach 13.6 million people.

Muscovites are traditionally not happy with "come in large numbers", and "come in large numbers" shrug their shoulders: "I want to live, and I even want to live well."

The largest cities in Russia by area

It would seem that the list of the largest cities in Russia in terms of area should coincide with the list of the most populated cities, but this is not so. In addition to the simple population, the area of ​​the city is influenced by many factors - from the historical way of increasing the territory up to the number of industrial enterprises in the city. Therefore, some positions in the ranking can surprise the reader.

Area: 541.4 km²

Opens the top 10 largest cities in Russia Samara. It stretches along the western bank of the Volga River for more than 50 km with a width of 20 km.

Area: 566.9 km²

The population of Omsk exceeded one million people back in 1979, the territory near the city is large and, according to the Soviet tradition, the city had to acquire a metro. However, the nineties broke out, and construction has been going on neither shaky nor rolls since then, but in general nothing at all. There is not even enough money for conservation.

Area: 596.51 km²

Voronezh became a million-plus city quite recently - in 2013. Some areas in it are almost exclusively a private sector - houses, from comfortable cottages to village ones, garages, vegetable gardens.

Area: 614.16 km²

Thanks to the historically established radial-ring building Kazan is a fairly compact city with a convenient layout. Despite its size, the capital of Tatarstan is the only one millionaire in Russia that fully recycles its waste and has managed to maintain a more or less favorable environmental situation.

Area: 621 km²

The only regional city that is not an administrative center and a millionaire, Orsk seems to have been included in this rating by mistake. Its population is only 230 thousand people, which occupy an area of ​​621 km2, with a very low density (only 370 people per km2). The reason for such a vast territory with a small number of inhabitants is a large number of industrial enterprises within the city.

Area: 707.93 km²

Residents of Ufa live spaciously - each has 698 m2 of the total area of ​​the city. At the same time, Ufa has the lowest density of the street network among Russian megacities, which often manifests itself in huge multi-kilometer traffic jams.

Area: 799.68 km²

Perm became a millionaire in 1979, then in the nineties, due to a general decline in the population, it lost this status for more than 20 years. Only in 2012 was it possible to return it. Permians live freely (population density is not too high, 1310 people per km2) and green - the total area of ​​green spaces is more than a third of the citywide.

Area: 859.4 km²

Although Volgograd became a million-plus city relatively recently - in 1991, however, in terms of the size of the territory, it has long been one of the top three. The reason is the historically developed uneven urban development, where apartment buildings, village houses with plots and empty steppe spaces alternate with each other.

Area: 1439 km²

Unlike the compact radial-beam "old" Moscow, St. Petersburg is freely spread out at the mouth of the Neva. The length of the city is more than 90 km. One of the features of the city is the abundance of water spaces, occupying 7% of the entire territory.

1. Moscow

Area: 2561.5 km²

And unconditional first place among the largest cities in Russia is given to Moscow. Its area is 1.5 times larger than the area of ​​the second place in the rating, St. Petersburg. True, until 2012 the territory of Moscow was not so impressive - only 1100 km2. So it has grown significantly due to the annexation of the southwestern territories, the total area of ​​​​which reaches 1480 km2.

Most of the Russian population is concentrated in cities. In total, there are more than 1,100 thousand of them with official status. But only 160 of them have a population of more than 100,000 people. And a tenth of them - 15 pieces - are millionaires, that is, they are home to more than one, but less than two million people. The two capitals - Moscow and St. Petersburg - are multi-million cities, that is, they are home to more than two million people. But not only these, but also other largest cities in Russia deserve a special story.

Moscow

Moscow is the capital of Russia, today and in some other periods of the country's history. It is the largest settlement in the world and one of the largest in the world. Now about 12 million people live in it, and the total agglomeration, taking into account the suburbs, is even more - 15 million people. The total area is about 250 square kilometers. This means that the population density is 4823 people per square kilometer. It is difficult to say when this city was founded, but the first mention of it dates back to the beginning of the 12th century.

Moscow is a multinational city. Only about 90% of its population, according to official figures, are Russians. About 1.5% are Ukrainians, the same number are Tatars, slightly less than Armenians. Half a percent - Belarusians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians. Dozens more nationalities have smaller diasporas. And although representatives of various nationalities do not always get along peacefully, Moscow has become a real home for millions of people.

St. Petersburg is often called the second capital of Russia, the northern or cultural capital, and so on. He also has many beautiful epithet names - northern Palmyra, northern Venice. And although the population of this city is significantly inferior to Moscow (5 million against 12), as well as age (3 centuries against 9), in terms of glory and significance for the country, St. Petersburg is in no way inferior to it. It is also inferior in terms of area, population density and many other parameters. But on the other hand, St. Petersburg is one of the "longest cities" - it "hugs" the Gulf of Finland.

It should be noted that St. Petersburg is unique in many respects. Of all the non-capital cities, it has the second largest population. During the years that this city was the capital of the empire, it became the most important for world culture. The Hermitage, the Russian Museum, St. Isaac's Cathedral, Peterhof, the Kunstkamera are only a small part of its attractions.

The list of the largest settlements in the country continues with Novosibirsk, the administrative center of the Siberian Federal District, the most populated city in the northern part of the country. It is also a business, commercial, industrial, cultural and scientific center not only in Siberia, but throughout Russia.

Novosibirsk is a millionaire, but much fewer people live in it than in the previous two cities - “only” a little more than one and a half million. At the same time, it should be taken into account that Novosibirsk was founded relatively recently - in 1893. This city is distinguished from others by a rather harsh climate with sharp transitions. In winter, temperatures can reach 50 degrees, while in summer, sometimes the bars rise to 35 degrees. The total temperature difference throughout the year can reach a record 88 degrees.

Yekaterinburg is considered not only one of the largest cities in the country, but also one of the most comfortable and comfortable for life. It is the center of the Ural Federal District and is often called the capital of the Urals.

Ekaterinburg can be attributed to the ancient cities of the country. After all, it was founded in 1723 and received a name in honor of Empress Catherine the First. In Soviet times, it was renamed Sverdlovsk, but in 1991 it returned its name.

This is the case when Veliky Novgorod, older and titled, is significantly inferior to its younger namesake - Nizhny Novgorod. Residents of Russia often call him simply Lower, for brevity and not to be confused with the Great.

The city was founded in 1221 and during this time has become the administrative center of the Nizhny Novgorod Federal District, a major economic, industrial and cultural center with a population of 1,200 thousand people.

Kazan is the sixth city in the ranking in terms of population, but in many ways it surpasses even larger settlements. Not without reason, it is called the third capital of Russia and even officially registered this brand. She also has several unofficial titles, for example, "The capital of all the Tatars of the world" or "the capital of Russian federalism."

This city with more than a thousand years of history was founded in 1005 and recently celebrated such a major anniversary. Interestingly, the decline in population, which affected almost all cities, even many millionaires, did not affect Kazan, and it continues to increase its population. The national composition is also remarkable - almost equally Russians and Tatars, approximately 48% each, as well as a few Chuvashs, Ukrainians and Maris.

Many people know this city from the song "Ah, Samara-town". But they forget that in terms of size, this "town" ranks seventh in terms of population. If we talk about the agglomeration, then it is much larger than that of many other cities, and has 2.5 million inhabitants, which is the third largest in the country, after Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Samara was founded in 1586 as a guard fortress by decree of Tsar Fedor. The location of the city turned out to be successful, and the city grew every year. In the Soviet years, it was renamed Kuibyshev, but then returned to its original name.

The internet is full of jokes about the toughest city in the country. A new round was opened by the fall of a meteorite, which occurred just in its center. But not everyone knows that this city is the most compact metropolis in the country, one of the leading metallurgical centers, a city with excellent roads. In addition, it is in the TOP-15 cities of Russia in terms of living standards, TOP-20 in terms of environmental development, TOP-5 in terms of the number of new buildings put into operation. It even ranks first in terms of housing affordability. And all this concerns the "harsh" Chelyabinsk.

It is worth noting that the city continues to develop. Until recently, it was ranked ninth in the ranking, and now it has risen to eighth with a population of 1,170 thousand people. Its national composition is quite diverse. Most - 86% are Russians, another 5% - Tatars, 3% - Bashkirs, 1.5 - Ukrainians, 0.6% - Germans, and so on.

Omsk is the ninth most populated city in the Russian Federation, but it has not always been this way. When the small fortress was founded in 1716, only a few thousand people lived in it. But now there are more than 1,166 thousand of them. But, unlike many other millionaire cities, the Omsk agglomeration is extremely small - only about 20 thousand.

Like many other cities in Russia, representatives of various nationalities live in this city. Most of all, of course, Russians - 89%, another 3.5 - Kazakhs, 2% each - Ukrainians and Tatars, 1.5% - Germans.

Rostov-on-Don, like Nizhny Novgorod, which we talked about above, has its own "namesake" - Veliky Rostov. But Veliky is significantly inferior to it in size: Rostov-on-Don, albeit the last number, is included in the TOP-10 largest cities in Russia, while Veliky has only about 30 thousand inhabitants, although it is several times older.

Now you know which is the largest city in Russia, where it is located and how many people live in it. But in addition to the ten listed in the country, there are five more millionaires: Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Vladimir and Voronezh. The rest are trying very hard to enter this prestigious list, and some may soon succeed.