The largest cities in Russia. The largest cities in Russia by population 3 large cities

In Russia today there are about a thousand cities. All of them differ radically in area and number of residents.

The smallest city is Chekalin. It is located in the Suvorovsky district of the Tula region and has been known only since the end of the 19th century, but is, nevertheless, one of the historical cities of Russia. It is interesting that before the revolution in the city of Likhvin, Kaluga province (that is what the city was called until 1944, which received its name in honor of the partisan Alexander Chekalin) there were about 1,700 people.

According to the 2010 census, the city has a population of only 994 people. Despite such a number of indigenous inhabitants, the settlement still retains the name city. The status of the city was preserved due to the fact that during reporting activities on the liquidation of small towns, a sheet with cities that began with the letters Ch, Sh and Sh was lost.

The largest city in Russia by population

Moscow

Population - more than 15 million people.
Naturally, in terms of population, the largest city in our country is the capital. This metropolis is home to many more people than in a number of European countries, for example, than in Finland and Norway combined. And approximately the same number of inhabitants are located in the Czech Republic and Belgium. And this is only according to official data.

More than 15 million people live in Moscow. This quantity, by the way, is typical for such a small country as Kazakhstan. According to experts, only about 10 million people have a capital residence permit, and another million live with temporary registration. The rest are registered foreigners, visitors (migrant workers, guest workers, students) and illegal immigrants. There is a constant influx of population to Moscow, mainly residents of other regions come to the capital - Russians, and residents of other countries, come here in search of work. It is worth noting that more than 90 percent of the population of Moscow are Russians.

Saint Petersburg

Population - more than 5 million people.
The Northern capital accommodated three times fewer people than in the capital. The cultural center of the country is inhabited by approximately 5 million people. The five millionth resident of St. Petersburg was born in September 2012. In addition, St. Petersburg is the fourth largest city in Europe. By the way, in the northern capital there are more Russians in percentage terms than in Moscow.

The number of people living in other cities of Russia, which can be called large, ranges from 1-1.5 million people.

Novosibirsk

Population - more than 1.5 million people.
The city is quite young. It appeared just over a hundred years ago. The number of people living in the largest city in Siberia has already exceeded 1.5 million people. By the way, Novosibirsk is one of the few world record holders for turning a small town into a millionaire city. And in the 21st century, it became the first Russian city (of course, after two historical capitals) in which the population exceeded one and a half million. Despite the distance from the capital, the city of Novonikolaevsk, as Novosibirsk was formerly called, is home to more than 80 representatives of different nationalities. These include Germans, Tatars, Kazakhs, Finns, Koreans and Poles.

Ekaterinburg

Population - about 1.4 million people.
Yekaterinburg has every chance of displacing its predecessor from the pedestal. As of 2012, the capital of the Urals is home to almost 1.4 million people. The top five largest cities in Russia are completed by Nizhny Novgorod with a population of about 1.3 million people.

It is worth noting that Chelyabinsk, Omsk, Rostov-on-Don, Ufa, Volgograd, Samara and Kazan are among the million-plus cities. More recently, Perm was in the ranking, however, the city has lost the honorary title of million-plus population. Its place was empty for a relatively short time; Krasnoyarsk became a city with a population of one million.

The largest cities in Russia by area

Sochi

Area - 3605 square kilometers.
Sochi is also a record holder among cities in another “nomination”. It is the longest city in Russia. The capital of the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2018 FIFA World Cup matches stretches along the Black Sea coast for 145 kilometers, and the lion's share of the distance, namely 118 kilometers, is the beach strip. The resort capital is divided into Central, Khostinsky, Lazarevsky and Adlersky districts.

Greetings, my dear curiosity seekers! We can rightfully be proud of our great Motherland, because Russia occupies the largest area in the world, on which there are more than a thousand cities - large and not so large, with a thousand-year history and very young ones, recently built. Each of them is unique in its own way. Can you name the largest cities in Russia? Let's make an honorary five.

Lesson plan:

Moscow

The city is a hero. It deservesly ranks first among Russian megacities in terms of population and area . And this is not surprising, because our capital is one of the ten world giants.

According to 2016 statistics, more than 12 million people live in Moscow, founded in 1147, and if we take into account all migrants and temporary visitors, we can assume that the Moscow metropolis sheltered up to 15 million. To understand how much this is, you can compare our capital in terms of the Moscow population with some European countries, for example, many fewer live in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Finland.

Situated on the Moscow River in the center of the East European Plain between the Oka and Volga, the historically significant city for Russia stretches over more than 2,500 square kilometers.

The financial, scientific, political, economic, and tourist center of our country is one of the twenty richest cities in the world.

This is interesting! According to the construction plan, Moscow has long been built according to a radial layout, when streets and rings stretch from the center. Tverskaya is considered the most expensive Moscow street not only in Russia, but also in the world. The largest shopping centers and entertainment venues are located here.

Saint Petersburg

The second largest Russian metropolis accommodates 5,220,000 people and is rightly called the “northern capital”, because from 1712 to 1918 it really was the center of the Russian Empire.

The city, which appeared in 1703 by decree of Peter I, changed its name more than once:

• St. Petersburg became Petrograd in 1914;
• in 1924 - Leningrad;
• in 1991 it was returned to its original name.

The history of St. Petersburg is rich in events: three revolutions took place here; during the Great Patriotic War, Leningrad was cut off from the outside world for 900 days by the German blockade. Peter was awarded the title.

The metropolis extends in the northwestern part of Russia on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, on the Neva River. Tourists have a lot to see here: St. Petersburg is the cultural capital of Russia, a huge museum under the skies, covering 1,500 square kilometers of area.

This is interesting! Initially, Peter I wanted to build St. Petersburg like Venice, so that instead of stone-paved streets there would be water canals along which city residents would travel on small boats. However, the new capital was eventually built according to the design of an Italian architect with perpendicular streets, wide avenues and geometric squares.

Novosibirsk

An honorable third place belongs to the Siberian metropolis, which is home to 1,585,000 people on an area of ​​more than 500 square kilometers. The provincial settlement appeared in 1893 as a trading point and by 1903 it had grown so much that it received the status of a city. Until 1925 it was called Novonikolaevsk.

Novosibirsk is located in the very heart of Siberia, on the Ob Plateau, near the Ob River valley, and is often popularly called the Siberian capital, where industry, science, trade and culture are developed.

The city is rich in different nationalities - Germans, Tatars, Jews, Belarusians, Koreans, Poles, Buryats, Finns and other peoples live here next to Russian Siberians.

This is interesting! In Novosibirsk there is Planirovochnaya Street, which is both perpendicular and parallel to itself and forms an intersection with itself.

Ekaterinburg

The industrial giant appeared in 1723 by order of Peter I on the banks of the Iset River as a site for the construction of an ironworks. Today the territory of the metropolis is about 490 square kilometers with population size in 1,428,200 people. From 1924 to 1991 the city had the name Sverdlovsk.

The entire economic, political and cultural life of the Urals is in full swing here, which is why it is called the “Ural capital”.

Ekaterinburg is located at the intersection of major transport routes in Russia, so it is not surprising that it is a center of developed industry, especially metallurgy, heavy engineering, instrument making and the optical-mechanical industry.

This is interesting! The metal for the frame for the Statue of Liberty, which is located in America, was made in Yekaterinburg.

Nizhny Novgorod

Entered the top five largest Russian cities with population 1,267,750 people living in area 450 square kilometers.

Founded in 1221, the metropolis is located on the East European Plain at the place where two rivers – the Volga and Oka – connect, and the latter divides it into two parts. In the period from 1932 to 1990, it was called the city of Gorky in honor of the famous Russian writer.

In the 16th century, a stone Kremlin was built in Novgorod - a defensive structure that has never been taken in history. The city has been a center of trade and merchants for a long time; its Nizhny Novgorod Fair was famous throughout the world. During the Great Patriotic War, the metropolis became the main supplier of military equipment.

It was in Nizhny Novgorod that the famous Volgas were produced at the first Soviet auto giant - the Gorky Automobile Plant. The modern metropolis is a center of mechanical engineering and metalworking industry. Today, the populous city is one of the main destinations of Russian river tourism.

This is interesting! The longest staircase in Russia with 560 steps was built in Nizhny Novgorod. It was built on the embankment in 1949 with the participation of German prisoners of war in the form of a figure eight. Tourists often come to the local attraction to admire the views of the Volga.

This is how the honorary five of the largest Russian metropolises turned out. I think you might find it useful in preparing your super-duper research projects!

See you again! I will be glad to see you again to share useful and interesting information.

Good luck in your studies!

Evgenia Klimkovich.

Russia is large and multifaceted. The largest cities in Russia have always been its hearts, just as the village has been its soul. Even medieval travelers called Rus' “Gardarika” - “land of cities”.

The country, like the whole world, did not escape the process of urbanization, during which megacities appeared. Below is a list of the largest cities in Russia by population today.

The capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow, which is typical for most countries, simultaneously heads the top 10 largest cities in Russia. Officially, the city's population is slightly higher than 12 million people, but experts believe that in practice this number is much higher.

With the exception of the period 1712-1918. Moscow has always been the capital of states located on the territory of present-day Russia. Over the years of its development, Moscow has turned into a metropolis. Even after many surrounding areas became part of Moscow, the capital is the most populous city in Russia. One Moscow district in terms of population exceeds any city in the Moscow region.

The capital is a center of historical monuments, the main one of which is the Kremlin. This is the sacred center of Russia, which has seen key moments in the country’s history.

The walls of the Novodevichy Convent will not be inferior to the ancient Kremlin. Moscow museums themselves deserve a visit to the city. The life and work of the greatest Russian cultural masters are connected with Moscow, and this also enhances the historical flavor of the city.

If all Russian million-plus cities want to be called some kind of capital, then St. Petersburg is recognized as the cultural capital almost officially. However, the city, located in the north-west of the country, was also the political capital of Russia, taking the palm away from Moscow for two centuries.

The founding date of St. Petersburg was 1703, when Peter the Great founded the Peter and Paul Fortress. St. Petersburg was built for many years according to a rather primitive, but existing plan, so it still amazes with the severity of its lines, despite the difficult terrain.

The concentration of historical and architectural monuments, among which the Winter Palace and the Hermitage located in it, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Peter and Paul Fortress stand out, has no analogues in the world.

The world's northernmost million-plus city (population 5.2 million) also attracts tourists with museums, theaters and surrounding palace complexes.

St. Petersburg is not a frozen monument. The authorities of the North-Western District of the Russian Federation are located here, heavy and light industry factories and more than a hundred universities operate there.

The former Novo-Nikolaevsk is the youngest Russian city with a population of more than a million. It was founded in 1893, and received city status ten years later. The metropolis on the Ob River owes its existence and rapid development to the Great Siberian Route.

Due to its short history, the third most populous (2016) settlement in the country cannot boast of an abundance of architectural and antique monuments. It is famous primarily as a transport, industrial and scientific center. Founded in 1957, Academy Town has become a scientific center of world significance.

There is a metro in the city, and the unique metro bridge across the Ob River is the longest in the world.

Novosibirsk is also famous for its opera and ballet theater, for which the largest building in Russia was built, and the zoo, where you can see species not preserved in nature.

The capital of the Urals stands out among cities with a population of one million for its compactness - only 15 km wide and 20 km long. Yekaterinburg was founded in 1723. Half a century later it became the most important point of communication between the European and Asian parts of Russia.

However, the Ural city of one and a half million people does not live by transport alone. After the revolution, Sverdlovsk became a powerful industrial base. Local factories produce a huge range of industrial products.

There are about 600 architectural monuments in Yekaterinburg, most of them are located in the Historical Center. Museums commemorate such historical milestones as the death of Russian Emperor Nicholas II and the beginning of the political career of the first Russian President B. Yeltsin.

Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan

Located at the confluence of the Oka and Volga, the city with a population of 1.27 million people, Nizhny Novgorod was founded back in 1221. From the walls of his Kremlin during the Great Troubles, the militia of Minin and Pozharsky left for Moscow.

After military affairs, Nizhny Novgorod residents moved on to partly peaceful affairs. Before the revolution, the local fair thundered throughout Europe, and the military factories built under the USSR made a great contribution to the Great Victory.

Now the famous GAZ, an aircraft plant, a shipbuilding plant and large enterprises in other industries operate in Nizhny Novgorod. Modern technologies are developing in the spirit of the times - the city has branches of the largest IT companies.

In addition to the Kremlin, historical attractions include the Art Museum, the A. M. Gorky House Museum and the A. Pushkin Museum. There are three academic theaters. An interesting attraction is the Chkalov Stairs. The descent, named after the pilot, is the longest in Russia and bypasses the Odessa Potemkin Stairs in terms of height difference.

Kazan divides its history almost in half into Tatar and imperial parts. Even before the conquest by Ivan the Terrible, Kazan was the capital, which is very uncharacteristic for Russian megacities. Accordingly, the appearance of Kazan combines the features of two cultures. The main attractions of Kazan, in addition to the Kremlin, are mosques and Christian churches.

Kazan is developing very dynamically. In recent years, many interesting architectural and sports structures have been built. These are the Millennium Bridge, the Pyramid entertainment complex, the Rubin stadium and a number of facilities built for the Universiade.

Chelyabinsk, Omsk

The eighth most populous Russian metropolis is located in the Urals, on the Miass River. Chelyabinsk has gone through approximately the same development path as Yekaterinburg: from a transport hub to a commercial and industrial center. By the end of the 19th century. it was called the “Gateway to Siberia”, becoming a powerful crossroads of trade routes.

The 20th century, despite the negative vicissitudes, continued the vector of development of the city. Not only new enterprises appeared here, but also scientific and cultural institutions. However, today's Chelyabinsk does not inspire reverence among tourists. The city looks unkempt and dirty even in the very center. Even local authorities acknowledge problems with landscaping.

Omsk is located at the confluence of the Ob and Irtysh in the place where the Trans-Siberian Railway crosses the Irtysh. This advantageous location attracted the attention of Russian explorers, but only in 1716 was a full-fledged settlement organized here.

However, the second of the largest cities in Siberia has not received such rapid development as other advantageously located settlements. It rather remained a military settlement interspersed with civilian enterprises. Industry began to appear only during the years of Soviet power, and it later became the scourge of Omsk.

The largest oil refinery in Europe is located here, which does not add to the purity of the atmosphere, and a number of other polluting enterprises.

Nevertheless, Omsk residents also find good features in their city. They see the sun more than 300 days a year, which is comparable to Cyprus and Spain. There are as many as 10 bridges across the Irtysh in the city. The main architectural monument, the Assumption Cathedral, is very beautiful in the evening illumination.

Samara - a pearl on the Volga

At the confluence of the Samara and the Volga there is a large industrial center with a population of just over a million people. The city, founded at the end of the 16th century, is the seventh largest city in Russia by population. At first it was a district, then a provincial center.

Before the revolution, Samara developed as a place of trade and a transport hub, and under Soviet rule it became a powerful industrial center. The city (then Kuibyshev) acquired such importance that in 1941 it became the reserve capital of the USSR. Modern Samara has overcome the decline of the end of the last century. The military-industrial complex and aerospace industry enterprises are gradually being revived.

The description of the sights of Samara is replete with the definition of “the most”. Samara Station is the highest in Europe. The embankment is the longest, and Kuibyshev Square is the largest.

Architectural researchers distinguish 5 stages of development in the city, from the ancient city to the “Cosmic Kuibyshev”. Among the monuments, the Soyuz rocket memorial complex stands out. Yuri Gagarin went into space on this carrier, assembled in Samara.

Rostov-on-Don closes the list of the most populated cities in Russia. The decree establishing a customs house on the current site of Rostov was signed on December 15, 1749. The port, protected by a fortress, quickly gained trade momentum. Numerous settlers came here, whose descendants still give Rostov a unique flavor.

Modern Rostov is very beautiful. In addition to the architectural monuments, of which there are almost 500, the largest zoo in Europe, many beautiful parks and fountains have been created. Embankment named after Ushakova is considered a separate attraction. The Rostov Cathedral, the building of the City Duma and the house of A. Solzhenitsyn are considered architectural monuments.

Above are the largest cities in Russia by population. There is, however, an important caveat. The number of residents is only one of the criteria for assessing the size of a city.

The largest city in the Moscow region in terms of population, Balashikha, is three times smaller in area than Khimki.

Likewise, to the general question, what is the largest city in Russia, anyone will confidently answer - Moscow. However, if you ask the average person to name the largest cities in Russia by area, then the top three, besides the usual Moscow and St. Petersburg, is unlikely to include Volgograd, which does not even fall into the top ten largest cities in Russia by population.

Hello, dear readers of the site “I and the World”! We are glad to welcome you again! What do you think is the largest city in the world and what is its name? In our new article we want to talk about cities and present the top 10 largest in the world by area and population.

10th place - New York - 1214.4 sq. km

America starts the list. If you look at the population for 2017, the city is small - 8,405,837 people. Quite young, about 400 years old.

In the territory where New York is now located there were Indian tribes. Arrows, dishes and other Indian attributes are found here. Throughout the 19th century, emigrants from different countries came here, due to which it grew. It includes several islands, the largest of which is Manhattan. People of almost all religions live here, but Christians predominate.

We give 9th place to Mexico City – 1485 sq. km

The population of the capital of Mexico is 9,100,000 people. Mexico City was founded by the Aztecs in 1325. According to legend, the Sun God ordered them to come to this place.

At the beginning of the 16th century, Mexico City was the most beautiful in the Western Hemisphere until it was destroyed during the reign of Cortez, but was soon rebuilt. It is located at an altitude of more than 2000 km above sea level and is surrounded by mountains.

London is in 8th place – 1572 sq. km

London is the capital of Great Britain and the largest city in the country. It was founded in 43 AD. e. There are now 8,600,000 people living in London.

The terrible plague of the 17th century claimed about 70,000 lives. This is a place of remarkable historical and architectural monuments: the Tower, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral and others.

We put Tokyo in 7th place - 2188.6 sq. km

But the population is quite large - 13,742,906 people. Tokyo is one of the modern cities and the capital of Japan. Even if you live here for a month, you won’t see all the sights.

The main part is solid concrete and wires. Tokyo was inhabited by tribes of people back in the Stone Age. Over the course of several years from 1703 to 2011, Tokyo suffered many earthquakes, and as a result of one of them, 142,000 people died at once.

In 6th place is Moscow – 2561.5 sq. km

Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation, located between the Oka and Volga rivers. 12,500,123 people live here. In terms of length, Moscow is quite long - 112 km. It is an important tourist center in Russia.

The age of the city is still unknown exactly, but there is evidence that the first settlements appeared on this territory around 8 thousand years BC. e.

Middle of the top - Sydney - 12144 sq. km

The development and history of Australia began with a small settlement. 200 years ago the navigator Cook landed here. Sydney is the largest metropolis and capital of the state of New South Wales.

The capital is home to 4,500,000 people. The city is located in one of the beautiful bays of the world, where business skyscrapers coexist with cozy beaches, which are always full of tourists.

In 4th place is Beijing – 16,808 sq. km

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. Huge and noisy, its population numbers 21,500,000 inhabitants.

In the 13th century, it was almost completely burned by Genghis Khan, but rebuilt 43 years later in a different place. Here is a famous architectural monument - the Forbidden City - the residence of the rulers.

At the beginning of the 20th century it was occupied by the Japanese. After Russia's victory in World War II and the fall of Japan, the capital became free again.

We give 3rd place to Hangzhou – 16847 sq. km

The city has 8,750,000 inhabitants. The metropolis is famous for its tea plantations and natural beauty.

Previously, it was the capital of China, and now it is a major religious center. In the 19th century, as a result of an uprising, it was partially destroyed and restored in the 50s, where industry began to rapidly develop.

Weaving folk items, harvesting tea leaves, and making bamboo products are still done by hand.

In second place is Chongqing – 82,300 sq. km

Chongqing is the largest city in the world in terms of population, with about 32 million people living here. The highest population density is 600 people per square meter. km.

The metropolis arose 3,000 years ago and at that time was the capital of the kingdom of Ba. Now it is a huge industrial center. There is a large base for the production of automobiles - 5 factories and 400 - for the production of car parts. Real estate construction here is proceeding at such a fast pace that 10 years of construction for Moscow is 1 year for Chongqing. Old buildings are being demolished very actively, and skyscrapers are appearing in their place. It is more business than architectural. And the main attraction is the overpasses that entangle the entire city.

We give 1st place to the unusual city of Ordos - 86,752 sq. km

Ordos is a ghost town. Where is the strange metropolis, the largest in territory, but empty? In China, it began to be built 20 years ago for people involved in the extraction and sale of coal.

A large city was built with museums, theaters, and a stadium. There is everything for the life of a city dweller here. But almost no one wanted to move here. Over the past few years, the number of people has increased to 300,000. There are so few inhabitants in the huge settlement that even in broad daylight, the streets are completely empty.

Beautiful, abandoned houses, museums, cinemas. There are even unfinished buildings - there is no one to build for. Everywhere is clean and well-groomed. And silence! A metropolis inhabited by “ghosts”. There are several of these in China.

Also, there are cities beyond the Arctic Circle and living there is quite cold. The largest “cold” city is in Russia - Murmansk - 154.4 square meters. km. It is quite small in size and has a population of 298,096 people.

We showed you the ranking of major cities in the world with photos and descriptions. Ten different megacities, with different numbers of inhabitants, different lengths and architecture. 2018 will be a new year for everyone and everything, and our rankings may change. In the meantime, if you liked the information, share it with your friends.

The largest settlements in the Russian Federation are traditionally selected according to two criteria: occupied territory and population. The area is determined by the general plan of the city. Population – the All-Russian Population Census, or Rosstat data, taking into account birth and death rates, if they are current.

The largest cities in Russia by population

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 entered this category. We present to you the top ten most densely populated Russian megacities.

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 metro. Its construction in 2018 will only be discussed. For now, the Rostov administration is busy preparing for the upcoming World Cup.

Population: 1,170 thousand people.

In penultimate place in the list of the largest cities in Russia by 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 by 2005 the situation improved. And now the city is even experiencing a slight increase in migration.

Population: 1,178 thousand people.

The migration situation 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 growing steadily, mostly due to the redistribution of the population in the region.

Population: 1,199 thousand people.

Unfortunately, Chelyabinsk is experiencing problems with livability: residents complain about the abundance of dirt, giant puddles in the spring and summer, when, due to non-functioning storm sewers, entire neighborhoods 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 likely one of the reasons why the city has experienced steady population growth since the mid-90s. And since 2009, Kazan has become a plus not only due to migration, but also due to 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 approximately 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 survived the population decline in the “hungry 90s,” the city’s population has been growing slowly but steadily. It is increasing, as in all large cities of Russia, mainly due to migrants. But not the ones you thought about - the population replenishment 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 its million-plus status, the city can also boast of being among the top 50 cities in the world with the longest traffic jams. True, Novosibirsk residents are hardly happy about such a record.

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

According to city authorities, if the current dynamics of population growth continue, then by 2025 the number of residents 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 animals as the “bun” and “curb” live, is demonstrating steady growth in both area and population.

True, this was not always the case; Since 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 city's five millionth resident was born (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 someone. Moscow is the largest city in Europe by population, but is not among the first.

More than 12 million people live here, and if we add to this the population of the near Moscow region, who regularly travel to Moscow for work and shopping, then the figure turns out to be more than impressive - 16 million. Due to the current economic situation in the country, the population is both modern Babylon and the surrounding areas will only increase. According to expert forecasts, by 2030 this number could reach 13.6 million people.

Muscovites are traditionally not happy with those who have come in large numbers, and those who have 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 by area should coincide with the list of the most populated cities, but this is not the case. In addition to the simple population size, the area of ​​the city is influenced by many factors - from the historical method of territorial expansion to the number of industrial enterprises within the city. Therefore, some positions in the ranking can surprise the reader.

Area: 541.4 km²

Samara opens the top 10 largest cities in Russia. 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 a million people back in 1979, the city’s territory is large and, according to Soviet tradition, the city should have acquired a metro. However, the nineties struck, and construction since then has been going neither shaky nor slow, but in general nothing. 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 private sector - houses, from comfortable cottages to village ones, garages, vegetable gardens.

Area: 614.16 km²

Thanks to the historically established radial-ring development, Kazan is a fairly compact city with a convenient layout. Despite its size, the capital of Tatarstan is the only million-plus city in Russia that completely 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 million-plus population, Orsk seems to have been included in this rating by mistake. Its population is only 230 thousand people, who occupy an area of ​​621 km2, with a very low density (only 370 people per km2). The reason for such a huge territory with a small number of inhabitants is the large number of industrial enterprises within the city.

Area: 707.93 km²

Ufa residents have a spacious place to live - each person has 698 m2 of the total territory 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 million-plus city 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 (the 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.

Area: 859.4 km²

Although Volgograd became a million-plus city relatively recently - in 1991, it has long been among the top three in terms of territory size. The reason is the historically 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 the absolute 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 ranking, St. Petersburg. True, until 2012, the territory of Moscow was not so impressive - only 1100 km2. It grew so significantly due to the annexation of the southwestern territories, the total area of ​​which reaches 1480 km2.