Irkutsk is the largest city in Siberia, located 60 kilometers from the famous Lake Baikal. What is the population of Irkutsk? How has it changed over the years? Representatives of what nations and nationalities inhabit this city today?
Irkutsk City: Population and Area
Irkutsk is a large East Siberian city on the banks of the Angara River. This is an important educational center of the country with a large number of cultural and architectural monuments. Irkutsk is a historical city. Its central part may soon replenish the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The city covers an area of 277 square kilometers. The population of Irkutsk is about 625 thousand people (as of 2016). Thus, the population density in the city is 2250 people / sq. Km of area.
In the immediate vicinity are two more cities: Shelekhov and Angarsk. Together with Irkutsk, they form the so-called Irkutsk agglomeration, in which about 40% of the total population of the region is concentrated. Agglomeration began to form in the second half of the twentieth century. The population of Irkutsk, together with these two satellite cities is 1.1 million people.
Administratively, the city consists of four territorial units - districts (Sverdlovsk, October, Leninsky and Right Bank). The most populated Sverdlovsk district. More than 200 thousand people live here.
How did the population of the city change?
Irkutsk was founded in the second half of the 17th century. According to the "Scribe Book" for 1686, the first inhabitants of the city were immigrants from various places of the empire. So, among them were Muscovites, immigrants from Ustyug, Pinega, Yeniseisk, Pskov, and even one Ukrainian. In the last year of the XVII century, the population of Irkutsk was already 1000 people.
Due to its favorable geographical position, the city grew and developed very quickly. In the middle of the XIX century, there were about 25 thousand inhabitants in Irkutsk, and by the end of the same century their number had almost doubled. The maximum population jump in Irkutsk was observed in the 30s of the twentieth century. At this time, the city "recruited" approximately 20 thousand people annually.
The maximum population of the city was recorded in 1991 - 641,000 people. During the crisis of the 90s and in the first eight years of the new millennium, it declined. But since 2009, the population of Irkutsk has been growing steadily.
Ethnic communities of Irkutsk
The city has always been distinguished by a rather motley ethnic structure of its population. The largest nationality in Irkutsk is Russian (85%). Behind them are the Buryats, of whom there are just over 2%. Ethnic groups, the number of which in Irkutsk exceeds 2000 people, are Ukrainians, Tatars, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijanis and Armenians.
Poles appeared in the city in the 1860s. Among them were many scientists and talented cultural figures. It was with the money of the Polish community in Irkutsk in 1881 that a beautiful neo-Gothic red brick church was built. Until today, the city operates the Polish cultural center “Flint”.
Two ethnic communities, Jews and Poles, left a big mark in the history and culture of the city. In the middle of the 19th century, a rather powerful Jewish colony was formed in Irkutsk. They settled compactly within the modern Karl Liebknecht street. Irkutsk Jews were mainly employed in trade, industry, and medicine. By the way, the famous ophthalmologist, professor of Jewish origin Z.G. lived and worked here. Franz-Kamenetsky.