Known since ancient Russia, the city has preserved an incredibly rich cultural and architectural heritage. The population of Smolensk more than once in its long history heroically fought against foreign invaders going to the capital. Once a “shield city” and a “key city”, now it’s just the industrial and cultural center of modern Russia.
general information
Smolensk is located on both banks of the upper Dnieper, whose origins are in the region. The city is located on the Smolensk Upland, at the western tip of the Smolensk-Moscow Upland. High hills and capes give a strong difference in elevation, which locals consider mountains, therefore they call Smolensk a hail on seven hills.
In The Tale of Bygone Years, the first mention of Smolensk as the center of the Krivichi tribal union dates from 862. In 882, the city was captured by the ancient Russian prince Oleg. In subsequent years, the city was part of the Moscow and Great Lithuanian principalities, then came under the control of the Commonwealth. Until finally in 1654 he was captured by the army of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and finally became a Russian city.
First years
In 1708, the city became the administrative center of the Smolensk province. Repeatedly besieged and destroyed by assault, the city was rebuilt anew. Before the Patriotic War of 1812, the population of Smolensk was 12,400 people.
In August 1812, the Smolensk battle with the French took place, during which more than 20,000 people died on both sides. The Russian troops retreated, the city was captured, already engulfed in flames. Post-war reconstruction was very slow, in 1840 there were 11,000 residents. The city could not move away from the crisis for a long time, only the beginning of the construction of the Riga-Orel railway (1868) gave an incentive to the development of the economy. In 1863, the population of Smolensk grew to 23,100 people. Industry began to develop, the rural population freed from serfdom began to arrive for construction and work in factories. In 1870, the railway was built in the direction Moscow - Brest-Litovsk (1870), and in 1899 the Ryazan-Ural railway, which made the city a major transport hub. In 1897, the population of Smolensk grew to 47,000 people, including Russian - 79.9% of the total number of citizens, Jews - 8.9%, Poles - 6.4%.
In the first half of the XX century
By 1900, the city had 56,000 inhabitants, there were 10 squares, 139 streets, 33 educational institutions, many Orthodox churches, 3 monasteries, several hospitals and hospitals. According to the latest pre-revolutionary census, the population of the city of Smolensk amounted to 74,000 people.
After the revolution, the issue of including the city in the Byelorussian SSR was discussed for a long time. However, according to the results of the provincial census of 1920, it turned out that there were more Russians living than Belarusians, and the city was left in Russia. The First World War and the Civil War greatly destroyed the economy. As a result, the number of Smolensk residents decreased to 63,700 in 1923. During the years of Soviet industrialization, the city developed rapidly, new enterprises were built, including the Smolensk Aviation Plant. According to the last pre-war census of 1939, the population of Smolensk was 156,884 people. During the years of World War II (from September 1941 to August 1943) it was occupied by German troops, during which time 546 thousand civilians were killed in the region. Considering both those who died at the fronts, and in partisan detachments, the population of the city suffered severe damage.
Post-war reconstruction
In 1956, there were only 131,000 residents. The city was moving away from the devastation of the war years. The evacuated enterprises were returned; since 1953, a hosiery factory and a cheese-making factory were launched. But still, only by the 60s, the pre-war population of Smolensk was reached.
In 1961, the Crystal Association was founded - the largest diamond producer in Russia and the largest natural diamond cutting factory in the world. At the aircraft factory, the production of units and kits for the production of passenger aircraft IL-62 and Yak-40 has begun. In the same year, the radio components factory started operating. To work at industrial enterprises, labor resources from different regions of the country were attracted. In 1962, 164,000 people lived in Smolensk. In subsequent decades, the population grew steadily (with the exception of a slight decline in 1959). A lot of new industries were launched, including Iskra, Gauge, and new microdistricts, healthcare, culture, and sports facilities were built. In 1985, Smolensk was awarded the honorary title "Hero City". In the last year of Soviet power in 1991, there were 350,000 people in Smolensk.
Modernity
In the first post-Soviet years, the number of residents continued to grow. Despite the fact that the city, like the whole country, was in a grave crisis. Wages were not paid for many months; industrial enterprises began to close. Fluctuations in the population are associated with natural causes - an excess of fertility over mortality, or vice versa, as well as with a slight migration flow. In 1996, the maximum population of Smolensk was reached at 356,000. From 1999 to 2009 the number of citizens was constantly decreasing. In subsequent years, the number of citizens changed in different directions. In 2017, the city had 330,025 inhabitants.