Founded: 1574
City Day is celebrated
on June 12
.
Monument to the national hero of Bashkortostan Salavat Yulaev by sculptor S.D. Tavasiev (1967)
Ufa
– Russian city, capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The city is located on the banks of the Belaya River, at the confluence of the Ufa and Dema rivers, on the Pribelsky ridge-undulating plain, 100 km west of the ridges of the Bashkir (Southern) Urals.
Early history
the vicinity of Ufa goes back to the distant past, during the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic). The date of the city's foundation has been the subject of debate for centuries. Already in the Paleolithic era (20-30 thousand years ago) there were settlements of primitive people here. The Ufa hills and rivers are a magnificent natural defensive structure, which is why ancient fortified settlements are known on the so-called Ufa Peninsula.
In 1574, 17 years after the voluntary acceptance of Russian citizenship by the Bashkir tribes and the entry of Bashkiria into Russia, to strengthen the south-eastern borders of Russia, at the confluence of the Ufa and Belaya rivers, the Kazan governor Mikhail Alexandrovich Nagim founded the Ufa fortress, to the east of which there was not a single city until the Pacific Ocean.
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Photo: Bembikrat, ru.wikipedia.org) From a fortified city, Ufa gradually grew into the center of the region in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 18th century, Ufa was part of the Kazan province, was the center of the Ufa province, and was part of the Orenburg province. Since 1802, Ufa became a provincial city with the residence of the governor and provincial institutions, and since 1865 - the center of the Ufa province.
In June 1922, the Autonomous Bashkir SSR, created in 1919, was annexed to the Ufa province, and Ufa became its capital.
Industry in Ufa appeared in the 19th century. The opening of regular navigation along the Belaya River in 1870 and the construction of the Samara-Zlatoust (now Kuibyshev) railway (1888-1892) gave a new impetus to the development of the city. Railway and ship repair shops, sawmills, and steam mills appeared in the city. By the end of the 19th century, there were about 30 factories and factories, and trade in bread and meat flourished.
At the end of the 1920-30s, the city began to develop rapidly, and gross industrial output increased 16 times. The Ufa Industrial Plant and light and food industry enterprises came into operation. During the first five-year plan, the Ufa Engine Plant and a thermal power plant were built. After the discovery of Bashkir oil in 1939, the Ufa Oil Refinery was built.
The Friendship Monument was founded in 1957 in honor of the 400th anniversary of the voluntary entry of Bashkiria into the Russian state.
During the Great Patriotic War,
dozens of industrial enterprises, some government agencies and research institutes were evacuated to Ufa from the western regions of the USSR.
In the post-war years, due to the expansion of oil production in the republic, new oil refineries were built in Ufa: the second (Novo-Ufimsky), and a few years later - the third. Ufa has become the largest oil refining center in the Volga region and the Urals. At the same time, the chemical industry and mechanical engineering developed in the city.
By Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated July 2, 2022, Ufa was awarded the honorary title of Russian Federation for the significant contribution of city residents to achieving Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, ensuring uninterrupted production of military and civilian products at industrial enterprises, and for the massive labor heroism and dedication shown. Federation " City of Labor Valor"
».
Today Ufa
- the largest oil refining center in the Volga region and the Urals, a major transport hub, scientific, cultural and religious center of Russia. The main religious denominations are Islam and Orthodox Christianity. Ufa is the center of the Ufa and Sterlitamak diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. Ufa is also the seat of the central authorities and the mufti of the Central Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia and the European CIS countries.
Congress Hall
Interesting facts
: The tallest building in the city is the office of Uralsib Bank. This is a 26-story building with a height of 100.5 meters. Ufa is the greenest million-plus city in Russia. There are 202 square meters of green space per resident. In Ufa, Svoboda Street ends with the “Dead End of Svoboda”.
Day of the city
celebrated in Ufa on June 12, simultaneously with two other significant holidays: Russia Day and Salavat Yulaev Days.
General information
To the question “Ufa – which region of Russia?” The answer is often wrong. Often the region is named after the name of the main city. But “Ufa region” today is an outdated concept. It was abolished back in 1953. At the same time, the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed. Therefore, the question itself about which area is incorrect. The city of Ufa is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan.
The Ural metropolis is one of the largest populated areas in the country. Ufa on the map of Russia is located in the Urals and ranks eleventh in terms of the number of inhabitants. As of January 1, 2015, the number exceeded one million one hundred thousand people. Another three hundred thousand people live in the Ufa agglomeration.
Ufa occupies a prominent place on the map of Russia. This is a major center of almost any industry - economic, sports, scientific, transport.
The city is divided into seven administrative districts.
The settlement was founded in 1574.
The total area is almost 708 square kilometers.
The population density is 1562 people per square kilometer.
Fifth time zone Greenwich Mean Time. Regarding Moscow, the difference is plus two hours.
Telephone code: +7 347.
Postal code: 450000 – 450 999.
Vehicle code: 02, 102.
There are more than eighty branches of large banks, as well as representatives of brokerage companies.
Famous Ufa residents
Many names of outstanding people of Ufa are on everyone’s lips. Fyodor Chaliapin, Yuri Shevchuk and Zemfira, Zagir Ismailov, Sergei Dovlatov and Arkady Bukhov, Rima Batalova and Igor Kravchuk, Evelina Khromchenko and Andrey Gubin were born or lived here. Singers, composers, writers, athletes, scientists and politicians - Ufa is rich in talent.
- Fyodor Chaliapin cannot be called a native of Ufa. He was born in Kazan in 1873. But it was here that his singing talent blossomed. The concert hall of the State Academy of Arts was named in his honor, and a monument was erected. Since 1991, many talented performers have come to the Shalyapin Evenings festival.
- Zagir Ismagilov (1916 – 2003) glorified his native land with his gift as a composer. During his life he wrote about 300 songs and operas.
- The name of Sergei Dovlatov (born in 1941) is known to literary scholars and readers. The famous writer and journalist published in Russian. His works were translated into European and Japanese languages.
- Rima Batalova (born 1961) is an outstanding cross-country athlete. Multiple champion of the world, Europe, Russia and Bashkortostan. She occupies a worthy place in the Guinness Book of Records and has been awarded honorary medals, orders and titles.
- Zemfira Ramazanova (born in 1976) is remembered not only by the streets of Ufa and concert halls, but also by many admirers of her talent. Author and performer of his own songs in the pop-rock genre.
Geographical information
The city is located in the interfluve of the Belaya River and its tributary, the Ufa.
The length of the settlement is fifty-four kilometers, the width is thirty.
The climate is temperate continental.
The minimum recorded temperature is minus forty-nine degrees, the maximum is plus thirty-nine. Average – plus four.
The distance to the capital of the Russian Federation along a direct road is one thousand three hundred and forty kilometers.
Interesting buildings
In modern Ufa, many architectural monuments have been preserved. Among modern buildings there are also objects with interesting designs. For example, the Pension Fund is located in an ultra-fashionable high-tech building. The silver facade and abundance of glass panels are direct proof of this.
An example of modern architecture that decorates the appearance of the city is the building of the entertainment complex “Lights of Ufa”. Drawing a parallel with ancient architecture, a special contrast and influence of the era is noticed.
The elegant building from 1907 is well preserved. Now this building houses the Bashkir Customs, although the reputation of this institution is somewhat tarnished. Rumors persist throughout the city that in the old days it was a haven for girls of easy virtue.
The Main Post Office building is located in the center of Ufa. It was erected back in 1935. Strict classicism and correct forms seem a little boring, but still arouse interest.
Historical information
Based on the information from ancient maps, already in the fourteenth century it was possible to find the object “city of Ufa”. What area can boast such a long history? Of course, at that time the name was different. According to historians - Pascherti or Bashkort.
The official calendar begins in 1574, after the construction of the fortress. Within two years, the settlement received the status of a city, as well as an administrative center.
Later, in the seventeenth century, the city received a coat of arms. It depicts a running marten.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, a general plan for the city was approved.
The city of Ufa is a large national economic object. It is difficult to say which area of industry is not represented here. Thanks to the proximity of mineral deposits and natural resources, the leather, ship repair, sawmill, bakery, meat, and silicate industries actively developed here.
The strongest impetus for development was the development of shipping in Ufa. What area of transport has developed as much? Of course, the railway. The opening of the Samara-Zlatoust section of the rail tracks took place in 1892. New logistics opportunities contributed to the development of trade in Ufa. What region of the Russian Empire was in such favorable conditions? There were very few of them.
The revolutionary events of the early twentieth century did not bypass the large industrial center - the city of Ufa. What area still stores information about the rapid transfer of power in a short period of time? In less than a year, from September 1918 to June 1919, Ufa fell into the hands of Cossack troops, self-government, Kolchak, and was finally recaptured by the Red Army.
The city played an important role during the Great Patriotic War. Many factories were evacuated here (according to official data - about forty). Some of them were merged with existing ones, but most started working independently. Many organizations, research institutes, and design bureaus were also evacuated.
In 1944, the Stalinsky district of the city received the status of a city - Chernikovsk. However, twelve years later this transformation was canceled.
In May 1952, an experiment was carried out on regional division within the Bashkir autonomy - the Ufa region was formed. But a year later the project was canceled.
Climate in Ufa
The territory of Bashkiria is characterized by long winters, when the air temperature drops to -10, -15°C, and warm summers with average temperatures of + 15, +20 °C. The climate is humid, continental. An average of 600 mm of precipitation falls here annually.
In summer, warm Atlantic air currents dominate over Ufa. They warm up the air. The maximum temperature of the warmest month was reached in 1952 and was +38.6 °C. Although this is rare, the average temperature in July is +20+30 °C. Summer lasts 90-100 days, in mountainous areas - 60 days. In summer, the rains become torrential in nature. In the vicinity of squally winds, gusts of which reach 30 m/s, stronger thunderstorms are formed.
In winter, the influence of an anticyclone from Asia is felt in Bashkiria. In January, temperatures drop to 20-30 °C. The average for the coldest month is -16-18°C. The minimum temperature was recorded at -48 °C. Cooling is usually observed already at the end of October. Snow falls and remains until mid-April. In March its layer is the highest. In recent years, the area has become characterized by abnormally warm winters. Ecologists became interested in this phenomenon.
Spring and autumn are short. Usually there is an alternation of warm days with frosts. In spring they can be observed until the beginning of June; in autumn, the first frosts occur in mid-September.
Modern industry
After the war, a decision was made to expand the production of light petroleum products, and therefore two more oil refineries were built.
Today there are about two hundred large enterprises operating in Ufa.
In addition to the extraction and transportation of oil industry products, the mechanical engineering and chemical industries have received strong development.
Diesel locomotive repair and cable plants, machine and instrument-making enterprises, a non-ferrous metals plant, and the production of communication and metrology equipment are operating successfully.
The city produces lighting devices, lamps, and transformers.
The construction industry and the production of reinforced concrete products are developed in a city like Ufa. What other area can afford as many as four enterprises of this type? Consumers are offered a wide range of different designs.
The city has a developed production of metal products, building materials, bricks, and tiles.
Powerful woodworking industry - production of plywood, fiberboard, chipboard, matches, polystyrene foam.
The food industry is represented by the production of bakery, canned meat products, alcohol-containing and non-alcoholic drinks: kvass, lemonade, water.
Light industry – production of textile, knitwear and other clothing products.
The pharmaceutical industry is developed: plastic products for the rehabilitation of people with disabilities, vitamins and medicines are produced here.
Ecology of Ufa
The state of the city's environmental performance has been causing concern for several decades. The developed industrial segment pollutes the air, soil, water every day and has a negative impact on the health of both people and animals. In the environmental rating of 2012, the republic took 61st place. For comparison, at the same time, in terms of economic indicators, it is in 14th place.
According to statistics, there is an acute problem with the processing of solid waste. Moreover, from 140 to 200 tons of waste are stored in the city area per year, and about 300 more are transported to the local landfill. Environmentalists and the public have repeatedly discussed with local authorities the need for a city plant that would process waste. The processed raw materials would be suitable for industrial use, thus the plant's activities would be self-sustaining or even profitable. However, there is no movement in this direction yet.
Water resources are heavily polluted. This applies to all local bodies of water, including rivers. No improvements have been observed yet.
The air masses are filled daily with products from the oil refining and chemical industries. According to the chief ecologist, the smell and concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons from the production of factories are an integral part of the atmosphere. This phenomenon can be compared with a bouquet of chemical aromas in the city of Salavat. Smog often accumulates over the city; in some areas its concentration exceeds the norm several times.
Citizens are forced to suffocate and react with the appearance of new allergies. And only a strong wind significantly reduces smoke, filling the air with freshness.
Based on the results of a survey of citizens, the information department of the mayor’s office on the environmental situation in Ufa published the following data:
- Air comes first in terms of pollution levels;
- further in the ranking is the state of water in rivers;
- in third place was the increase in the number of vehicles in the city (concerns are caused by noise levels and the amount of exhaust gases);
- in last place is a large amount of solid household waste.
Among the problems, more mundane ones are also voiced. For example, summer residents often find spontaneous garbage dumps in forest belts.
The situation is especially critical in coastal flat areas. After all, after rain, various chemicals flow into the river stream, and they also saturate the top layer of soil. The administration, as a rule, takes measures in such cases, but it happens that the damage caused to nature cannot be corrected.
Attractions
Residents and guests of the city can visit a variety of architectural monuments. There are a large number of memorials, busts of outstanding figures, and sculptural compositions.
The city has a large number of fountains, recreation areas, parks, cathedrals, temples, mosques, theaters, and libraries. You can also visit cinemas, museums, galleries, football, volleyball, hockey, basketball sports events, and ice complexes.
Construction
As of 2014, 28% of the total area of Ufa was allocated for development - 20 thousand hectares. The average height of buildings is only three floors. According to statistical estimates, each resident has 21 m2. The volume of the city's entire housing stock is almost 24 million m2. However, the demand for housing is not falling. Therefore, the pace of construction is not slowing down: according to the results of 2013, almost 820 thousand m2 of residential space were commissioned, according to the results of 2014 - 880 thousand m2. The administration plans to increase this figure to one million in 2022.
Active construction work continues in the city. In addition to improving the quality and area of the roadway, attention is paid to the construction of social institutions and housing. In 2014 alone, 29 preschool institutions were provided with a capacity for more than 4 thousand children.
The clinical was able to open in 2014 at the maternity hospital. The construction of sports facilities continues, 15 of them were put into operation over the past year. In the cultural sector, two club institutions were added, and 4 new centers appeared in the entertainment sector. A significant event was the completion of the construction of the largest Ferris wheel in Russia, operating all year round. Its height was 48 m.
Shopping and souvenirs
As in any national republic of our country, national costumes, skullcaps, and pointed fox hats are brought from the capital of Bashkiria.
If you want to buy precious gifts for your beloved women, then you should visit the exhibition of “Sarmatian Gold” - products made of precious metal, made in the style of nomadic jewelry, the main subjects of which are images of animals.
Bashkirs are skilled beekeepers, so take a jar of local honey or balsam with you.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Ufa is presented in the form of a French shield. On a silver background there is a picture of a marten running on green ground. The animal has a natural brownish-brown color. The marten is facing the left side of the viewer. In the official drawing, you can see decorative elements on the “ground” - small T-shaped figures. They symbolize grass.
The coat of arms goes back to the historical version. It is allowed to frame it with a wreath of golden oak branches, leaves and acorns, over which a ribbon of the same metal is placed. At the top there is an inscription: “1574”.
The artistic composition is included in the State Heraldic Register of the Russian Federation under No. 3000. The author is S. Gilyazetdinov. Adopted by decision of the Ufa City Council of October 12, 2006 No. 16/4 (as amended on March 31, 2010). The description of the frame of the coat of arms was approved on May 17, 2007.
What to see
Among the attractions of the city of Ufa are numerous monuments. One of them was installed to Salavat Yulaev, the national hero of Bashkiria and poet. An avenue in Ufa, the city of Salavat, and a hockey club are named after him. The weight of the monument is 40 tons. In memory of the 400th anniversary of the annexation of Bashkortostan to Russia, the Friendship Monument was opened in 1965. Two pink granite steles are held together by three gray granite rings. At the base are two bronze figures of women holding out laurel wreaths - a symbol of peace and harmony. Women personify Bashkortostan and Russia. In Victory Park there is a monument to Alexander Matrosov and Minnigali Gubaidullin, at the foot of which the Eternal Flame burns.
Among the attractions of the city of Ufa are museums. There are about 15 of them. Among them is the Bashkir State Art Museum named after M.V. Nesterov and the National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the House-Museum of the People's Poet of Bashkortostan Mazhit Gafuri and the Ethnographic Museum, as well as others. There are also memorial house-museums. To the 200th anniversary of the birth of S.T. Aksakov in 1991, the House-Museum of the writer was opened on his family estate. Nearby is a garden named after. S.T. Aksakov with a pond in which swans swim. Opposite the museum is a picturesque garden named after. Salavat Yulaev with a view of the Belaya River.
Civil architectural monuments include the buildings of the former Theological Seminary and the Assembly of the Nobility, the City Duma and the Peasant Bank. Unfortunately, many churches in the city of Ufa were closed and demolished. Among the surviving ones are the First Cathedral Mosque, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and St. Sergius Cathedral, the Intercession Church and some others. In the city of Ufa there are the State Opera and Ballet Theater and the Bashkir Academic Drama Theater, youth and puppet theaters and others. Gostiny Dvor, a shopping center of European level, is located in the historical and business center of Ufa. It occupies 40,000 sq.m of retail space, where about 70 stores are located, presentations and fashion shows are held. There is an illuminated fountain on the square in front of Gostiny Dvor. In the very center of the city is the Park named after. Ivan Yakutov. In addition to traditional attractions, there is billiards, a cafe, and a restaurant. You can relax on the lake.
