Large cities by population. List of cities in the world by population

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

Urbanization and Russia

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

This concept in a broad sense understands the growing role of the city in human life. This process, having burst into our lives in the twentieth century, fundamentally changed not only the reality around us, but also the person himself.

In mathematical terms, urbanization is an indicator that marks the proportion of the urban population of a country or region. Countries in which this indicator exceeds 65% are considered highly urbanized. In the Russian Federation, about 73% of the population lives in cities. You can find a list of cities in Russia below.

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

The emergence of new cities that covered new areas of the country.
Expansion of existing cities and the formation of large agglomerations.

History of Russian cities

In 1897, within modern Russia, the All-Russian Council counted 430 cities. Most of them were small towns; at that time there were only seven large ones. And all of them were located up to the line of the Ural Mountains. But in Irkutsk - the current center of Siberia - there were barely 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 completely reasonable regional policy pursued by the Soviet authorities in the twentieth century. One way or another, by 1997 the number of cities in the country had increased to 1087, and the share of the urban population had grown to 73 percent. At the same time, the number of 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 transformed from a country of villages into a state of big cities.

Russia is a country of megacities

The largest cities in Russia in terms of population are distributed quite unevenly across 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 network (socio-economic and cultural) on which the entire settlement system, 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 state's territory. But in the vast Siberian and Far Eastern expanses there are only 250 cities. This nuance extremely complicates the process of development of the Asian part of Russia: the shortage of large megacities is felt especially acutely here. After all, there are colossal mineral deposits here. 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 population distribution. The same can be said about the south of the country, where only lonely and brave daredevil cities “survive” in the mountainous and foothill regions.

So can Russia be called a country of big cities? Of course yes. 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, in Russia there are 15 million-plus cities. As is known, this title is given to a locality whose population exceeds one million.

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

Moscow (from 12 to 14 million inhabitants according to various sources).
St. Petersburg (5.13 million people).
Novosibirsk (1.54 million people).
Yekaterinburg (1.45 million people).
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 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 megacities in the world. It is very difficult to say how many residents live in Moscow. Official sources talk about 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 sites of the Russian capital are included in the UNESCO heritage list.

In conclusion...

In total, approximately 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 by population are, of course, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk. All of them have significant industrial, cultural, as well as scientific and educational potential.

According to the All-Russian Population Census, as of October 14, 2010, there were 1,287 urban-type settlements in Russia. Of these, 206 have a population of more than 10 thousand inhabitants. No. Urban settlement Region Population, thousand people (2002)… …Wikipedia

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10

Population: 1 114 806
Founded: 1749
Subject of the Federation: Rostov region
National composition:

90.6% Russians
3.4% Armenians
1.5% Ukrainians

Rostov-on-Don is the oldest city in Russia, the southern “capital” of Russia. Founded in 1749 by decree of Elizabeth Petrovna. The main part of the city is located on the right bank of the Don. The city has many “green” areas - picturesque parks and squares. In the city center there are huge trees reaching a height of 6-7 floors. Rostov has its own zoo, botanical garden, circus, water park, and also a dolphinarium. The symbolic border between Europe and Asia passes through the Voroshilovsky Bridge in the center of Rostov-on-Don.

9

Population: 1 171 820
Founded: 1586
Subject of the Federation: Samara region
National composition:

90% Russian
3.6% Tatars
1.1% Mordovians
1.1% Ukrainians

With amara (from 1935 to 1991 - Kuibyshev) is a fairly large city located on the left, higher bank of the Volga with its many attractions. The city of Samara is a large industrial center of the Volga Federal District. Industries such as mechanical engineering (including the aviation and space industries), metalworking, and also the food industry are developed here.

8

Population: 1 173 854
Founded: 1716
Subject of the Federation: Omsk region
National composition:

88.8% Russians
3.4% Kazakhs
2.0% Ukrainians

About Moscow - one of the largest cities in Siberia and Russia - was founded in 1716. In 2016, the city will celebrate its tricentenary. Omsk is considered the economic, educational and cultural center of Western Siberia. The city is home to a large number of large industrial enterprises, and medium and small businesses are developing. The city has more than 10 theaters, a Concert Hall and an Organ Hall. Every year Omsk hosts various festivals, exhibitions, and concerts of Russian and foreign performers.

7

Population: 1 183 387
Founded: 1736
Subject of the Federation: Chelyabinsk region
National composition:

86.5% Russians
5.1% Tatars
3.1% Bashkirs

Chelyabinsk is the capital of the Southern Urals. Located east of the Ural ridge, on the geological border of the Urals and Siberia. The enterprises of the city of Chelyabinsk - metallurgical and engineering giants - are known throughout the world.

6

Population: 1 205 651
Founded: 1005
Subject of the Federation: Republic of Tatarstan
National composition:

48.6% Russians
47.6% Tatars
0.8% Chuvash

Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, one of the largest and most beautiful cities in Russia, included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Cities. Kazan is a major industrial and commercial center of Russia. The whole world knows about airplanes and helicopters that are produced in the capital of Tatarstan, chemical and petrochemical products produced by giant Kazan factories.

5

Population: 1 267 760
Founded: 1221
Subject of the Federation: Nizhny Novgorod region
National composition:

93.9% Russians
1.3% Tatars
0.6% Mordovians

Nizhny Novgorod is a city in Russia, the administrative center of the Nizhny Novgorod region, the center and largest city of the Volga Federal District. The most developed industries are mechanical engineering and metalworking, food, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, medical, light and woodworking, mechanical engineering and metalworking. The city has preserved many unique historical, architectural and cultural monuments, which gave UNESCO grounds to include Nizhny Novgorod in the list of 100 cities in the world that are of global historical and cultural value.

4

Population: 1 428 042
Founded: 1723
Subject of the Federation: Sverdlovsk region
National composition:

89.1% Russian
3.7% Tatars
1.0% Ukrainians

Katerinburg is called the capital of the Urals. It is the fourth largest city in Russia. Yekaterinburg has become one of the “centers” of Russian rock. The groups “Nautilus Pompilius”, “Urfene Juice”, “Semantic Hallucinations”, “Agatha Christie”, “Chaif”, “Nastya” were formed here. Yulia Chicherina, Olga Arefieva and many others grew up here.

3

Population: 1 567 087
Founded: 1893
Subject of the Federation: Novosibirsk region
National composition:

92.8% Russians
0.9% Ukrainians
0.8% Uzbeks

Novosibirsk is the third most populous city in Russia and has the status of an urban district. It is a trade, cultural, business, industrial, scientific and transport center of federal significance. As a settlement, it was founded in 1893, and Novosibirsk was given city status in 1903. Novosibirsk is home to one of the largest zoos in Russia, famous throughout the world for the conservation of endangered animal species, some of which remain only in zoo collections.

2

Population: 5 191 690
Founded: 1703
Subject of the Federation:
National composition:

92.5% Russians
1.5% Ukrainians
0.9% Belarusians

St. Petersburg is the second most populous city in Russia. It has the status of a city of federal significance. Administrative center of the Northwestern Federal District and Leningrad Region. Few cities in the world can boast so many attractions, museum collections, opera and drama theatres, estates and palaces, parks and monuments.

1

Population: 12 197 596
Founded: 1147
Subject of the Federation:
National composition:

91.6% Russians
1.4% Ukrainians
1.4% Tatars

Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation, a city of federal significance, the administrative center of the Central Federal District and the center of the Moscow Region, which it is not part of. Moscow is the largest financial center on an all-Russian scale, an international business center and a management center for a large part of the country's economy. For example, about half of the banks registered in Russia are concentrated in Moscow. According to Ernst & Young, Moscow ranks 7th among European cities in terms of investment attractiveness.

Almost all residents of our country know that the largest city by population is Moscow, the capital of the Russian Federation, and the second by population is St. Petersburg, the northern “capital”. What other cities are in the top 10 by population in our country - Russia. Two cities are constantly fighting for third place, which periodically replace each other in this position - the Ural capital Yekaterinburg and the Siberian capital Novisibirsk. The population of these cities fluctuates around one and a half million people. Also in the top 10 are the following cities: Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Chelyabinsk, Omsk, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, with a population of more than one million people. All these cities belong to the million-plus cities of the Russian Federation. Also in this category of cities, in addition to the above, include the following cities: Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Voronezh, Volgograd. Another 21 cities in our country have a population from 500,000 to 1,000,000 people. 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 ranks 10th. The city was founded in 1147. Located on the Moscow River. The largest city in Europe.

Saint Petersburg.

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

Novosibirsk

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

Ekaterinburg.

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 built 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 cities in Russia in terms of population - 1,266,871 people. The city was founded in 1221 and is 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 1736. The largest industrial center of the country.

Omsk.

A city in Siberia with a population of 1,178,079 people. Founded in 1716. The second city in Siberia in terms of population. 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 “gateway of the Caucasus”, the southern capital.

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.

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 experts, 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.