Izhevsk

Izhevsk (Russian: Иже́вск ee-ZHEHFSK) is the capital and principal city of Udmurtia.

Saint Mikhailov Cathedral

Understand

Very few tourists make it to Izhevsk, but is an interesting destination for anyone interested in the Udmurt culture or the AK-47 Kalashnikov, which was manufactured in Izhevsk. It is an industrial city but it is worth a visit to watch Udmurt folk dances, eat exotic foods, and meet locals that don't often see foreigners.

Izhevsk has 630,000 residents. Due to its arms manufacturing industry, Izhevsk was a closed city to all foreigners until after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is also one of the least religious cities in Russia, with over half of the population identifying as "spiritual but not religious" or atheist.

Get in

By plane

• 🌍 Izhevsk Airport (IJK  ^IATA) (15 km (9.3 mi) east of the city centre). The airport serves small airliners, which operate flights to/from Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, and Ufa.  

By train

Russian Railways operates trains to major cities in Russia; search for "Ijevsk" on its website. Trains are available to/from Moscow (daily, 17 hours; from RUB3600), Yekaterinburg (11 hours, From RUB900), Kazan (5 hours, from RUB900), and Perm Station 2 (8 hours, from RUB1100).

The Trans-Siberian Railway stops at Glazov, from where you can take a regional train (4 hours, RUB900) or bus to Izhevsk.

Get around

Izhevsk has trams, buses, minibuses, trolleybuses, and taxis.

See

Monument to Izhevsk Armourers

• 🌍 Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.  
• Trinity Cemetery Church. 
• 🌍 Kalashnikov Museum.  
• 🌍 Udmurtia State Circus.  
• Esplanade and Izhevsk Lake Embankment. 
• 🌍 The People's Friendship Monument.  
• The Square of the 50th Anniversary of the October Revolution. Includes The Arsenal, a neoclassical building which houses the Museum of Local Lore. 
• Izhmash Museum. Exhibits featuring all sorts of locally produced armaments to motorcycles. 
• 🌍 Udmurt Zoo.  
• Statues of Lenin, Pelmeni, Crocodile Gena
• 🌍 Kirov Park. A huge park between the Zoo and the lake. (updated Jul 2018)

Do

• Go see the popular local ice hockey team, HC Izhstal.

Learn

• 🌍 Udmurt State University. Offers Russian language classes.  

Buy

At the central market (beside the bus station) you can purchase many things, fruits, vegetables, meat and fish, or outside you will find clothing, fur hats and gloves household goods and a variety of other items.

Eat

• Brauplatz, Borodina 25, ☎ [phone]. Restaurant & brewery. 
• Gorkiy Sad, Maksima Gorkogo 72, ☎ [phone]. Nice presentation, with white tablecloths. 
• Gorod, Karla Marksa 177, ☎ [phone]. English menus and a French countryside ambiance. 
• Hot Pelmen (Горячий пельмень), Kommunarov 230, ☎ [phone]. Authentic pelmeni made from scratch. Popular with locals. 
• Okhotnichiy Rai, Maiskaya 35A, ☎ [phone]. Unusual menu - wild boar, elk. Ambiance of a hunter's lodge. 
• Teremok, ул. Кирова, 10, ☎ [phone]. 11am-12am. (updated Jul 2018)

Drink

Clubs

• Svet, Svobody 173, ☎ [phone]. Popular with young people. Face control. 

Sleep

• Deryabin, Krasnogeroyskaya 107, ☎ [phone]. Has a billiards room and sauna. From RUB1600. 
• Okolitsa, 23a Zhivsovhoz Izhevsk, ☎ [phone]. Hotel with a sauna. From RUB1800. 
• Park Inn by Radisson Izhevsk Hotel, 25 Borodina, ☎ [phone]. The nicest hotel in the city. From RUB4320. 
• Telekom, 36 Dzerzhinskogo, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. Has a gym, swimming pool, and games room. From RUB1950. 

Go next

• Perm
• Kazan