Population of the Irkutsk region: size and ethnic composition

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

Pribaikalsky Krai is the heart of the Siberian part of the country. It is rich in its own traditions, has a hardened mentality and a wide variety of residents.

But how many people are in the Irkutsk region? And by what peoples is it represented?

Irkutsk region: quantitative data

Irkutsk Region is a subject of Russia, located in the southeastern part of the federal district of Siberia.

The Irkutsk region covers an area of 767,900 km2, which puts it in 5th place among all Russian regions. In percentage terms, this Siberian subject occupies 4.6% of the total area of the country.

The Irkutsk region is formed by:

• 32 districts;
• 10 city districts;
• 63 urban settlements;
• 362 rural settlements;
• 22 cities.

2,408,901 people live in the regional territory (data for 2017).

Ethnic diversity of the Irkutsk region

Within IrkutskThe region is inhabited by various peoples. Diversity is associated with the constant migration of people of various nationalities to this subject, both from neighboring regions and from distant regions. In addition, the peoples of the former USSR live in the region.

The national contingent consists of the following nations:

• Russians - 88.5%;
• Ukrainians - 3.4%;
• Buryat peoples - 2.7%;
• Tatars - 1.4%.

In total, about 100 nationalities make up the regional ethnic group.

Buryats, occupying the 3rd place in terms of number, inhabit Ust-Ordynsk in the Buryat district. According to the count, their number corresponds to 80,000 people.

Katangsky district is inhabited by the peoples of the Yakuts and Evenks. In the region of the Eastern Sayan, in the Nizhneudinsky region, Tofs live - hunter peoples.

Buryat peoples of the Irkutsk region

Buryats are the indigenous inhabitants of Siberia. Their appearance within the current Irkutsk region is noted as early as 2500 BC. This is evidenced by the rock carvings and ancient sites of the tribes of the Buryat peoples discovered by Baikal scientists.

At the beginning of the 17th century, when there was an active development of Siberia, there was a contact between Russians and Buryat tribes. In the same period, Buryatia joined Russia.

At the beginning of the 20th century, martial law was legalized in the territory where the Buryat tribes lived, and lands and property were taken away from the indigenous people. And only with the establishment of Soviet power did the Buryat peopleswere able to return to their former position.

Numerical indicator of residents by city

The territorial composition of the region is represented by 22 cities, the largest of which are Irkutsk, Bratsk and Angarsk.

The total population of the Irkutsk region is slightly decreasing. But the population of the capital is gradually growing. The number of people living in the heart of the region - Irkutsk - is 623,736 people.

The population of the city of the Irkutsk region of Bratsk is 231,602 people, and the next largest city of Angarsk has 226,374 people.

Census of the region's population for 2016

The population of the Irkutsk region in 2016 is 2,412,138 people.

In 2015, the figure was at around 2,414,913 inhabitants. The population of the districts of the Irkutsk region is still lower than that of the cities. The decrease in the number is associated with the movement of people to other areas and regions. Statistics note that even high birth rates could not compensate for the decline in the population of the region.

However, the influx of residents of the CIS countries continues into the Siberian region.

Cities of the Irkutsk region

The major cities of the region include: Irkutsk, Bratsk and Angarsk.

Irkutsk is the capital city of the Baikal region. It extends to km 277.35.

The city began its existence as a fortress erected in 1661 on the banks of the mighty Angara. A settlement settled within this defensive fortress, which became a city in 1686.

Citizens consider both of these dates important, representing the starting point for the existence of the city. In this regard, in 1986, Irkutsk held a celebration dedicated to its 300th anniversary, and in 2011, the celebration was dedicated to the 350th anniversary.

As for the inhabitants of the city, their composition is diverse and unites 120 different peoples. Each nation has its own religion, which is reflected in the fact that churches, mosques, churches and other religious buildings can be found in the Siberian capital.

The city has a significant birth rate that exceeds the number of deaths. It would not be superfluous to note that of all the cities of Siberia, Irkutsk excels in suicides among young people. The reasons are often the low standard of living and the lack of prospects. But the influx of visitors affects the increase in the number of residents.

There are many universities in the city that annually produce good specialists from their walls. However, yesterday's students do not use their skills at home, as they move to more developed cities.

Bratsk is the supplier of electricity for the entire eastern part of the Siberian District. The Bratsk hydroelectric power station was built in the middle of the 20th century. It was her appearance that was the reason for the founding of the city. The official date of the founding of this Siberian city is 1955, although some historical data indicate a different date, an earlier one.

In the 50s of the 20th century, when there was an active development of the settlement, manyrepresentatives of different peoples who stayed there and later formed the future ethnic composition of Bratsk.

Based on the fact that Bratsk is a young city, the main part of its population is represented by young, able-bodied people, who make up 64% of the total number of the region.

Angarsk is the third largest city in the Irkutsk region. As in other regional subjects, the number of people living within it is falling every year. The reason is the same - a change in the place of residence of people. The main part of the city's residents are elderly and elderly people, as the active working population represented by young people is trying to leave Angarsk in order to find acceptable conditions.

Inhabitants of cities and villages

Out of 22 cities in the region, only 5 have a population of just over 100,000 people. The urban population is predominantly young able-bodied people who move to the city from villages and villages. Also, the young composition of the city is influenced by the large location of educational institutions in it. Therefore, Irkutsk is a student city.

In addition to cities, the region has 66 urban-type settlements and 1,500 other settlements. The number of inhabitants is increasing naturally, due to a good birth rate. However, the large migration of young people from rural areas to urban conditions significantly reduces the population.

Employment of residents of the region

Residents of both Irkutsk itself and its region work in manyindustrial areas. What enterprises employ the population of the region?

1. Furniture manufacturing company. The large commercial company Atrium has been manufacturing all types of furniture for 13 years and is a major supplier of its goods to other Russian regions.
2. Vid sewing factory is one of the oldest enterprises in Irkutsk, has been operating since 1930. It produces costumes for men and schoolchildren.
3. Irkutsk ceramic factory. The enterprise produces building bricks and has long established itself in the Russian market. The company was twice awarded the title and award in the nomination "The best product of the country".
4. Irkutsk Aviation Plant. Both passenger and combat and training aircraft roll off the assembly lines of the plant.
5. Irkutsk Jewelry Factory. Precious jewelry of high quality is what is sold from the walls of the enterprise.
6. Irkutsk plant for the production of pipes used for the transmission of drinking water, gas, for the sewer system.
7. Angarsk oil refinery.

This is not a complete list of industrial enterprises operating within Irkutsk, Bratsk and Angarsk. Therefore, the employment of the population of the Irkutsk region is mainly concentrated in large factory companies.

Living conditions

In the economic sphere, the Irkutsk region is the most developed territory of Eastern Siberia. But if compared with the Black Earth region, then herethe regions of Irkutsk are lagging behind. The situation of Siberians is saved by the fact that they are charged less for electricity than in other Russian cities and villages.

In general terms, the standard of living here is slightly lower than in the central regions of the country. With a deviation to the east, there is a significant increase in prices for different categories of goods, but wages increase insignificantly. According to the survey, the average family in Irkutsk spends the most money on groceries and utility services, while less money is spent on other expenses.

As for the environment, the situation in the Siberian region remains difficult and very unfavorable. The situation is complicated by large emissions of destructive elements into the air layers from chemical, aluminum, pulp and other plants. In addition, the ecological situation is affected by frequent forest fires and the destruction of a large area of forests.

In general, the life of the inhabitants of the Irkutsk region is not much different from the life of the inhabitants of the central part of Russia. Even ethnic diversity does not affect the culture and life of true Siberians.