Ivanovo Oblast, Russia

The capital city of Ivanovo oblast: Ivanovo.

Ivanovo Oblast - Overview

Ivanovo Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the European part of the country, in the Central Federal District. Ivanovo is the capital city of the region.

The population of Ivanovo Oblast is about 977,000 (2022), the area - 21,437 sq. km.

Ivanovo oblast flag

Ivanovo oblast flag

Ivanovo oblast coat of arms

Ivanovo oblast coat of arms

Ivanovo oblast map, Russia

Ivanovo oblast map of Russia

Ivanovo Oblast - Features

There are about 1,700 rivers and streams, more than 150 lakes in Ivanovo Oblast.

The climate of the Ivanovo region is temperate continental: relatively warm summers and frosty, snowy winters. The coldest month of the year is January with the average temperature minus 12 degrees Celsius, the warmest month is July - plus 18 degrees Celsius. The region has relatively favorable environmental condition.

The largest cities and towns of the Ivanovo region are Ivanovo (400,000), Kineshma (78,400), Shuya (55,000), Vichuga (32,400), Furmanov (32,400), Teikovo (31,300), and Kokhma (30,400).

Ivanovo Oblast is located in the central part of European Russia between the Volga and Klyazma rivers. It is one of the smallest regions of Russia by land area (Kalinigrad Oblast is the smallest one).

Globus-1 experiment in Ivanovo Oblast

Globus-1 was one of a series of peaceful underground nuclear explosions that were made in the territory of the USSR from 1965 to 1988.

On September 19, 1971, a nuclear warhead of 2.3 kilotons (about 9 times weaker than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan) was detonated in the well at the depth of 610 meters on the banks of the Shachi River, about 4 km from the village of Galkino in the Kineshma District of Ivanovo Oblast.

Globus-1 became the closest nuclear explosion to Moscow. The distance in a straight line from Red Square to the place of the test was 363 kilometers.

As a result of the explosion, because of poor cementing of the wellbore, there was a release of radioactive material to the surface, which caused radioactive contamination of the area.

In September-October, 2014, Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation carried out works on the isolation of the wells and decontamination of the area. The radioactive soil was taken to a specialized plant for the disposal of radioactive waste. In August, 2015, the work on the reclamation of contaminated soil was completed.

Nature of Ivanovo Oblast

Classic Russian landscape in Ivanovo Oblast

Classic Russian landscape in Ivanovo Oblast

Author: Sergey Orlov

Nature of Ivanovskaya Oblast

Nature of Ivanovskaya Oblast

Author: Gurov Oleg

Ivanovo Oblast scenery

Ivanovo Oblast scenery

Author: Gurov Oleg


Ivanovo Oblast - Economy and Transport

Ivanovo Oblast is one of the poorest regions of Russia. Light, power, food, and machine building industries are the most developed. The basis of the economic potential of the region is textile and garment industry. The share of cotton fabrics made in Ivanovo in Russia’s total production is about 70%.

The leading branches of agriculture are animal husbandry, cultivation of flax and potatoes.

Ivanovo Oblast has a developed transport network based on highways, railways and the navigable Volga River. The main transport hubs of the region are Ivanovo and Kineshma. The main roads are the road from M7 “Volga” to Ivanovo (102 km), R600 Kostroma - Ivanovo (105 km), the road from Ivanovo to Nizhniy Novgorod, the road R79 Ivanovo - Yaroslavl.

The main waterway of the region is the Volga River. Navigation lasts 210 days. There is a freight port in Kineshma, riverports in Kineshma, Yurievets, Plyos, Puchezh, Zavolzhsk, Navoloki. The region is crossed by two lines of the gas pipeline Nizhniy Novgorod - Yaroslavl.

Attractions of Ivanovo Oblast

Ivanovo, Palekh and Plyos are included in the so-called “Golden Ring of Russia”. There are a lot of historical and cultural monuments, museums on the territory of the region. Cruise tourism (cruises on the Volga) is one of the most promising directions of development of the local tourism industry.

International Film Festival “Zerkalo” named after Andrei Tarkovsky is held annually in Ivanovo (in late spring - summer).

The main places of interest in Ivanovo Oblast are:

  • Ivanovo - the capital of the region known as the “city of brides”,
  • Plyos - a town-museum and climatic resort with a ski resort “Milaya Gora” located nearby,
  • The historical and cultural towns of Kineshma, Yurievets ( “Asaph Mountains”, the house-museum of the director Andrei Tarkovsky) and Vichuga,
  • The historical village of Mugreevo-Nikolskoye - an ancestral patrimony of Prince Pozharsky,
  • Kholui and Palekh villages - centers of lacquer miniature and iconography with artists’ studios and museums,
  • Shuya town - a patrimony of the princes Shuisky and the birthplace of the poet Konstantin Balmont,
  • Novo-Talitsy village - the birthplace of the poet Marina Tsvetaeva,
  • Klyazma Federal Reserve located in the Savinsky and Yuzhsky districts.

Ivanovo oblast of Russia photos

Ivanovo Oblast views

Forest in the Ivanovo region

Forest in the Ivanovo region

Author: Sergey S. Pugin

Forest road in the Ivanovo region

Forest road in the Ivanovo region

Author: Kuznetsov Nik

Small pond in Ivanovo Oblast

Small pond in Ivanovo Oblast

Author: Irina Zaytseva


Beautiful churches of Ivanovo Oblast

Church in the Ivanovo region

Church in the Ivanovo region

Author: Alexey Kochnev

Church in Ivanovo Oblast

Church in Ivanovo Oblast

Author: Alexey Kochnev

Cathedral in Ivanovo Oblast

Cathedral in Ivanovo Oblast

Author: Sergey Margaryan


Wooden house in Ivanovo Oblast

Typical wooden village house in Ivanovo Oblast

Typical wooden village house in Ivanovo Oblast

Author: Irina Zaytseva


The comments of our visitors

Adam Laboucan
The buildings are beautiful and the scenery wonderful

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