Izhevsk

 city, capital city of state/province/region, City of Labour Valour

Izhevsk (Russian: Иже́вск, IPA: [ɪˈʐɛfsk]; Udmurt: Ижкар, romanized: Ižkar, or Иж, Iž) is the capital city of Udmurtia, Russia. It is situated along the Izh River, west of the Ural Mountains in Eastern Europe. It is the 21st-largest city in Russia, and the most populous in Udmurtia, with over 600,000 inhabitants. From 1984 to 1987, the city was called Ustinov (Russian: Усти́нов), named after Soviet Minister of Defence Dmitry Ustinov. The city is a major hub of industry, commerce, politics, culture and education in the Volga Region. It is known for its defense, engineering and metallurgy industries. Izhevsk has the titles of the Armory Capital of Russia and the City of Labor Glory.

Formerly an engineering town, it was established as a place where all manner of metalworking was done, especially the manufacture of machinery and arms. Izhevsk is the site of one of the most famous arsenals in Russia, at which Mikhail Kalashnikov designed his famous AK-47 assault rifle. As of 2006, Kalashnikov still lives in Izhevsk. There are also automobile and motorcycle production plants — the vehicles bear the brandname IZH (ИЖ). The city is also the birthplace of current NBA player Andrei Kirilenko, who, incidentally, bears the nickname "AK-47" (from his initials and uniform number with the Utah Jazz).

Google panorama: goo.gl/maps/F1tEaH9uoesvBQbw5