Kovrov () is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Vladimir Oblast Vladimir Oblast () is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Vladimir, which is located east of Moscow. As of the 2010 Census, the oblast's population was 1,443,693. The UNESCO World Heritage L ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, located on the right bank of the

Klyazma River The Klyazma (, ''Klyaz'ma'' or ''Kliazma''), a river in the Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Ivanovo and Vladimir Oblasts in Russia, forms a left tributary of the Oka.

, a

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the Oka. Kovrov's population as of the 2021 Census was 132,417, down from 145,214 recorded in the 2010 Census, and further down from 155,499 recorded in the 2002 Census and 159,942 recorded in the 1989 Census. In terms of population, it is the second-largest city in Vladimir Oblast after

Vladimir Vladimir (, , pre-1918 orthography: ) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, widespread throughout all Slavic nations in different forms and spellings. The earliest record of a person with the name is Vladimir of Bulgaria (). Etymology ...

. In 1977, Kovrov's population had been estimated at 140,000.

History

Overshadowed by the neighboring

Starodub-on-the-Klyazma Starodub-on-the-Klyazma ( rus, Староду́б-на-Кля́зьме, p=stərɐˈdub nə ˈklʲæzʲmʲɪ) was a prominent urban centre of Russian Opolye from the 12th until the 14th century. Like so many towns in the vicinity, it was named ...

since the 12th century, Kovrov was eventually granted town status in 1778. On July 13, 1978, the city's 200th anniversary, Kovrov was decorated with the

Order of the Red Banner of Labor The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports ...

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Kovrov serves as the

administrative center An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

Kovrovsky District Kovrovsky District () is an administrativeLaw #130-OZ and municipalLaw #52-OZ district (raion), one of the sixteen in Vladimir Oblast, Russia. It is located in the north of the oblast. The area of the district is . Its administrative center is the ...

, even though it is not a part of it.Resolution #433 As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the

City A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

of Kovrov—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

.Law #130-OZ As a municipal division, the City of Kovrov is incorporated as Kovrov Urban Okrug.Law #143-OZ

Economy

Kovrov is a major center of Russia's defense industry, specializing in mechanical engineering, metal processing, textile and light industry, and building industry. Kovrov is home to

Degtyaryov plant Degtyaryov Plant (, English: Open Joint Stock Company "Vasily Degtyaryov, V. A. Degtyaryov Plant") or ZiD (Zavod imeni Dеgtyaryovа) is one of the most important weapon and vehicle producing enterprises of Russia. The company is named after Vasi ...

, Kovrov Mechanical Factory, Kovrov Electromechanical Factory, and CB Armatura.

Transportation

Located on the

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

–

Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət, t=Lower Newtown; colloquially shortened to Nizhny) is a city and the administrative centre of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast an ...

rail line—one of Russia's oldest railroads and one of the alternative routes of the

Trans-Siberian Railway The Trans-Siberian Railway, historically known as the Great Siberian Route and often shortened to Transsib, is a large railway system that connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over , it is the longest railway ...

—Kovrov is also connected to

Murom Murom (, ) is a historical types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which sprawls along the west bank of the Oka River. It borders Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and is situated from the administrative center Vladimir, ...

(which is served by the Moscow–Kazan rail line) by the

Murom Railway The broad gauge Murom Railway (, or Muromskaya zheleznaya doroga) is a subdivision of the state-owned Gorky Railway in Russia. It was built between the towns of Kovrov and Murom in 1874-1880. Overview The Murom Railway, 107 km, was opened ...

International relations

Climate

Kovrov has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfb''). The city has warm summers and relatively cold winters with frequent snowfall. The warmest month is July, the coldest month is January. The highest amount of precipitation is on average in July, the driest month is March.

Twin towns and sister cities

Kovrov is twinned with: * Brest,

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

Liberec Liberec (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 108,000 inhabitants, making it the fifth largest city in the country. It lies on the Lusatian Neisse River, in a basin surrounded by mountains. The city centre is well preserved and is pr ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

References

Notes

Sources

* * * *

External links

Official website of Kovrov

Unofficial website of Kovrov
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Vladimir Oblast Kovrovsky Uyezd