Ivanovo

Ivanovo, city and administrative centre of Ivanovo oblast (region), western Russia, on both banks of the Uvod River. It was created from two villages, Ivanovo and Voznesensk, in 1871; until 1932 it was known as Ivanovo-Voznesensk. The first linen mills in Russia were founded near Ivanovo by order of Peter I the Great in 1710. A large number of weaving mills and textile-printing factories were subsequently opened there, so that by the middle of the 19th century the town was known as “the Russian Manchester.” In 1918 the city was the temporary capital of the revolutionary government. Ivanovo remains one of the major textile cities of Russia, producing cotton, worsted, and silk goods and clothing. Other industries produce machinery and dyes for the textile industry. Still other manufactures include peat-working machines, cranes, leather goods, lumber, and foodstuffs. A number of satellite towns produce cotton and linen. Rail and road links run to Moscow, Yaroslavl, and Vladimir. Ivanovo has a number of institutions of higher education, including textile, chemical technology, power, agricultural, medical, and teacher-training institutes. Pop. (2006 est.) 413,068.