Population: 1.495 million
History Fact: This city has been continuously inhabited since 8000 BCE. The Koptyak and Gamayun peoples lived in the area from the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age periods.
Geography Fact: This city is on the eastern side of the Ural Mountains. For reference, it is about 1000 miles from Moscow.
Economic Fact: The city was one of the main industrial sectors during the Soviet era, but since the collapse of the USSR, the city has diversified into numerous sectors and become one of the wealthiest cities in Russia.
Rebranding Fact: In 1924, the city was renamed to Sverdlovsk, but took it’s old name back when the Soviet Union fell.
Sports Fact: Hosted four matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
College Fact: In 2011, Ural State University and Ural State Technical University merged to form Boris Yeltsin Ural Federal University, which is now the largest university in Russia. I wonder if Ural State ever played against Utah State? I would love a battle of USUs.
Gold Fact: The first major gold rush occurred in this city during the 1820. Prior to the California Gold Rush, 45% of the world’s gold came from this city.
Famous Citizen: Nikolai Khabibulin (one of my favorite hockey goalies, only because in NHL2003, the announcer said his name with such gusto every time he would make a save).
