Votkinsk, Industrial center in Udmurt Republic, Russia
Votkinsk is an industrial city in the Udmurt Republic on the Votka River, roughly 1200 kilometers (750 miles) east of Moscow. The streets run between large factory complexes and brick residential districts, while the pond from the founding era borders the center.
The settlement began in 1759 around an ironworks that produced cannons and anchors for the Russian navy. In 1935 the place received official city status and shifted from a metallurgy center to a modern machine-building region.
The house where Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born still stands near the old pond and displays furniture and objects from his early years. Visitors can walk through the garden where the composer played as a small boy among the birch trees.
The city is easy to explore on foot, with wide streets and a straightforward layout around the central pond. Most historical buildings sit close together in the heart of the city, while industrial sites define the outskirts.
American inspectors monitored the local missile plant for years under arms reduction treaties and lived periodically in the city. This unusual presence created a curious situation during the Cold War in a closed industrial city.
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