One of the most beautiful cities in the North Caucasus is Vladikavkaz. The population here is hospitable and welcoming. This city is inhabited by a fairly large number of people of different nationalities and religions. Let's find out in detail the main demographic indicators that characterize the population of Vladikavkaz.
Geographical position
Let's immediately find out the geographical location of a given locality before starting to study the indicators characterizing the population of the city. Vladikavkaz is located within the North Caucasus at an altitude of 692 m. It is located on both banks of one of the largest rivers in the region called the Terek, not far from its source. 30 km from the city is the Darial Gorge.
The city is located in a temperate climate zone with a temperate continental type of climate. The average temperature of the warmest month of July is 20.7 degrees Celsius. The absolute maximum is 39.2 degrees. The average temperature of the coldest month of the year - February - is 5.6 degrees below zero, with an absolute minimum of 27.8 degrees. The average annual temperature in Vladikavkaz is 9.2 degrees above zero.
During the year, an average of 933 mm of precipitation falls in the capital of North Ossetia.
In general, the region’s climate is characterized by relatively mild winters and long, but arid summers.
At the moment, this city is the administrative center of the Republic of Alania (North Ossetia), and it is located within the region.
History of Vladikavkaz
To better understand how the modern population of Vladikavkaz was formed, we should go a little deeper into history.
Ever since the beginning of our era, the region where Vladikavkaz is now located was inhabited by the nomadic Alans tribe, which belonged to the Scythian-Sarmatian group of peoples. These were the direct ancestors of modern Ossetians. Cramped by other peoples, primarily the Mongol-Tatars, they moved farther into the mountains, from a nomadic people turning into a mountainous people.
In 1774, the territory of present North Ossetia was annexed to the Russian Empire. In 1784, the Russian military laid the fortress of Vladikavkaz on this territory. It was to become a powerful fortification and outpost in the advancement of the Russian Empire in the Caucasus. The name of this stronghold was given by Count Pavel Potemkin - a distant relative of the famous prince, and was an abbreviated form of the expression "Lord of the Caucasus."
The city was located at the entrance to the Darial Gorge, and was supposed to be one of the points of the Georgian military road.
Over time, the fortress developed. In 1860, after the end of the Crimean War, it received the status of a city, which became the administrative center of the Terek region. Since that time, the population of Vladikavkaz has been largely replenished by local Ossetians.
With the advent of Soviet power in 1920, Vladikavkaz became the central city of the Highland Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. After its dissolution, it is recognized as the administrative center of the North Ossetian Autonomous Region and, at the same time, Ingush Autonomous Region, but is not a member of any of these entities. After the formation of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Okrug in 1934, the city became part of the North Ossetian Autonomous Okrug, becoming its center.
In 1931, Vladikavkaz was renamed Ordzhonikidze in honor of the famous party leader and revolutionary Sergo Ordzhonikidze.
In 1936, the North Ossetian Autonomous Region was reorganized into the North Ossetian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Ordzhonikidze became its center.
During World War II, it was precisely on the approaches to Vladikavkaz that the fate of the entire Caucasus region was decided. Soviet troops managed to recapture the enemy and defend this settlement.
In the period from 1944 to 1954. the city was called Dzaudzhikau. This is the Ossetian name, which is translated into Russian as “the settlement of Deaug”.
In 1981, Ordzhonikidze was one of the first national unrest in the USSR that broke out due to a conflict between Ossetians and Ingush.
In 1990, the city was returned to its modern name.
Currently, Vladikavkaz is developing, being the capital of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation - the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania.
sights
The rich history of the city of Vladikavkaz determines the location on its territory of many cultural heritage and sights.
The city has a large park of culture and leisure, a children's park, a palace of pioneers. The real decoration of Vladikavkaz is the Fountain Alley. The leisure of the younger generation makes the unique children's railway, opened back in 1967, more fun and informative, which also contributes to the training of young men in railway specialties.
The real cultural center of the city is Prospect Mira, previously called Alexandrovsky. It houses the Grand Hotel Aleksandrovsky, the garden of the Vladikavkaz fortress, a whole group of historic houses. Also there are monuments to Lenin, Khetagurov.
Among the other iconic structures of Vladikavkaz, the Memorial of Glory, erected in 2005, the monuments to Pliev, Bulgakov, Barbashev, Dzhibilov should be highlighted.
There are many wonderful sights in the capital of Ossetia, but its main treasure is the population of Vladikavkaz. Photos of this wonderful city can be seen above.
Famous Vladikavkaz residents
The city gave Russia and the world a lot of talented people. Among the famous residents and natives of this settlement, it should be noted Generals Issu Pliev, Georgy Khetagurov and Alexander Karasev, the founder of the GRU Hadji Umar Mamsurov, the heroes of the USSR and Russia Sergey Grigoryan, Kaurbek Toguzov, Lado Davydov, People's Artist of the Russian Federation Valery Gergiev.
But, of course, this is not a complete list of outstanding people who were born or lived in Vladikavkaz.
Population size
Now let's find out the population of Vladikavkaz. This indicator is fundamental to other statistical calculations. So, what is the population of Vladikavkaz? The number of inhabitants of this city is approximately equal to 307.5 thousand.
But is it a lot or a little? Let us compare the population of Vladikavkaz with other large cities of the North Caucasus Federal District. 429.6 thousand people live in Stavropol, 287.4 thousand people in Grozny, 239.0 thousand people in Nalchik, 587.9 thousand people in Makhachkala, 123.1 people in Cherkessk. thousand people Thus, the capital of North Ossetia has the third largest population in the North Caucasus region. G. Vladikavkaz is one of the largest in this federal district.
In the list of all cities in Russia, Vladikavkaz takes 64th place in terms of population. It should be noted separately that almost half the population of the entire Republic of North Ossetia lives in this city.
Population dynamics
Now let's find out what kind of population Vladikavkaz had in past periods. The number of residents in different periods of the city’s existence varied in different directions: it grew and decreased. This dynamics had both objective and subjective reasons.
The first statistical data characterizing the population of the city belong to 1784. Vladikavkaz then inhabited 2036 people. The population has especially sharply increased after the fortress gained city status. So, if in 1870 there were ten thousand inhabitants in Vladikavkaz, then by 1888 this figure reached almost 38 thousand.
Until 1992, the population of the city gradually increased. Vladikavkaz was growing, although there were years of temporary decline in numbers. These periods include 1895 - 1897, 1915 - 1920, 1937, 1969, 1979, 1985. But in general, the growth was noticeable. So, in 1992 the number of residents of Vladikavkaz reached its historical maximum, amounting to 325 thousand people. Then, from 1993 to 2002, there came a period in which the years of increase in numbers were replaced by the years of its decline, and vice versa. Since 2003, Vladikavkaz has become increasingly less populated. The population is steadily declining. The only year that is an exception in this cycle is 2015. But already in 2016, the population continued to decline.
Population density
One of the main demographic indicators is population density. Let's find out its size in the described village. The population density of the city of Vladikavkaz, located on the territory of 291 square meters. km, is approximately 1.1 thousand people / sq. km
For comparison: the population density of Grozny is 0.9 thousand people / sq. km, Stavropol - 2.5 thousand people / sq. km, and Makhachkala - 1.3 thousand people / sq. km Thus, Vladikavkaz has an average indicator in comparison with other administrative centers of the regions of the North Caucasus.
National composition
Now it's time to take a look at what ethnic groups Vladikavkaz consider their home. The population by nationality in the city is quite motley.
Most of the inhabitants of Vladikavkaz are representatives of the titular nation of the Republic of Alanya - Ossetians. Their share in the total population of the capital is approximately 64%. The number of Russians in Vladikavkaz does not exceed 25%.
Representatives of other nationalities are much smaller: Armenians - 3.5%, Georgians - 2.2%, Ingush - 1.1%. The number of Azerbaijanis, Ukrainians and Greeks does not even reach 1% of the total number living in the North Ossetian capital. Kumyks, Turks, Kabardians, Chechens, Greeks, Gypsies, Tatars, Jews and even Koreans are present among the inhabitants of Vladikavkaz. The population of the city, as we see, is rather heterogeneous, although its main backbone is Ossetians and Russians.
Religion
Now let's find out what Vladikavkaz is in the religious sphere. The majority of the city professes Orthodox Christianity. It is this religion that dominates among the Ossetians and Russians, who make up the vast majority of the inhabitants of the city. In Vladikavkaz throughout the history of the city there were 13 churches. Many of them were closed, demolished or destroyed during the Soviet period. But now some are being restored, in particular, the church of Alexander Nevsky. In addition, on the territory of the city there is Pokrovsky nunnery, which, however, was closed in 1921. The main temple is considered St. George's Cathedral.
The capital of North Ossetia is the center of the Alan and Vladikavkaz dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church, which is governed by the Archbishop of Vladikavkaz.
The community of Armenians who are parishioners of the Armenian Apostolic Church is quite strong in the city. They even have their own temple, named after St. Gregory the Illuminator. It was founded back in 1868.
In Vladikavkaz there are also cells of other Christian movements, in particular Protestant, but the number of parishioners in them is relatively small. The most numerous are Seventh-day Adventists who even have their own church.
The Catholic Church in the city is also represented by its parish.
But the Muslim community in Vladikavkaz is much larger than the Catholic and Protestant, although it is significantly inferior to the Orthodox. Most of the Ingush, Azerbaijanis, Chechens, Kumyks, Kabardins living in the city profess Islam. The overwhelming majority of Muslims are supporters of the Sunni movement. In Vladikavkaz there is a Mukhtarov mosque, built at the beginning of the XX century, during the Soviet Union, has long been a museum. Only in the 90s she was returned to Muslims to perform religious rites. After this, the building is periodically reconstructed.
In Vladikavkaz there is a Jewish community that has its own synagogue, as well as several Jewish cemeteries.
In addition, representatives of such religious communities as Buddhist and Hindu live in Vladikavkaz. The latter even has its own Brahma temple.
Followers of other religious movements in Vladikavkaz are not represented enough to form separate communities. We can say that they are single.
City Economy
A description of the population of the city of Vladikavkaz would be incomplete without indicating the economic conditions in which it lives.
The city has developed engineering, metallurgy, light and food industries. Among the largest enterprises in Vladikavkaz, a car repair plant, an automobile equipment factory, and the Pobedit enterprise, which specializes in the manufacture of hard metal alloys, should be highlighted.
In addition, two hydroelectric power stations are located on the territory of the urban district that generate electricity.
Vladikavkaz is connected to other settlements of the Russian Federation by road, rail and air services. There are bus and tram lines inside the city. Until 2010, he also had his own trolleybus fleet.
