The central square of the city of Izhevsk is the main square of the capital of Udmurtia, its socio-political and cultural center. It was built in the second half of the twentieth century.
Location
The square is located in the central part of the city, in the Oktyabrsky district. The streets of Pushkinskaya and Karl Marx adjoin it. It rises above the city and located about a kilometer from the embankment of the pond. Geographically, the main square of Izhevsk is stretched from east to west. Pushkinskaya street adjoins it from the east, Karl Marx from the west, Nagovitsyn from the north and Likhvintsev from the south.
The central square of Izhevsk is part of a long pedestrian walkway from Pushkinskaya Street to the embankment of Izhevsk Pond. This is a popular holiday destination not only for residents, but also for guests of the capital of Udmurtia.
Territory development
On the central square of Izhevsk there are buildings and structures. They have cultural, social and social significance in the city’s public life: Government House, Hall of Honor, Opera and Ballet Theater, TsUM Shopping Center, Metallurg Culture Palace, Rossiya Cinema, Gallery Exhibition Center, Park Inn Hotel , Hotel Central, sculpture "Izhik", light and music fountain.
History
In the 19th century, in the Izhevsk settlement, the main square was Bazarnaya Square, now this place is occupied by a summer garden named after Gorky. The territory of modern Central Square at that time was part of a huge undeveloped Mikhailovskaya Square. It contained drying sheds of the city factory and barracks of the former military unit.
After the October Revolution, Mikhailovsky Square was renamed Red and became the city center, where, before the start of World War II, demonstrations and political processions, public festivals and mass events took place.
In 1961, the area began to be transformed and built up. The drying sheds of the factory were demolished, and in their place the administrative building of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was erected (now the Government House).
In 1965, the Izhevsk Hotel was built. In the late 60s. the barracks are finally demolished, and the Central Department Store and the Rossiya cinema are being built in their place. In March 1970, Red Square was renamed Central. In 1975, the construction of the Metallurg Palace of Culture was completed. In 1977, the construction of the most popular pedestrian bridge in the city, which runs through tram tracks along Karl Marx Street, begins in Izhevsk in the city center. In 1984, a musical theater was built on the territory of the square (currently the opera and ballet theater).
In 2008, the reconstruction of the Central Square was carried out, paving stones were replaced and a light and music fountain was erected.
On the 90th anniversary of the statehood of the Udmurt Republic , the sculpture "Izhik" was installed on the Central Square, which became the talisman and landmark of the city of Izhevsk.
activity
The central square of Izhevsk is a favorite place for walking and recreation of citizens. All the main celebratory and solemn events, fairs, concerts, exhibitions, and festivities are organized and held here. For example, on the day of the city of Izhevsk, the following performers performed concerts on Central Square: Alexander Buinov, Sergey Lazarev, Ivanushki International, Larisa Dolina, Kristina Orbakaite, Igor Nikolaev, Valery Syutkin, Na-Na group, Oleg Gazmanov, Dima Bilan , Nikolai Baskov, "Bricks", "Kalinov bridge" and others.
Various political actions are organized and held on the square, such as demonstrations, rallies, pickets. Various festivals are held here. For example, the blacksmith art festival presented the city with many sculptures that today adorn the square and streets of the city. The sculpture from this festival "Cat Scientist" decorated the square on Pushkinskaya Street and became a favorite object of the townspeople and guests of the city.
In the summer, children's attractions on the square work for children, you can ride on cars and from the slides. In winter, they install a central Christmas tree and build an ice town.
Trade fairs
Every year, large-scale fairs are held on the Central Square. The All-Russian Fair (one of the largest in Russia) in 2017 for the first time was held in Izhevsk on the Central Square. The fair presented the goods of more than 130 enterprises of the country: dairy and meat products of the Udmurt producers, seafood from Kamchatka and Sakhalin, Yakut meat delicacies, healthy food, cheeses of the Abkhaz, Belarusian and Russian cheese makers, linen products, home goods, children's toys, clothes , shoes and more.
Other fairs are organized on the Central Square, dedicated to various festive and memorable dates. On the Day of National Unity, a large-scale national fair is organized, by the New Year - New Year's, and by the beginning of the new school year, a school fair is organized annually. In addition, a honey fair and agricultural products are held.