There is still no consensus on the date of the emergence of this city among local historians. The first settlement, found in these places by archaeologists, existed in the Paleolithic era (about 20-30 thousand years ago). Later, during the Middle Ages, there were other settlements, in particular, Tatar ones. However, all of them were only temporary camps of nomadic tribes. A full-fledged city on this site was founded in the second half of the 16th century.
The first population of Ufa consisted mainly of Bashkirs. It was they who, after the fall of the Kazan Khanate, turned to the tsar with a request that a fortress be established in these lands to protect the borders of the state. When the first structures were built on the selected hill, no surviving documents are reported. However, it is assumed that this was done after the appeal the following year or one year later. In general, a fairly ordinary story, many Russian cities of modern times arose as border fortifications. Some of them eventually lost any significant significance, the distant ones remained provincial settlements, but some were lucky to be located at the intersection of important trade routes, to acquire significant public objects (for example, universities), and some simply remained important strategic points for a long time. Lucky in this regard and our city. The population of Ufa grew, and with it the entire infrastructure of the settlement developed. Already in 1586 it was first mentioned in documents as a full-fledged city. During the first centuries of its existence, Ufa remains an important outpost of imperial frontiers. A voivodship form of government was formed here and a military garrison was constantly located.
Peaceful peasants settled more and more against the walls of the fortress, and soon the need arose to erect a new stockade that expanded the borders of the city. In the middle of the XVII century, Ufa already had its own emblem. The population of Ufa by this time totaled about 1,500 people.
From the fortress to the administrative center
The expansion of imperial borders, the transformation of these territories into a zone of tranquility stimulated the development of trade and agriculture in the vicinity of the city. The population was constantly growing. Over the next two centuries, Ufa from a small fortress gradually turned into a large economic and administrative center. In 1728, it became the capital of the Ufa province, in 1781 - the capital of the governorate, and in 1802 and completely a provincial city. In the 19th century, heavy and light industries were actively developing in the city, and tanneries appeared especially in large numbers. By the end of the century, there were already about thirty factories and plants in Ufa, not counting the numerous artisan craft workshops. In 1870, a regular shipping channel opens on the Belaya River, and in the early nineties a railway station appears in Ufa . Trade is booming in the city.
Power of the Soviets
During the Civil War, Ufa changed hands several times, but in the end, in 1922, the rule of the Bolsheviks was established here. Like the whole country, in 1920-30 the city experienced rapid industrialization and the development of mechanical engineering. A motor plant, a thermoelectric power station and many other important industrial facilities are being built here.
This development was not interrupted even by the Great Patriotic War, since industrial giants of Ukraine, Belarus and the western regions of the RSFSR were massively evacuated here from the western borders of the country. On the contrary, Ufa has become the most important
an object of domestic industry, making a considerable contribution to the
technical support of victory. In the post-war period, the city is increasingly reoriented to oil production, which ensures its prosperity until today.
The modern city of Ufa: population
Today the city has significantly changed and developed its infrastructure. This has a positive effect on its attractiveness for our fellow citizens in conditions of internal migration. The population of Ufa in 2013 is over a million people.