Kostroma: population, ethnic composition

An ancient Russian settlement on the banks of the Volga, the city of Kostroma, the population whose number of inhabitants will be the object of consideration in the article, appeared in the 12th century. For a century the city grew, changed, evolved, and all this reflected on the composition and the number of its population. Today Kostroma belongs to a group of typical settlements of medium size in Russia. The city has also special characteristics that affect its inhabitants.

Geographical location of Kostroma

300 km from Moscow to the northeast, on the Volga, there is a large port - Kostroma. The city was located on the site of the old mouth of the river with the same name. Kostroma lies on both banks of the Gorky reservoir, which appeared in the middle of the 20th century and flooded part of the territory formerly called the Kostroma Gulf (i.e., flood meadows). On the territory of the city there are several streams and small rivers that are enclosed in pipes, so as not to disturb the residents.

The settlement is located on the Kostroma lowland and has a fairly even comfortable landscape. The total area of urban areas is 144.4 square kilometers. The distance to the nearest major cities is 65 km to Yaroslavl, 105 km to Ivanovo.

What characterizes the population? G. Kostroma is growing due to the gradual absorption by the city of nearby settlements. The agglomeration of Kostroma is slow but increasing.

History of settlement

The territory on which Kostroma is located today began to be inhabited as far back as the Neolithic Age (5-3 millennium BC). Representatives of the pit and Volosovo cultures, living here, gave names to the main rivers and lakes. It is believed that the first permanent population in this territory belonged to Finno-Ugric tribes. However, historical analysis of local toponyms does not always confirm this version. The first population was for the most part temporary, it did not build large, stationary settlements. The confirmed date of the foundation of the ancient settlement on the site of Kostroma is 1152 year. Historian VN Tatishchev explored the life of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky and came to the conclusion that it was at the confluence of the rivers of Kostroma and the Volga that there was a settlement that he founded. Archeology confirms that there were several prehistoric cultures on the site of the city, but then for unknown reasons the population left this territory. Therefore, the version of the founding of the city Yuri Dolgoruky looks quite viable.

In the 12th century, the oldest Fedorovskaya church operated in Kostroma. Also there is information about the functioning of three ancient monasteries. The population of Kostroma was quite large for that time. Until the 14th century the city was in the possession of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich and his descendants. In 1364 Kostroma became a part of the Moscow principality, from this time the stable development of the settlement begins and the number of its inhabitants increases. In 1709 the city received the status of provincial, which led to the expansion of its territory. In 1781 the Empress Catherine II signed the plan for the general restructuring of the settlement. He assumed the elimination of many defensive structures and the creation of public and residential quarters.

At the end of the 18th century, industry began to develop in the city, this leads to a significant influx of people. The second round of migration to Kostroma falls on the second half of the 19th - the beginning of the 20th century. When the quality of life improves significantly in the city, new jobs appear in it. The industrialization of the Soviet period also led to an increase in the population.

During the Patriotic War, many medical, industrial and educational institutions were evacuated here. Since the 1950s, the economic growth in the city has begun, and this, naturally, leads to a positive dynamics in the number of residents.

In times of perestroika, Kostroma, to a lesser extent than many other settlements, is experiencing a demographic decline, although it certainly was. This is due to the preservation of the economic potential of the city. Today Kostroma begins to develop new spheres of employment for the population, which positively affects the demographic indicators.

Climate

Kostroma belongs to the temperate continental climate zone. Here there is a warm influence of the Atlantic Ocean, which gives the winter some softness. Historically, the population of the city (Kostroma, among others) depends on the comfort of the climate. So, in the rough edges of earlier settled less people than in warm ones. The average annual temperature in the city is 4.2 degrees.

The seasons in Kostroma, like in the entire middle of Russia, fit roughly into the classic calendar. Summer begins in late May and ends at the end of August. The average summer temperature is 22 degrees, the hottest and driest month is July. Winter temperatures keep on average about -10 ° C. But a few days in the season can be quite severe frost, even up to 30 degrees.

Administrative-territorial division and population distribution

Today Kostroma is a large regional center. Officially, the city has three large territorial units: Central, Zavolzhsky and Factory districts. Already by name you can judge the specifics of each part.

Kostroma, whose population varies widely by region, has a pronounced center with a high population density and a large number of suburbs that are not officially part of the city line. These include the villages Pervomaisky, Novy, Trudovoi, Rebrovka, Karavaevo, Karimovo and many others. Also in the city there is a large number of microdistricts, the number of which is constantly growing due to new buildings.

The second most populous district is Zavolzhsky. In the factory and in the suburbs density is less, but the areas of these parts of the city are constantly growing.

Infrastructure of Kostroma

The level of comfort in the city is an important factor of attractiveness for the population and migrants. Social infrastructure, primarily in large cities, includes a transport system. Kostroma, whose population (population) is gradually growing, including through the absorption of suburban settlements, has obvious transport problems. They are related to the fact that the residents of the Factory and Zavolzhsky districts often go to the city center to work and receive various services. And only three bridges are thrown across the river, therefore during rush hours from some areas, for example, Malyshkovo, it can be problematic to leave.

In the city public transport is represented by buses, trolleybuses, route taxis. But remote areas are connected with the center mainly by minibuses, the passenger capacity of which is not large. The center is well provided with social facilities, there are many shops, cafes, museums, cultural institutions. Of the rest of the city, only the micro district New city boasts a developed infrastructure, residents of other parts of the city often have to go to the center for services. All this affects the attractiveness of the Kostroma areas for people, the density of the population in different parts of the city.

Population size and density

Regular observations of the dynamics of the number of residents in Kostroma began in 1811. Then in the city lived 10 thousand people. Until the middle of the 19th century there was no stability in the number of residents, fluctuations reached 4 thousand people in a few years. But since 1856 the number of Kostroma people has only increased. This continued until 2000, when the first negative dynamics was registered in one thousand people.

Even in the years of wars and revolutions, Kostroma remained an attractive city for living. Until 2011, it decreased by an average of one thousand inhabitants. But gradually the dynamics returned to a plus. Today the population of Kostroma is about 276,700 people. The growth of recent years reaches 3 thousand people. in year. The average population density in the city is 1,900 people per square kilometer. This is twice as much as the average for the Kostroma region.

Ethnic composition and language

The overwhelming majority of Kostroma residents are Russians, about 93%. The second largest ethnic group is Ukrainians (0.88%). Other nationalities are represented in small numbers: Tatars - 0.35%, Armenians - 0.26%, Roma - 0.24%.

In recent years, Kostroma, whose population is growing, is experiencing an all-Russian tendency to increase the number of migrants, especially from Ukraine, but the inflow of Central Asian residents is not characteristic here.

Sexual differentiation of the population

Kostroma, the size of the population, the number of men and women of which are the subject of close observation by sociologists, fits into the overall Russian trend in the ratio of the sexes. On average, the number of men is less than that of women by about 20%. For every thousand men there are 1,204 women. As throughout the country, at birth, the number of boys is slightly higher than the number of girls. And with age, this ratio varies, reaching in adulthood maximum values.

Age differentiation of the population

The average life expectancy in Russia is gradually growing, and Kostroma is keeping this trend. The number of people overdue the retirement age is steadily increasing. The number of residents under the age of working age is about 15%, and this figure is gradually increasing. The number of residents older than the retirement age is 24%. The number of people of working age is 61%.

Demographic indicators

To determine the quality of life in the region, the indicators usually are such indicators as fertility and mortality. Growing in recent years, the population of Kostroma is associated not with growing birthrates, but with migration. Since 2013, the birth rate in the city is decreasing by approximately 0.2 people per thousand inhabitants. Mortality is reduced by about 0.4 people per 1,000 people. Recently there has been a decrease in the flow of visitors.

Demographic coefficients

Calculation of demographic coefficients allows forecasting the economic development of the region. Kostroma, whose population has grown a little in recent years, refers to "aging" cities.

Life expectancy is increasing, mortality is decreasing, fertility is declining at a small pace, and sociologists say that there is a possibility of even more negative dynamics of this indicator in the coming years. All of the above leads to the fact that the coefficient of demographic load is growing. Today, every able-bodied resident of Kostroma must provide accommodation in addition to himself for another 0.4 people. And in the future this load will increase. Also, the pension load factor is increasing, since the number of people older than the retirement age will only increase every year. All this entails certain economic and social difficulties.

Economy of Kostroma

The number and quality of the population is strongly influenced by economic indicators. If people have stable earnings and guarantees for the future, they are more likely to give birth to children. If they live in abundance, they eat better, get better health care and live longer.

Kostroma, whose population is gradually growing, favorably differs from many cities in Russia by a large number of stable industrial enterprises. There are factories for the production of auto components, ventilation, energy-saving, heating, commercial, refrigeration equipment. The city is well-developed food, processing, textile industry. In recent years, the sphere of tourism has been growing rapidly, the service sphere is worse. The economy of the city is experiencing difficulties with investment, with the development of socially important spheres of health, education, culture.

Employment

Having a job is very important for the demography of the region. Kostroma, whose population (the number of inhabitants) is increasing, and the economy is stable, compares favorably to many Russian cities with low unemployment. It is only 0.8%. Work in the city is enough. However, there are problems with the employment of highly qualified personnel. Employment centers mainly offer vacancies for workers, but people with higher education, especially women over the age of 30, find it difficult to find a job in their specialty.