IVANOVO

oblast (province), western Russia, occupying an area of 9,225 sq mi (23,900 sq km), northeast of Moscow astride the middle Volga River and centred on Ivanovo city. The surface is a rolling morainic plain, with forests of spruce, pine, and fir and much swamp; most soils are infertile, though the southwest, with better soils, is largely plowed. The climate is continental, with long, cold winters and warm summers; precipitation is about 24 in. (600 mm) a year. The oblast, whose population is heavily urban, is part of the central industrial region; its textile industry, which has flourished since the 18th century, supplies nearly one-third of all Soviet cotton; linen and clothing also are produced. The engineering and chemical industries supply the needs of the textile mills. Agriculture is dominated by dairying, livestock raising, and flax cultivation, with some oats, rye, potatoes, and vegetables. The large peat reserves are much used for fuel. Pop. (1991 est.) 1,316,400. city and administrative centre of Ivanovo oblast (province), western Russia, on both banks of the Uvod River. It was created from two villages, Ivanovo and Voznesensk, in 1871; until 1932 it was known as Ivanovo-Voznesensk. The first linen mills in Russia were founded near Ivanovo by order of Peter I the Great in 1710. A large number of weaving mills and textile-printing factories were subsequently opened there, so that by the middle of the 19th century the town was known as the Russian Manchester. In 1918 the city was the temporary capital of the revolutionary government. Ivanovo remains one of the major textile cities of Russia, producing cotton, worsted, and silk goods and clothing. Other industries produce machinery and dyes for the textile industry. Still other manufactures include peat-working machines, cranes, leather goods, lumber, and foodstuffs. A number of satellite towns produce cotton and linen. Rail and road links run to Moscow, Yaroslavl, and Vladimir. Ivanovo has a number of institutions of higher education, including textile, chemical technology, power, agricultural, medical, and teacher-training institutes. Pop. (1991 est.) 482,200.