Perm, originally known as Yagoshikha (; 1723–1781) and briefly as Molotov (; 1940–1957), is the administrative centre of Perm Krai in the European part of Russia. It sits on the banks of the Kama River near the Ural Mountains, covering an area of . With over one million residents Perm is the 15th-largest city in Russia and the 5th-largest in the Volga Federal District.
History
Perm is located in the old Permiak area. Perm was first mentioned as the village of Yagoshikha () in 1647; however, the history of the modern city of Perm starts with the development of the Ural region by Tsar Peter the Great. Vasily Tatishchev, appointed by the Tsar as a chief manager of Ural factories, founded Perm together with another major centre of the Ural region, Yekaterinburg.
Modern Perm remains a major railway hub and one of the chief industrial centers of the Urals region. The city's diversified metallurgical and engineering industries produce equipment and machine tools for the petroleum and coal industries, as well as agricultural machinery. A major petroleum refinery uses oil transported by pipeline from the West Siberian oilfields, and the city's large chemical industry makes fertilizers and dyes. The city's institutions of higher education include the Perm A.M. Gorky State University, founded in 1916.
Perm grew considerably as industrialization proceeded in the Urals during the Soviet period, and in 1940 was named Molotov in honour of Vyacheslav Molotov. In 1957 the city was returned to its historical name.
Etymology
The name Perm is of Uralic etymology (Komi-Permyak: Перем, Perem; , Perym). Komi is a member of the Permic branch of the Uralic languages, which is also named for Perm. In Finnish and Vepsian perämaa means "far-away land"; similarly, in Hungarian perem means "edge" or "verge". The geologic period of the Permian takes its name from the toponym.
Pre-industrial development
In 1723, a copper-smelting works was founded at the village of Yagoshikha. In 1781 it was granted city status Perm became a major trade and industrial centre with a population of more than 20,000 people in the 1860s, with several metallurgy, paper, and steamboat producing factories, including one owned by a British entrepreneur. In 1870, an opera theatre was opened in the city, and in 1871 the first phosphoric factory in Russia was built. In the 1880s, the city had over 20 industrial plants and over 60 craft workshops.
Modern city
thumb|[[TGC-9]]
The city is a major administrative, industrial, scientific, and cultural
On 20 September 2021, a mass shooting occurred at Perm State University, resulting in six fatalities and 47 injuries.
In 2026, oil industry facilities in Perm were reportedly targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes, resulting in fires in the city outskirts.
Geography
left|thumb|The [[Kama River in Perm]]
The city is located on the bank of the Kama River upon hilly terrain. The Kama is the main tributary of the Volga River and is one of the deepest and most picturesque rivers of Russia. This river is the waterway which grants the Ural Mountains access to the White Sea, Baltic Sea, Sea of Azov, Black Sea, and Caspian Sea. The Kama divides the city into two parts: the central part and the right bank part. The city stretches for along the Kama and across it. The city street grid parallels the Kama River, travelling generally east–west, while other main streets run perpendicularly to those following the river. The grid pattern accommodates the hills of the city where it crosses them.
Another distinguishing feature of the city's relief is the large number of small rivers and brooks. The largest of them are the Mulyanka, the Yegoshikha, the Motovilikha (all are on the left bank of Kama River), and the Gayva (on the right bank).
Climate
Perm has a warm summer continental climate (Köppen: Dfb). Winters are long, snowy and quite cold. Summers are moderately warm with cool nights, although summers are shorter than winters. Due to its far inland location, there is a distinct lack of seasonal lag resulting in rapid cooling down of the warm weather as days get shorter. This results in September, October, and November being colder than May, April, and March, respectively.
Administrative and municipal status
Perm is the administrative centre of the krai and, within the framework of administrative divisions, it also serves as the administrative center of Permsky District, even though it is not a part of it. As an administrative division, it is, together with two rural localities, incorporated separately as the city of krai significance of Perm—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts.
City divisions
thumb|Administrative divisions
thumb|A view from the new bridge along the Stroiteley Street
For administrative purposes, Perm is divided into seven city districts:
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!City District||Population (2010 Census) The largest industries in the city are electric power engineering, oil and gas refining, machine building, chemicals and petrochemicals, forestry processing, printing and food industry.
Several major industrial companies are located in Perm: Perm refinery; Perm Motors and Aviadvigatel, major suppliers of engines to the Russian aircraft industry; rocket engine company Proton-PM, which was slated to produce the RD-191 engine for the upcoming Angara rocket family;<!-- did this ever happen? there were a few test launches in the 2010s, and less than 9 operational launches during the 2020s thru early 2026 --> electric engineering firms Morion JSC, Perm Scientific and Industrial Group, and Perm Electrical Engineering Plant; Russia's largest exporter of cables and wires, JSC KAMKABEL; and oil and natural gas companies such as LUKoil-Perm Ltd. and LUKoilPernefteprodukt Ltd.
Perm is served by the international airport Bolshoye Savino, which is located southwest of the city.
Perm's public transit network includes tram, bus, and city-railway routes. The formerly important trolleybus service was discontinued in July 2019.
===Proposed metro system===<!-- Anchor from redirected article, [Perm Metro. Exercise caution with any changes. -->
The first plans for a Perm Metro system date back to the 1970s. A feasibility study was compiled in 1990, but economic difficulties during the decade prevented its final planning and construction. The plans were revitalised in the early 2000s, but a lack of funding hampered the project and plans were once again put on hold. Light rail has also been considered.
Culture
thumb|left|[[Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre|Perm Opera and Ballet House]]
The Perm Opera and Ballet House is one of the best in Russia. There are many other theatres in Perm, including the Drama Theater, the Puppet Theatre, the Theatre for Young Spectators, the Theatre "Stage Molot", and the mystical At the Bridge Theatre.
Among the cities museums and galleries, the Perm State Art Gallery is recognised for its outstanding collections of art, including paintings from 15th- to 18th-century art movements, and wooden sculptures from the region. It is housed in a notable early 19th-century structure, once an orthodox cathedral. The spire of the museum towers over the rest of Perm, as it is situated on the Komsomolsky Prospect. Perm is receiving attention from the development of the new Museum of Contemporary Art, Perm Museum of Contemporary Art (PERMM) which officially opened in March 2009.
thumb|[[Perm Museum of Contemporary Art (PERMM) in the building of the Perm River Terminal.]]
The RAV Vast steel tongue drum was invented in Perm by Andrey Remyannikov. This instrument is unique in the tongue drum and handpan world because each note has multiple harmonic overtones that resonate with other notes in the drum. The sound consequently has long sustain and reverberation.
The Legend of Perm Bear or The Walking Bear is a sculpture depicting a walking bear, which is also shown on the city's coat of arms. It is situated in the central part of the city on Lenin Street, in front of the Organ Concert Hall and close to the building of Legislative Assembly of Perm Krai. The author of the sculpture is Vladimir Pavlenko, a monumentalist sculptor from Nizhny Tagil, member of the Artists' Union of Russia and UNESCO International Association of Arts.
The Permyak Salty Ears is a sculpture and one of the most visited tourist attractions in Perm.
Education
Perm is a scientific centre. Some of the scientific institutes are combined in the Perm Scientific Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Perm is a home to several major universities including Perm State University, Perm State Technical University, Perm branch of state university Higher school of economics, Perm State Teachers' Training University, Perm State Medical Academy, Perm State Pharmaceutical Academy, Perm State Agricultural Academy, The Institute of Art and Culture, Perm State Choreographic School, and others. There are also three military schools in Perm.