Perm region (unofficially - Prikamye) is a subject of the Russian
Federation located in the east of the European part of Russia. Included
in the Volga Federal District and the Ural Economic Region. The
administrative center is the city of Perm. Area 160,237 km². Population
2,508,352 people. (2023). The region includes the Komi-Permyak Okrug.
It is located in the eastern part of the East European Plain and on
the western slopes of the Middle and Northern Urals, in the Kama River
basin. It borders in the north with the Komi Republic, in the east with
the Sverdlovsk region, in the south with Bashkortostan, in the west with
Udmurtia, in the northwest with the Kirov region.
Formed on
December 1, 2005 as a result of the merger of the Perm region and the
Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. The historical predecessor of the region
was the Perm province formed in 1796, which, in turn, was preceded by
Perm the Great.
Administrative division: 33 administrative
districts; 25 cities, of which 14 are regional and 11 are regional; 26
urban-type settlements; closed administrative-territorial formation
Zvezdny and Komi-Permyak Okrug as an administrative-territorial unit
with a special status.
Perm stretches along the mighty Kama River
for almost 70 kilometers, welcoming guests with giant industrial zones
interspersed with residential areas. The center of Perm is relatively
small and contains a solid building of the provincial city along with
several interesting museums, including a collection of Perm wooden
sculpture, unique for Russia. Another interesting area is the one that
grew up around the Motovilikha arms factory of the same name, where the
atmosphere of an old workers’ settlement reigns, complemented by a
memorial perpetuating the revolutionary uprising of 1905. Perm is not
the most interesting of Russian million-plus cities, therefore, unless
you are interested in residential areas and industrial outskirts, 1-2
days is enough to get to know the city.
Kungur
is located on the road from Perm to Yekaterinburg. The name of the city
is firmly associated with the Kungur Ice Cave, where even in summer you
can see bizarre growths of ice, and the New Year tree does not lose its
relevance and needles throughout the year. After examining the cave, do
not forget to visit the city itself, where you will find a solid
merchant building, in perfect harmony with several old stone temples. In
the vicinity of Kungur there is the most picturesque section of the
Trans-Siberian Railway in the Urals, and by car it is not difficult to
reach Mount Belaya, on the top of which stands the monastery.
Solikamsk is the oldest city in the Perm region. Founded in the 15th
century and raised in the salt industry, it remained the center of
northeastern Rus' for a long time. The stone buildings of Solikamsk were
created at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries. In its integrity and
significance, it is not inferior to the best cities of the Russian
North: there are wonderful temples and stone chambers, but the most
unusual attraction of Solikamsk is the old salt factory turned into a
museum.
Usolye is the former capital of the Kama possessions of
the Stroganovs and in ancient times one of the main cities of the Kama
region. Having miraculously avoided flooding during the creation of the
Kama Reservoir, Usolye turned into a city with one attraction - a temple
complex in the Stroganov Baroque style, adjacent to which are chambers
and several other buildings of the 18th century, surrounded by a
considerable number of ruins. Combined with the apocalyptic view of the
chemical industry of Berezniki located on the opposite bank of the Kama,
Usolye is a strange, almost surreal place, but at least curious. In its
vicinity there are several old villages with interesting churches built
at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries and good views of the Kama River.
Cherdyn is located in the northern part of
the Perm region. In spirit it is related to Soligalich, Lalsk and other
“bear corners” with a rich history. You cannot get to Cherdyn by
accident or on the way somewhere else, so only very purposeful travelers
get here. In addition to the extensive pre-revolutionary buildings and
not the most outstanding temple architecture, the city is interesting
for its local history museum, which displays unique archaeological finds
created many centuries before the Russian development of the Kama
region. Along with Cherdyn itself, it is worth visiting ancient villages
in this area, including Nyrob with a wonderful temple in the patterned
style and Pyanteg, where the Epiphany Church of the early 17th century,
the oldest building in the Perm region, has been preserved.
Berezniki serves as the main gateway to the
Northern Kama region. This relatively young industrial city (founded in
1932) grew rapidly around potash and salt mining. It is almost
unavoidable if you are heading to the historic towns of Solikamsk and
Cherdyn. Berezniki also makes a practical base for day trips to Usolye,
a quiet historic settlement that has virtually no tourist
infrastructure.
While the city is dominated by vast industrial zones,
factories, and mining infrastructure (which can feel quite somber), it
offers interesting Soviet-era architecture: constructivist buildings,
Stalinist neoclassical structures, and typical Soviet residential
districts. A notable exception to the industrial feel is the stone
Transfiguration Cathedral (mid-18th century), a solid but not the most
outstanding church by Kama-region standards.
Berezniki is also
infamous for its sinkholes — giant craters that have appeared due to
underground salt mining. These karst collapses continue to threaten the
city and have already destroyed parts of the infrastructure, most
dramatically the old railway station.
Krasnovishersk and Nyrob
Further north lies the small town of Krasnovishersk, known for its
scenic location on the Vishera River and as a starting point for trips
into the wild Northern Ural mountains. Nearby Nyrob is a historic
village famous for its 17th-century stone churches and its dark past as
a place of political exile (the “Nyrob martyr” story).
This area east of Perm is the heart of the old Ural factory zone:
Gornozavodsk – a typical factory town with a long industrial history.
Kizel – once a major coal-mining center, now a quiet town with a strong
Soviet atmosphere and remnants of its mining glory.
Lysva – known for
its metallurgical plants and a pleasant historic center with
pre-revolutionary buildings.
Ocher – a small town with a restored 18th–19th century factory
complex and a local museum.
Chaikovsky – a modern, relatively
prosperous town on the Kama Reservoir, popular for its embankment,
sports facilities, and as a transport hub.
Chermoz – a quiet historic
settlement with beautiful 18th–19th century architecture, including the
striking white-stone Nativity Church and remnants of the old
Stroganov-era estate.
Vishersky Nature Reserve is located in the
very north of the Perm region and contains its main peak - Mount
Tulymsky Stone (1496 m). The reserve is located far from civilization;
the road to it from Krasnovishersk takes many hours and requires an
all-terrain vehicle. Tourists rafting along the Vishera often visit the
Chuvalsky Stone ridge (929 m) located on the edge of the reserve.
Another possible route is to climb the Tulym stone itself, while the
rest of the reserve is closed to visitors.
The Berezovaya River
is considered one of the most beautiful in the Urals. There are dozens
of picturesque rocky outcrops along its banks, and several landing
points allow you to vary the length of the water trip from 3-4 days to a
week. They go to Berezovaya through the historical Cherdyn and Nyrob,
where there are old stone churches and other interesting sights.
The Vishera River is longer than the
Berezovaya River and is not inferior to it in beauty. This is a large
river, one of the main tributaries of the Kama, descending from the
mountains of the Northern Urals and emerging onto the plain in its lower
course. Rafting along the Vishera can be combined with conquering one of
the peaks of the Vishera Nature Reserve, and along the route you will
find numerous rocks, some of which have preserved ancient rock paintings
- pisanitsa. The area along the banks of the Vishera has an interesting
industrial history; at the end of the 19th century, metallurgical plants
operated here, traces of which are sometimes found in the middle of the
taiga. They go to Vishera through Krasnovishersk, next to which there
are also a couple of picturesque rocks and easy-to-climb mountain peaks.
Russian. The Komi-Permyak language is found in the north-west of the Perm region.
By plane
There is only one airport in the Perm region - in Perm.
There used to be a small airport in Berezniki, but in recent years it
has not been operating and it is not a fact that it will ever start
again. A larger airport in Yekaterinburg, from where Perm is 5-6 hours
away by bus or train. It is not advisable to travel to the Perm region
through Kazan or Ufa.
By train
The Trans-Siberian Railway runs
through the entire Perm region with many trains in eastern and western
directions. It contains, among other things, Perm and Kungur. The Old
Gornozavodskaya Railway - the first railway through the Urals - connects
Perm with Nizhny Tagil, but there are no railways to the south to
Bashkiria. From Izhevsk or Kirov to Perm it is 7-8 hours, so it is
convenient to travel at night. Ekaterinburg is a little closer (5-6
hours), and there is even a special day train going there.
By bus
Taking into account the long distances, traveling to the Perm region by
bus is not very convenient. Buses make sense only in the Bashkir
direction, since there is no other way to get from Ufa to Perm (however,
there are occasional planes). There is no regular transport to the north
to the Komi Republic, and it is not always possible to travel by car. If
you are traveling towards the Sverdlovsk region and want to bypass
Yekaterinburg, rare buses from Perm to Nizhny Tagil and Serov are at
your service.
By car
The Perm region in some places resembles
Siberian regions, since there are very few roads leading into it. From
the Kirov region, the P243 highway, some sections of which are
chronically in poor condition, makes driving there almost impossible.
From Udmurtia you can use the dam of the Nizhnekamsk hydroelectric
station and enter the Perm region through Tchaikovsky or move along the
right bank of the Kama: these routes are almost equivalent. Only local
roads lead to Bashkiria, and before your trip it’s worth scouring the
Internet to find out which road is currently more passable.
There
are exactly two roads to the Sverdlovsk region: the P242 highway to
Yekaterinburg and the highway connecting Chusovoy with Nizhny Tagil. The
first is heavily loaded, the second is more free, and in both cases the
crossing of the Ural ridge is something symbolic, since the mountains in
this place are very low. 200 km to the north once ran the Babinovskaya
road, connecting Solikamsk with Verkhoturye. Now there is no road there,
and only desperate jeepers sometimes drive “along the old Babinovskaya
road,” although most of the way they still have to take a detour. An
ordinary traveler will not be able to get from the Perm Territory to the
Sverdlovsk Region north of Chusovoy, but if you think about it, the road
from Chusovoy is generally the northernmost road through the Ural Range.
Finally, if you are one of the desperate travelers who want to
travel from the Perm Territory to the Komi Republic, then at your
service is the road leading from Kudymkar to the north through Gainy and
then joining the Kirov-Syktyvkar highway. This road is apparently
passable, although hundreds of kilometers of dirt roads and
unpredictable conditions in the off-season await you. The path north
from Nyrob towards Troitsko-Pechorsk is identical to the old
Babinovskaya road, i.e. Someone once managed to drive there, but it is
not a road in any way.
By train
There are few railways in the Perm region, and they cover
only the industrial area in the northeast of the region. The
Trans-Siberian Railway crosses the Perm region right through, but there
are only two interesting cities on it - these are Perm itself and
Kungur, between them you can travel by suburban or long-distance train.
Suburban trains run on all local lines in the areas of Chusovoy, Lysva,
Gubakha, Kizel, and Berezniki with a regularity typical for Russia, 2-3
times a day. These trains are often much slower than buses, but in some
places they are a worthy alternative.
By bus
The Perm region
is well covered by bus service. You can get to any city, but sometimes
it takes a lot of time. The most natural route for a bus trip is from
Perm to Solikamsk and Cherdyn with a stop in Usolye, as well as radial
departures from Perm to Chusovoy and Kungur. You can leave Solikamsk
towards Chusovoy, but buses run there much less often.
The bus
service is quite orderly, there is a website with information about bus
stations, schedules and even the ability to buy a ticket.
By car
While getting to the Perm region from other regions can be difficult,
there are quite a lot of roads within the region. Almost all of them are
two-lane and sometimes broken, but they reach all major cities and
towns. The situation is worse in sparsely populated areas remote from
Perm, where roads are passable only for SUVs and heavy equipment. For
example, the last 100 km of the road to the Vishera Nature Reserve takes
longer than the 300 km of the road from Perm to Krasnovishersk. If you
are more interested in cities, traveling by car will not be a problem
(subject to the unpredictable state of Russian roads, of course). If
your goal is natural sites or hard-to-reach villages, you should
seriously think about choosing a car and its preparation.
The
main natural obstacle is the Kama River, through which there are only
three stationary crossings: in Tchaikovsky, Perm and Berezniki. Taking
into account the low density of cities and attractions, this is, in
principle, sufficient, although there are also ferry crossings on the
Kama River.
The Perm region is located on the eastern edge of the Russian Plain and the western slope of the Ural Mountains, at the junction of two parts of the world - Europe and Asia, with 99.8% of the region's area located in Europe, 0.2% in Asia. The maximum length from north to south is 645 km, from west to east - almost 420 km. The borders of the region are winding and have a length of more than 2.2 thousand km.
The Perm region is located in the MSC+2 time zone. The applied time offset relative to UTC is +5:00.
The Perm region is located in a temperate climate zone. In the Perm
Territory, the Komi-Permyak Okrug, districts: Gainsky, Kosinsky,
Kochevsky are equated to the regions of the Far North.
Winter is
long and snowy. The average January temperature in the northeast of the
region is −18.5 °C, in the southwest −15 °C. The minimum temperature (in
the north of the region) was −56 °C, in summer up to +42 °C.
The relief of the Perm region was formed during the formation of the
Ural Mountains about 250 million years ago and during the subsequent
accumulation of sedimentary rocks on the crystalline foundation of the
platform.
In the western part of the region (about 85% of its
territory), located on the eastern edge of the Russian Plain, low-lying
and flat terrain prevails.
In the eastern part of the region
(about 15% of its territory), where the Ural Mountains pass, the relief
is mountainous: mid-mountain for the Northern Urals and low-mountain for
the Middle Urals. The border between them is drawn at the foot of Mount
Oslyanka (59º N).
The highest mountains are located in the north
of the region:
Tulymsky Stone (1496 m) is the highest peak in the
Perm region;
Mount Humboldt (1410 m);
Isherim (1331 m);
Prayer
stone (1274 m);
Martai (1132 m).
Among the mountains of the
Middle Urals, the highest are in the Basegi - Middle Basegi ridge (993
m).
The rivers of the Perm region belong to the Kama basin. In the Perm
region there are more than 29 thousand rivers with a total length of
over 90 thousand kilometers.
Two rivers in the Perm region are
large (more than 500 km long) - the Kama (1805 km) and its left
tributary Chusovaya (592 km). 40 rivers over 100 km long. The largest of
them:
Kama - 1805 km.
Chusovaya - 592 km.
Sylva - 493 km.
Vishera - 415 km.
Colva - 460 km.
Yaiva - 304 km.
Kosva - 283
km.
Spit - 267 km.
Veslyana - 266 km.
Inva - 257 km.
Obva -
247 km.
Small rivers (less than 100 km long) make up the vast
majority of rivers in the region. Some of them are of historical
significance, for example, the Yegoshikha River, at the mouth of which
the city of Perm was founded.
The Perm region is rich in a variety of minerals, which is explained
by the complex topography of the mountainous and flat parts of the
region. The following are mined here: oil, gas, mineral salts, gold,
diamonds, chromite ores and brown iron ores, peat, limestone, precious,
ornamental and facing stones, building materials.
Oil was first
discovered in the Perm region in 1928 near the village of
Verkhnechusovskie towns. To date, more than 160 hydrocarbon deposits are
known in the region, of which 89 oil, 3 gas and 18 gas-oil are being
developed. Most of them are small. Mining is mainly carried out in the
central and southern regions. The most developed deposits are:
Polaznenskoye, Krasnokamskoye, Kuedinskoye, Osinskoye and
Chernushinskoye. The northern fields (in the area of Solikamsk and
Berezniki) are poorly developed, since the oil there lies at great
depths under salt layers.
Coal has been mined in the region for
more than 200 years. In the Kizelovsky coal basin, hard coal was mined,
which for a long time played an important role in the fuel and energy
balance of the region. The maximum volume of coal production was reached
in 1960 and amounted to 12 million tons, after which the volume of
production constantly decreased and exploration of new deposits was not
carried out.
The Verkhnekamskoe potassium salt deposit, one of
the largest in the world, is located in the Perm region. Sodium,
potassium and magnesium chloride salts, as well as rock salt, are mined
there. Its area is 1800 km², the thickness of the salt-bearing layers
reaches 514 m.
The main Saranovskoye deposit is one of the
largest chromite deposits in Russia. The development of iron and copper
deposits known since the beginning of the 18th century is also underway.
Gold deposits have been discovered in the Middle Urals (Gornozavodsky
district, Koiva river basin) and in the Northern Urals (Krasnovishersky
district, Vels and Uls river basins), but are not currently being
developed.
In the north of the region, in the Krasnovishersky
district, diamonds are mined. Diamond deposits were discovered in the
Gornozavodsky district in the Koiva River basin, where the first diamond
in Russia was found in 1829. High quality diamonds are used in the
jewelry industry. Also in the region there are deposits of quartz,
citrine, selenite, marble, and uvarovite.
The region is rich in
various minerals used in dyes:
Volkonskoite is a rare clayey material
used for the production of protective and decorative paints, enamels and
pastes, usually green. There are 25 objects in the region, including the
following deposits: Bozhyakovskoye, Selinskoye, Krutolozhskoye,
Lapshinskoye, Efimyatskoye, Samosadkinskoye). The Chastinsky district is
richest in volkonskoite.
Surik. There are three occurrences of red
lead in the region - Solovinskoye, Shudinskoye (Elovsky district) and
Paltinskoye.
Ocher. There are 42 manifestations in the region, which
are located in Berezovsky, Gornozavodsky, Elovsky, Kisherstsky,
Kosinsky, Kochevsky, Kungursky, Suksunsky, Uinsky and Chusovsky
districts, in the territory of Krasnokamsk and Aleksandrovsk.
Also mined in the region are:
limestone is used to produce building
lime. The balance of carbonate reserves for roasting takes into account
seven deposits: Mount Matyukovaya, Severo-Sharashinskoye,
Sharashinskoye, Gubakhinskoye, Vsevolodo-Vilvenskoye, Bolshe-Sarsinskoye
and Chikalinskoye.
dolomite
gypsum and anhydrite are used in the
production of binders, dry gypsum plaster, gypsum fiber boards, gypsum
panels, and plasterboard. The deposits of the Orda and Uinsky districts
are characterized by a high content of gypsum. Deposits on the state
balance sheet: Chumkasskoye, Sokolino-Sarkaevskoye, Ergachinskoye,
Polaznenskoye, Deykovskoye, Selishchenskoye, Odinovskoye and Egorshiny
Yamy.
In the Perm region there are 37 objects of expanded clay -
fusible intumescent clay rocks, which are the main raw material for the
production of expanded clay. They are located in Gainsky, Kishertsky,
Kochevsky, Krasnovishersky, Lysvensky, Oktyabrsky, Solikamsky, Suksunsky
and Chusovsky districts, as well as in territories subordinate to the
cities of Aleksandrovsk, Kizel, Gubakha. The largest are the
Sanatorskoye and Kostarevskoye fields.
There are clay deposits in
almost all administrative districts of the region. The largest are
Komarikhinskoye (Chusovsky district), Kamenskoye (Permsky district),
Taushinskoye (Chernushinsky district), Balmashevskoye (Ordzhonikidze
district of Perm), Baturskoye (Krasnokamsk), Kalinkinskoye (Usolsky
district). Clay rocks and clearing sand are the basis for the production
of brick and tile products.
Deposits of sand deposits are Bukorskoye
(Chaikovsky district), Everzikovskoye (Lysvensky district), Mokrinsky
district of the Sedinsky deposit (Kishertsky district) and a section of
the Nichkovskoye deposit (Krasnovishersky district).
sand and gravel
mixtures are loose natural accumulations of rounded rock fragments and
minerals. ASG is used as a filler for concrete and asphalt concrete. 30
fields are being developed in the Perm region.
The predominant type of vegetation in the Perm region is forests. They cover 71% of the region's territory. The predominant tree species are spruce and fir. The share of deciduous trees increases in the direction from north to south.
In the Perm region there are 62 species of mammals (more than 30 of them are of commercial importance), more than 270 species of birds, 39 species of fish, 6 species of reptiles and 9 species of amphibians.
In the Perm Territory there are two specially protected natural areas of federal significance: the Vishera Reserve and the Basegi Nature Reserve, as well as about 300 territories of regional and about 130 territories of local significance.
Perm Krai (Russian: Пермский край, Permsky kray) is a federal subject
of Russia in the Ural Federal District, located on the western slopes of
the central Ural Mountains and along the middle Kama River. It covers
about 160,600 km² and has a population of roughly 2.5 million (2021
census), with Perm as its administrative center. The modern krai was
officially formed on 1 December 2005 through the merger of Perm Oblast
and the Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug, following a 2003–2004 referendum.
Its history spans geological deep time, ancient Finno-Ugric settlement,
medieval principalities, Russian imperial colonization and
industrialization, Soviet-era militarization and repression, and
post-Soviet administrative reform. The name “Perm” derives from the
Komi-Permyak people and their ancestral lands (possibly from “peramaa,”
meaning “distant land” or linked to “parma,” a forested hill), and it
gave its name to the Permian geological period (the final period of the
Paleozoic era, ~299–252 million years ago). British geologist Roderick
Murchison identified distinctive rock strata here in 1841.
Prehistory and Early Inhabitants (Pre-10th Century)
The region has
been inhabited since prehistoric times by Finno-Ugric peoples, ancestors
of the modern Komi-Permyaks (a branch of the Komi people).
Archaeological evidence shows early metallurgy and distinctive “Permian
Animal Style” bronze art (roughly 7th century BCE onward), featuring
intricate animal and mythical figures that reflect shamanistic
traditions. These peoples lived in forested taiga and riverine areas,
relying on hunting, fishing, fur trading, and small-scale agriculture.
Russian chronicles (such as the Tale of Bygone Years, 12th century)
first mention the “Perm” people paying tribute to Kievan Rus’. The
southern Komi territories were known to Novgorodian traders as “Great
Perm” (or Kama Perm), a resource-rich area for furs, hides, and silver.
Medieval Great Perm (14th–Early 16th Century)
“Great Perm”
emerged as a historical region and principality along the upper Kama
River, first documented in Russian sources in 1324. Its capital was
Cherdyn (the oldest city in the Kama region), with Pokcha serving
temporarily. By the mid-15th century, Komi dukes had unified the area
into the Principality of Great Perm (Komi-Permyak: Ydžyt Perem öksumu),
which stretched from the upper Kama westward to the Urals, northward to
the Pechora, and southward to the Chusovaya River.
Novgorod initially
dominated trade and tribute collection for furs. As Moscow rose, it
challenged Novgorod’s influence. In 1472, Moscow forces conquered Great
Perm, incorporating it into the growing Russian state. The last
independent prince, Matvei Mikhailovich Velikopermskiy, was replaced by
a Moscow-appointed voivode in 1505. Christianization efforts began
earlier (14th century) with St. Stephen of Perm, who created an Old
Permic alphabet (Anbur), though full conversion took longer amid
resistance. Great Perm served as a gateway for Russian expansion
eastward.
Russian Colonization and the Stroganov Era (16th–17th
Centuries)
After incorporation, the Stroganov merchant family
received vast land grants (1558 onward) for salt production,
ironworking, and colonization. They developed saltworks at Solikamsk
(which became Russia’s “salt capital”) and other sites, exploiting rich
potassium and salt deposits. The Stroganovs sponsored Yermak’s 1581–1582
expedition that opened Siberia to Russian conquest. By the 17th century,
Solikamsk and Kungur emerged as key administrative, military, and
economic centers. Early settlements like Yagoshikha (mentioned 1647)
appeared along the Kama. Population grew with Russian settlers; by the
early 18th century, Russians comprised about 65% of the area’s ~46,000
inhabitants.
18th Century: Industrial Foundations and Provincial
Status
Peter the Great’s drive to industrialize the Urals transformed
the region. In 1723, Vasily Tatishchev (later replaced by Wilhelm de
Genin) founded the Yegoshikha copper-smelting works at the mouth of the
Yegoshikha River. This state-run plant, with its dam, furnaces, and
supporting infrastructure, marked the birth of modern Perm. By 1723 it
had 112 households; schools and a hospital followed.
In 1780–1781,
Empress Catherine the Great established the Perm Governorate (Perm
Namestnichestvo), with Perm as its center (chosen over other sites after
commissions surveyed the area post-Pugachev’s Rebellion). The city
received its coat of arms and urban plan. The Yegoshikha works closed in
1788 due to ore depletion, but the settlement had already become an
administrative hub. Salt production, copper, and iron remained central.
19th–Early 20th Century: Growth as an Industrial and Transport Hub
Perm Province became a cornerstone of the Ural mining and metallurgical
industry, with over 110 plants producing iron, steel, and copper by the
late 19th century. Platinum, gold, and coal mining expanded. The
Motovilikha cannon factory (founded 1860s) became a major arms producer.
Railways (including the Trans-Siberian link via a Kama River bridge in
1912) and river transport boosted its role as the “gateway to the Urals
and Siberia.”
During the 1917 revolutions and Civil War (1918–1919),
Perm changed hands between Reds and Whites; the Red Army ultimately
secured it. Industrial output suffered but set the stage for Soviet
development.
Soviet Era: Industrialization, WWII, and Repression
(1920s–1980s)
In 1925, the Komi-Permyak National Okrug (later
Autonomous Okrug) was created within Ural Oblast for the Komi-Permyak
population, centered in Kudymkar. It came under Perm Oblast
administration from 1938. Perm Oblast itself was formed in 1938 (renamed
Molotov Oblast 1940–1957).
The 1930s brought rapid heavy
industrialization: aviation, shipbuilding, chemicals, and engineering.
During World War II, over 120 factories were evacuated to Perm (then
Molotov), making it a vital center for artillery, rockets, aircraft
engines, and tanks. Postwar, it became a closed city due to its defense
industries (e.g., Perm Motors, Motovilikha Plants). Oil was discovered
in 1929, with fields developed along the Kama; the Verkhnekamskoye
potassium salt deposit supported major chemical plants in Berezniki and
Solikamsk. Coal mining peaked mid-century.
The region also housed
Gulag camps. Perm-36 (a preserved political prison camp near Kudymkar)
is now a museum of Soviet repression, one of the few surviving examples.
Post-Soviet Period and Formation of Perm Krai (1990s–Present)
After the USSR’s collapse, Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug became a
separate federal subject in 1992 but remained economically tied to Perm
Oblast. A 2003 referendum (supported by ~84% in Perm Oblast and ~65% in
the okrug) led to the 2005 merger, creating Perm Krai. The Komi-Permyak
Okrug retained special administrative status with six districts to
preserve ethnic identity and avoid economic shock (it relied on federal
subsidies). Transitional autonomy lasted until 2009.
Today, Perm Krai
remains a major industrial donor region, with strengths in
petrochemicals, non-ferrous metallurgy, machinery (including military),
timber, and potash. It faces post-industrial challenges but preserves
unique cultural heritage: Perm wooden sculpture (folk art blending pagan
and Christian motifs), the Perm Art Gallery, and sites like the Kungur
Ice Cave and Belogorsky Monastery.
Perm region is one of the economically developed regions of Russia.
In 2018, the volume of gross regional product amounted to 1.318.472
million rubles.
The average salary offered to job seekers in the
Perm region in 2020 was 45 thousand rubles. In January, this figure was
about 40-41 thousand rubles. At the same time, the median salary offered
was 35 thousand rubles.
The basis of the region's economy is a highly developed industrial
complex. Key industries: oil, chemical and petrochemical, ferrous and
non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, timber industry.
About 10 million tons of oil are produced annually in the Perm region.
The leading mining company is LLC Lukoil-Perm. Oil production is
concentrated in the south (Kudinsky, Kungursky, Orda, Osinsky,
Chastinsky and Chernushinsky municipal districts) and the north of the
region (Krasnovishersky, Solikamsky and Usolsky municipal districts).
Perm is home to large oil processing enterprises (LLC
Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez (PNOS)) and gas.
The leading branch of
the chemical industry is the production of mineral fertilizers; the
region accounts for 100% of the production of potash fertilizers in
Russia. The world's largest deposit of potassium salts, Verkhnekamskoe,
is located in the Perm region. Ore mining and potash fertilizer
production are carried out in Berezniki (PJSC Uralkali) and Solikamsk
(PJSC Uralkali). The Uralkali company is one of the world's largest
producers and exporters of potash fertilizers.
The production of
nitrogen fertilizers is located in Perm (OJSC Mineral Fertilizers) and
Berezniki (OJSC Azot).
Enterprises of the petrochemical industry
of the region carry out mainly primary processing of raw materials. The
largest enterprises in the industry:
CJSC "Sibur-Khimprom" - Perm;
JSC "Metafrax" - Gubakha;
OJSC "Uralorgsintez" - Tchaikovsky.
In addition, in Perm there are enterprises producing activated carbon
(Sorbent OJSC), washing powder (Henkel-Pemos), halogen-containing
chemical products (Halogen OJSC), phthalic anhydride (Kamtex-Khimprom
OJSC).
A coke plant is located in Gubakha (JSC Gubakha Coke).
Ferrous metallurgy is represented by a full-cycle plant (JSC
Chusovsky Metallurgical Plant) and processing metallurgy enterprises
(the largest is JSC Lysvensky Metallurgical Plant).
Non-ferrous
metallurgy is based on the processing of ore from the Verkhnekamsk
potassium salt deposit, containing magnesium and rare metals. The plants
are located in Berezniki (titanium-magnesium plant of the VSMPO-Avisma
corporation) and Solikamsk (OJSC Solikamsk Magnesium Plant). In Perm
there is a plant for the production of secondary aluminum (JSC Perm
Non-Ferrous Metals).
In mechanical engineering, the production of
military products plays an important role. The largest mechanical
engineering center is Perm; Aviation and rocket engines, oil production
and mining equipment, gas-powered saws, communications equipment, ships,
cables and other products are produced. The largest enterprises are the
Motovilikha plants and the Perm engine-building complex.
Separate
machine-building enterprises are also located in the cities of Lysva
(production of turbogenerators), Kungur (production of oilfield
equipment), Ocher (production of drilling equipment) and Aleksandrovsk
(production of mining equipment), as well as the villages of Pavlovsky
(Ochersky district), Suksun and Yugo-Kamsky (Perm region). Among the
reasons for the crisis in the region's engineering industry, one can
highlight the low level of state defense orders, as well as the
specialization of most enterprises in the production of components and
individual parts rather than final products, which prevents the
implementation of an independent sales policy. The production of
equipment for the extractive industries and railway transport is
developing most successfully.
The timber industry complex of the
region is based on the use of the richest forest resources of the Kama
region. Logging facilities are located mainly in the north of the
region. There are three pulp and paper mills in the Perm region:
Krasnokamsk, Perm and Solikamsk (JSC Solikamskbumprom). On the territory
of the region there is one of the country's largest enterprises
producing plywood - NAO SVEZA Uralsky (Uralsky village, Nytvensky
district of the Perm Territory).
The largest center of the
region's food industry is Perm. There is a meat processing plant (Perm
Meat Processing Plant OJSC, part of the Prodo group), a Perm dairy plant
(a branch of the Unimilk company), margarine, flour milling, liquor and
vodka (Permalko OJSC, part of the S.P.I. group), wine - a vodka plant
(Uralalko OJSC, part of the Synergy group), two confectionery factories
(Permskaya and Nestlé-owned Kamskaya), a cold storage plant (Perm
Refrigeration Plant Sozvezdie OJSC, part of the Komos Group), baking
production Other large centers of the food industry include Kungur (meat
and milk processing), Krasnokamsk (meat processing), as well as
Tchaikovsky, Lysva, Kudymkar, Vereshchagino.
The potential soil fertility of the Perm region is high with a humus horizon of significant thickness. It is advisable to cultivate vegetable and fodder crops on these soils. They also provide valuable hay and pasture land. However, a significant amount of arable land urgently requires the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Swamp soils (3.5% of the total area) after drainage by cultural and agrotechnical measures become valuable arable and forage lands. Agricultural lands occupy 20% of the territory of the Perm region. More than half of the territory of the region (59%) is occupied by lands of forestry enterprises.
There are the Perm branch of the Sverdlovsk Railway (formerly the
Perm Railway named after L.M. Kaganovich), OJSC Shipping Company Kama
River Shipping Company, Federal State Unitary Enterprise Perm Airlines,
Bolshoye Savino International Airport.
Economic development is
hampered by the almost complete absence of roads in the north of the
Perm Territory and their extreme insufficiency in other areas. Due to
the lack of roads, tourism to the picturesque Ural Mountains does not
function. The large Kama River, which crosses the entire Perm Territory,
is a difficult dividing barrier for communication, since only three road
bridges have been built across it.
In 2015, 592,857 cars were
registered in the region. According to this indicator, the Perm region
took 24th place in the Russian Federation.