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Area: 495 km2 (191 sq mi)
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Airport: Koltsovo Airport (SVX)
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Federal subject: Sverdlovsk Oblast
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Founded: November 18, 1723
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Population: 1 444 439 (2016)
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Stadium: Central Stadium
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Time Zone: YEKT (UTC+05:00)
Founded in November 18, 1723, Yekaterinburg (romanized Ekaterinburg) is the administrative center of the center of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the fourth largest city in Russia. It is located on the Iset River east of the Ural Mountains, in the middle of the Eurasian continent, on the border of Europe and Asia.
The city is also the fourth most populous city in Russia after Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Novosibirsk. It was briefly renamed ‘Sverdlovsk’ during the Soviet Era after the Communist party leader Yakov Sverdlov but changed back to Yekaterinburg after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
While Saint Petersburg is Russia’s window to Europe, Yekaterinburg is Russia’s Window to Asia. The city is one of the country’s most important economic centers and the main administrative, cultural, scientific and educational center of the Urals. Hence, goes by the name - “Capital of the Urals”.
Chrisitinaity is the predominant religion in the city, of which most are followers of the Russian Orthodox Church. Other religions practiced include Islam, Old Believers, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Judaism.
Yekaterinburg is one of the 11 host cities of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and matches will be played at the upgraded Central Stadium, which will be called Ekaterinburg Arena during the World Cup.