Russia is the world’s largest country by area.
Worldbuilding requires in-depth knowledge of cities and towns, their names as well as history. If you want to improve your worldbuilding, Russian names of cities can be of great help.
Russia is one of the few transcontinental countries in the world occupying land in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is also one of the most historically rich and fascinating countries in the world. The names of some major Russian cities and towns known to people across the world are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Nizhny Novgorod. Of the lot, Moscow and St. Petersburg are the two biggest cities in the country. However, besides well-known places like Moscow and St. Petersburg, it is important to know other areas as well.
Did you know that there is also a town called Russia in the USA?
To help you improve your knowledge and inspire your world-building, we have compiled a list of the 100 most populous city names in Russia, to expand your knowledge beyond St. Petersburg and the capital Moscow.
For more naming fun, take a look at these city names for boys and city names for girls.
Novorossiysk – Functions as the leading Russian port for exporting grain
Balashikha– A town located by the Pekhorka River and on the east side of Moscow Ring Road
Magnitogorsk – Named after Mount Magnitnaya, an anomaly primarily made of iron ore
Blagoveshchensk– A site of conflict during the Russian Civil War
Dzerzhinsk – Former Russian center of chemical weapons
Shakhty – One of the main importers and exporters of tile in the country and East Europe
Napoleon, Meaning: lion of the new city Origin: Greek ~ View Detail
St. Petersburg – One of Russia's largest cities, it is also an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea
Kostroma – The city has the same name as the East Slavic goddess fertility goddess Kostroma
Spartacus, Meaning: from the city of Sparta Origin: Latin ~ View Detail
Korolyov – The epicenter of the Soviet and Russian space exploration efforts
Volgograd – Formerly known as Stalingrad, the city witnessed one of the most brutal battles during World War II
Yekaterinburg – Named after the wife of the Russian emperor Peter the Great
Khabarovsk– The city has a history heavily influenced by ancient Chinese culture
Kirov– The place of origin of the Dymkovo toys
Tolyatti– Home of Russia’s largest car manufacturer AvtoVAZ
Polosk – Site of the Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defence
Ufa– Home to several prominent educational institutions in Russia
Belgorod – Located on the north of the border of Ukraine
Khimki– Originally a railway station back in the year 1850
Ivanovo – A major center for textile production in Russia
Makhachkala– Formerly known as Petrovskoye, the city was named after Tsar Peter the Great
Carlisle, Meaning: from the walled city Origin: English
Yakutsk – The second coldest city in the world
Vladivostok – Known to be the richest city in Russia
Irkutsk – The city earned the nickname of ‘The Paris of Siberia’
Chita– Known for the Chernovskiye mines, a famous geological nature monument
Kurgan – Awarded the ‘Order of the Red Banner of Labour’ in 1982
Mytischi – Known for the first settlement of hunters and fishermen by the Yauza River
Yarsoslavl– The city at the junction of the Volga and Kotorosl Rivers
Astrakhan – Located 92 ft. below sea level, making it the lowest city in Russia
Grozny – This town is located on the Sunzha River
Nizhny Tagil – One of the early centers of the Russian industrialization
Tver – The former capital of a powerful medieval state
Krasnodar – Formerly named the best place for business in Russia by Forbes
Petrozavodsk– Revered for its Neoclassical architectural heritage
Kamensk-Uralsky – Formerly known for its cannons and cast iron smelting factory
Ryazan – Located on the Oka River
Tomsk – One of the most prominent educational hubs in Russia
Kursk – The site of the largest tank battle in history
Lyubertsky– Often known as the working-class suburb of Moscow
Carlyle, Meaning: from the walled city Origin: Variation of Carlisle, English
Orenburg – Located very close to the border of Kazakhstan
Ulan-Ude– Center of Tibetan Buddhism in Russia
Barnaul– Founded by the wealthy Demidov family for the production of copper and silver
Prokopyevsk– One of the main centers for the extraction of coking coal
Abakan- Located at the meeting point of the Yenisei and Abakan Rivers
Veliky Novgorod– Recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1992
Tambov– The name of the city originates from the Moksha language, meaning ‘abyss’ or ‘deep pool’
Tula – A large administrative city located just a few kilometers below Moscow
Carlyle, Meaning: from the walled city Origin: Variation of Carlisle, English
Bratsk – The name is derived from the word ‘Buryats’, a Mongolian indigenous group in Siberia
Cherepovets– The name of the city was supposedly derived from the word ‘skull’
Oneida, Meaning: long awaited Origin: Native American
Stirling, Meaning: from the city of Stirling Origin: Scottish
Biysk – Often called "the gates to the Altai Mountains"
Voronezh– Located on the Southeastern Railway that connects European Russia with the Urals and Siberia
Armavir– The city was occupied by the German Army during World War II
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Orsk – Lies in the border of the two continents of Europe and Asia
Perm – One of the largest cities in Russia
Sterlitamak– The name literally translates to "mouth of the Sterlya River" in the Bashkir language
Novosibirsk– Home to the world-renowned Novosibirsk Zoo in the Novosibirsk Oblast area
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – The city has significant investments from oil companies
Cheboksary – Regularly plays host to athletic and sporting events
Nizhnevartovsk– The city has a thriving petroleum industry
Kaliningrad– Home to the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Navy
Volzhsky – Was known for the presence of several mulberry forests
Smolensk – A historically significant city known today for its vast diamond faceting industry
Nizhny Novgorod – Nizhny Novgorod is a Novgorod Oblast city that forms the epicenter of river tourism in Russia
Stary Oskol– The city was affected by the Russian Civil War of 1919 and World War II, when Hungarian troops captured it
Syktyvkar – One of the most famous Russian progressive rock bands ‘The Gourishankar’ was founded in this city
Bryansk– Located very close to the border of Belarus
Vladimir - One of the medieval capitals of Russia with several 12th Century sites still intact
Carlisle, Meaning: from the walled city Origin: English
Urban, Meaning: of the city Origin: Latin
Zlatoust– Located on the Ay River, by the Kama Basin
Vladikavkaz – One of the largest cities, this is one of the prominent industrial and transportation towns of Russia
Melchior, Meaning: city of the king; king of light Origin: Dutch from Hebrew
Komosomolsk-on-Amur- primary center for the manufacture of Sukhoi military aircraft and the Sukhoi Superjet airliner
Vologda– Classified as a historic city by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation
Engels – Served as the former capital of the Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
Pskov– One of the oldest cities in Russia, and a former trading post of the Hanseatic League
Ulyanovsk – A designated UNESCO City of Literature since 2015
Urban, Meaning: of the city Origin: Latin
Saransk– One of the official host cities of the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Samara– The riverfront is renowned far and wide for its visual appeal
Arkhangelsk – Known all over Russia for its ancient folklore
Balakovo – Located on the East bank of the Volga River
Stavropol– The city’s name is derived from Greek, meaning ‘City of the Cross’
Urbana, Meaning: of the city Origin: Latin, feminine form of Urban
Surgut– Home to the Surgut Bridge, the longest one-tower cable-stayed bridge in the world
Izhevsk – Often called the Armory Capital of Russia
Tyumen – Known as the first Russian settlement in Siberia
Omsk – One of the largest cities, located east of the Ural Mountains
Samaria, Origin: Place-name, ancient Palestinian city in present-day Jordan
Bas, Meaning: person from the city of Sebastia Origin: Dutch, diminutive of Bastiaan and Sebastian
Yoshkar-Ola – Is a twin city of Bourges, France
Penza– The renowned Ural mainframe was built here
Oryol– A recipient of the prestigious ‘City of Military Glory’ honor
Nizhnekamsk – An important center of the petrochemical industry
Murmansk – Named after the Murman Coast, an ancient Russian term for Norway
Krasnoyarsk – One of Russia’s largest producers of aluminum
Gaetano, Meaning: from the city of Gaeta Origin: Italian
Novokuznetsk – The city became a major coal mining and industrial center in the 1930s
Sebbe, Meaning: person from ancient city of Sebasta Origin: Swedish variation of Sebastian
Angarsk – Known to have the largest industrial zone in Asia
Lipetsk – Situated on the banks of the Voronezh River in the Don Basin
Kaluga – Known for its most famous resident Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a rocket science pioneer
Saratov– Known for its many cultural institutions
Sochi– Situated on the Sochi River, it is the largest city in Russia
Rostov-on-Don – played host to a few tournaments during the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Chelyabinsk – Chelyabinsk is the former home to the ancient settlement of Arkaim, belonging to the Sintasha culture. Chelyabinsk is home to many cultural sites.
Moscow– Moscow is the capital of Russia, Moscow is also the largest city in the country
Kemerovo – An amalgamation of several prominent former Russian settlements
Kazan – Chosen as the ‘Sports Capital of Russia’
Naberezhnye Chelny – One of the largest planned vehicle production centers in the world
