Syktyvkar

Syktyvkar (/sɪktɪfˈkɑːr/, Russian: Сыктывка́р, IPA: [sɨktɨfˈkar]; Komi: Сыктывкар, IPA: [sɨktɨvˈkar]) is the capital city of the Komi Republic in Russia, as well as its largest city. It is also the administrative center of the Syktyvkar Urban Okrug. Until 1930, it was known as Ust-Sysolsk named after the Sysola River.

The city's name comes from Syktyv, the Komi name for the Sysola River, and kar, meaning "city" in the Komi language.

Syktyvkar is located on the Sysola River, which is the origin of its former name Ust-Sysolsk. The city is located close to where the Sysola joins the larger Vychegda River, which is itself a branch of the Northern Dvina.^{[citation needed]}

It is believed that the city was founded in 1586 as a settlement Ust-Sysola.

It was granted city status by Catherine the Great in 1780, and in 1992, it became the capital of the Komi Republic. It has remained the capital since then, although a large influx of ethnic Russians in the 20th century has actually left the Komi a minority there.

When Kandinsky stayed there in 1889 to record the culture and beliefs of the locals, the town had a group of administrative buildings along with more numerous log-built peasant huts.

The majority of the population were merchants and peasants. The main occupations of the inhabitants were agriculture, cattle-breeding, hunting, fishing, and trade.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the population had grown to 6,000 people. The Tsarist government made the Komi region a place of political exile.