Komi Republic

General information

The Komi Republic is located in the northeast of the European part of Russia and is landlocked.

The Arctic zone encompasses the following parts of the region:

The municipal districts of Vorkuta, Inta, and Usinsk.
The Ust-Tsilemsky District.

Administrative centre: Syktyvkar.

Population of the republic: more than 820,000, including approximately 152,000 in the Arctic zone.

Area of the republic: 416,800 km².

Area of the republic’s Arctic territories: 127,397 km².

Time zone: UTC+3. Moscow and the Komi Republic are in the same time zone.

Cities

Syktyvkar

Founded in 1780

Population: approximately 260,000

Vorkuta

Founded in 1936

Population: approximately 70,000

Vorkuta is the easternmost city in Europe and one of the five largest cities in the world beyond the Arctic Circle.

Usinsk

Founded in 1966

Population: approximately 40,000

Economy

Coal mining and processing

The Vorkuta geological and industrial district is home to the largest explored coal reserves in Europe (approximately 4 billion tonnes). Coal is extracted at three fields – Vorkuta, Vorgashorskoye, and Yunyaginskoye.

Explored coal reserves of

4 billion
tonnes

Mining metallurgy

In 2020, Russia’s largest deposit of titanium and glass sandstones officially opened. A new mining and smelting complex is being built for the deposit’s forecast resources (more than 100 million tonnes of titanium dioxide and 2.5 billion tonnes of titanium sand).

Forecast resources of

100
million tonnes of titanium dioxide

Oil extraction and processing

The Usinsky District is the main centre of oil production in the Komi Republic. In 2021, the total amount of oil refined increased by 14.1% compared with 2020, while petroleum product output grew by 15.2%.

15.2%
increase in petroleum product output in 2021

Sightseeing attractions

Yugyd Va National Park

Home to the Virgin Komi Forests, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, and the largest array of ancient northern forests in Europe on an area of around 2 million hectares. The park also boasts the highest peaks of the Ural Mountains.

Oldest ski in the world

A fragment of a wooden ski made from an elk’s head with the mythological name “Yirkapa Ski” that dates back to the 6th millennium BC. It is considered the oldest such artifact in the world and is on display at the Komi National Museum.

Pemboi cliffs

These uniquely weathered rocks are located within the tundra. Due to the changes in topography, they are beautiful to view as a circular panorama. A helipad and observation tower are located at the top of the cliffs.