Izhevsk is a city in Russia of about 650,000 people as of 1989. Formerly an engineering town, it was established as a place where all manner of metalworking could be done, such as the manufacture of machine and arms. Izhevsk is the site of one of the most famous arsenals in Russia, at which Mikhail Kalashnikov designed his famous AK-47 assault rifle. Furthermore, Izhevsk has been called the cultural center of the Udmurt Republic (see www.bartleby.com).