‘Fewer Factories, Better Life’: Ufa Residents on Yekaterinburg

A journalist from UFA1.RU, who spent his youth in the Ural capital, returned to Yekaterinburg and described how much the city has changed over the years and, predictably, compared it to Ufa. Readers of our site read it carefully and expressed their opinions—here they are.

Thus, one user states that Yekaterinburg has always been «two, or even three» heads taller than Ufa. He justified his position by pointing to the strong universities in the Ural capital and the presence of a «technical intelligentsia» from the factories.

«Ufa became a city with over a million inhabitants much later and thanks to rural residents,» the user emphasized.

Another says there is plenty to see in Yekaterinburg (although, to be fair, we have that too)—it«s a developed city »with its own character.«

«Yekb is a creative city! It has produced many famous actors! The birthplace of Soviet rock. The fare for all transport in the city is 33 rubles (about $0.45 at current rates). Gasoline is cheaper by an average of two rubles!» declared another.

The user provided slightly outdated data: since November 2025, the fare has been 42 rubles (about $0.58 at current rates). But it is still cheaper than in Ufa.

Another reader considers Yekaterinburg the «third city» of Russia—after Moscow and St. Petersburg. He says it«s even cooler than Kazan, Novosibirsk, or Nizhny Novgorod.

«Forgive me, brothers from Kazan, I particularly love and value Kazan. And I also love Omsk,» he concluded.

Among the commenters was someone who decided to dig into the cities« history. He explains that Yekaterinburg was a »bastion city of the state,« and in tsarist times, money was printed there (although it would be more accurate to specify that coins were minted).

«In Yekb, as in Moscow and St. Petersburg, there are fewer and fewer factories, but people live better and better thanks to federal money. […] And no one considers Ufa a bastion city; we»ll have to survive on our own, by our own strength,« noted a visitor to our site.

We have sometimes called Ufa a «city of contrasts,» but one reader says it«s actually a »city of empty human anthills.« Yekaterinburg hasn»t been spared criticism either, don«t think everyone praises it.

«They»ve demolished many historical houses and are building up everything with high-rises, just like in Ufa. It all looks too eclectic,« emphasized one reader.

He believes that in recent years, Chelyabinsk has «humanized» its urban environment better than anyone (we«ve also written about it—it really has changed).

Here is another negative comment about the Ural capital:

«The development is chaotic, just like in Ufa. There is nothing beautiful in the photo except one historical house. They»ve littered the city with high-rises,« the reader stated.

A resident of Ufa disagreed: says in Yekaterinburg everything is in moderation, and that neighborhoods with high-rises aren«t plopped in the middle of a village.