Quick facts
Smolensk overview
Smolensk (orange) and the other large cities of Russia
Smolensk lies in Smolensk Oblast in Russia at 54.78°N, 32.05°E, about 238 m above sea level. The local time zone is Europe/Moscow (UTC+3); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Kaluga (340,851) and larger than Sochi (327,608). The largest city in Russia is Moscow with 10,381,222 people; the capital, Moscow, has 10,381,222.
The national capital, Moscow, is about 369 km away; the nearest large city is Velikiye Luki, 198 km from Smolensk.
Russia as a whole has a live population of 143,296,039 (-0.2% a year) and ranks #9 of 238 countries — see the Russia population page for the full statistics and the Russia atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Smolensk
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Velikiye Luki Pskov Oblast | 198 km | 103,149 |
Largest cities in Russia
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MoscowCapital | Moscow | 10,381,222 |
| 2 | Saint Petersburg | St. Petersburg | 5,351,935 |
| 3 | Novosibirsk | Novosibirsk Oblast | 1,612,833 |
| 4 | Yekaterinburg | Sverdlovsk Oblast | 1,495,066 |
| 5 | Nizhniy Novgorod | Nizhny Novgorod Oblast | 1,259,013 |
| 6 | Kazan | Tatarstan Republic | 1,243,500 |
| 7 | Chelyabinsk | Chelyabinsk | 1,202,371 |
| 8 | Omsk | Omsk Oblast | 1,172,070 |
| 9 | Samara | Samara Oblast | 1,163,399 |
| 10 | Rostov-on-Don | Rostov | 1,130,305 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Smolensk?
Smolensk has about 330,025 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Smolensk the capital of Russia?
No. The capital of Russia is Moscow (10,381,222 people), about 369 km away. Smolensk is the 54th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Smolensk compared with the rest of Russia?
Its 330,025 residents are 0.2% of the 143,296,039 people living in Russia today. Moscow is larger with 10,381,222 people.
Where is Smolensk?
In Smolensk Oblast, Russia, at latitude 54.78 and longitude 32.05, 238 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Velikiye Luki (198 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Smolensk Population 2026 — Russia. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/russia/smolensk/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/russia/smolensk/">Smolensk Population 2026 — Russia</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.