Magas

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For other uses, see Magas (disambiguation).

Residence of President of Ingushetia.

Magas (Russian: Мага́с) is the capital of the Republic of Ingushetia, Russia. The town was founded in 1995; it replaced Nazran as the capital of the republic in 2002, however accommodating still as little as 300 inhabitants (2005 est). At the census of 2002 it reported a population of only 275 inhabitants, the smallest town (gorod) in Russia.

The republic of Ingushetia became a separate federal entity of Russia in 1992, having been split from the Chechen-Ingush Republic. Nazran, the largest of three towns of the new republic, was made a temporary capital; however it was badly suited for this purpose.

In 1995, President Ruslan Aushev founded Magas just a few kilometers south of Nazran, naming it after the medieval city of Maghas. The new town was supposed to serve purely for administrative needs. The president's palace and the government building were built in rich oriental style, and a business district is under construction. The city is projected to house about 30,000 inhabitants in future.