[8] It was established in 1759,[2] initially as a center for metallurgical enterprises, and the economic focus on metal related industry remains.

[citation needed] The city of Votkinsk was one of the residence centers of the Udmurt Jews, who spoke Udmurtish Yiddish.

[4] The Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology operates a machine plant in the town, the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant, which produces some of Russia's long-range ballistic missiles.

Under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) concluded between the United States and the Soviet Union, the RSD-10 Pioneer missile production facility at Votkinsk was selected for long-term on-site monitoring by U.S. inspectors.

The corresponding site for the Soviet Union in the United States was the Hercules missile production facility in Salt Lake City, Utah.