Volgograd is a city with a rich history, a hero city, the site of the Battle of Stalingrad. The glorious city, which from 1589 to 1925 was called Tsaritsyn, and from 1925 to 1961 - Stalingrad.
Location
Volgograd is located in the southeast of the European part of the Russian Federation. It occupies 65 km along the Volga, which is a record among the country's cities in length. Located on the western bank of the Volga in the lower reaches. Forms the Volgograd urban district.
It is the administrative center of the Lower Volga industrial zone of the Volga economic region and the Volgograd region.
Glorious past
Until 1589, there was a Tatar settlement "Meskhet" on the site of the city. After the conquest of the Astrakhan Khanate, it was decided to found the city of Tsaritsyn for connecting trade between Russia and the Caspian region, where salt became the main commodity.
The date of foundation of Volgograd is considered to be July 2, 1589. Then, already on the banks of the Volga, three fortresses were based to protect the waterway and caravans. Among them was the Tsaritsyn fortress, which controlled the eastern side of the Volga-Don perevoloka, where the shortest route between the Volga and Don passed.
Until 1800, the city remained a small border village with a garrison. The main population consisted of the military, who served to protect trade routes and caravans. At that time, Tatar and Cossack raids were common in the city. He was often in an enemy siege or peasant revolts.
From 1776 Tsaritsyn began to grow gradually. The new stage brought a noticeable increase in outbuildings and civilian population. The area around the city began to be successfully developed.
After the construction of the Volga-Don railway in 1862, the city became the main transport hub in the region.
Since 1870, there has been a boom in industrial growth. Oil depots, metallurgical and arms factories became the backbone of Tsaritsyn's industry thanks to the transport hub.
In the period 1918-1920, several military operations were carried out in the city, in which the Red Army emerged victorious.
On April 10, 1925, Tsaritsyn was renamed Stalingrad, in honor of Stalin. It was with this new name that the glorious city became a hero of the Great Patriotic War, where the famous Battle of Stalingrad took place from 1942 to 1943. The city was badly damaged at that time and after the war all forces were thrown into reconstruction.
On November 10, 1961, the city was renamed Volgograd in connection with the “de-Stalinization” of that period, and has this name to this day. After the war, the city continued to build up its industrial potential due to its location on the Volga River and transport routes.
Today the city has a rich history stretching from Tsaritsyn to Volgograd.
