Volgograd
Encyclopedia
Volgograd formerly called
Tsaritsyn and Stalingrad is an important industrial city and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast
, Russia
. It is 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) long, north to south, situated on the western bank of the Volga River
. Population:
The city was made famous for its resistance, extensive damage, and loss of life during the Battle of Stalingrad
during World War II
.
of the Tsaritsa and Volga River
s. The fortress Sary Su (a local Tatar language
name meaning: Yellow Water/River), was established to defend the unstable southern border of Tsarist Russia. It soon became the nucleus of a trading settlement. It was captured twice by Cossack
rebels, under Stepan Razin in the rebellion of 1670 and Yemelyan Pugachev
in 1774. Tsaritsyn became an important river port and commercial center in the 19th century.
The original name of the city, Tsaritsyn, was first recorded by English explorer Barry in 1579, though he did not refer to the city, but to the island on the Volga. The origin of the name is usually traced back to the Turkic "Sary-Su" (yellow water) or "Sary-Sin" (Yellow Island). The date of the founding of the city is considered to be July 2, 1589, when the fortress Tsaritsyn was first named in a royal charter. The fortress was located slightly above the confluence of the Volga River Queen on the right bank.
Before Tsaritsyn, in the mouth of the river, there was a settlement of the Queen of the Golden Horde.
In 1607, the fortress was in revolt against the king's troops but was suppressed six months later. In 1608, the city had its first stone church, St. John the Baptist.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the garrison consisted of 350-400 people.
In 1670 the fortress was taken by troops of Stepan Razin, who left after a month. In 1708, the fortress was held by insurgent Cossacks Kondrati Bulavin. In 1717, Bulavin was sacked by the Crimean Tatars and Kuban. Later, in 1774, the city unsuccessfully stormed Yemelyan Pugachev.
In 1691, Tsaritsyn established customs. In 1708, Tsaritsyn was assigned to the Kazan Governorate
; in 1719, to Astrakhan Governorate; According to the census in 1720, the city's population was 408 people. In 1773, the city became the provincial and district town. From 1779 it belonged to the Saratov Viceroyalty. In 1780, the city was under the Saratov Governorate (later as a province).
The population expanded rapidly during the 19th century, increasing from fewer than 3,000 people in 1807 to about 84,000 in 1900.
The first railroad came to the town in 1862. The first theatre opened in 1872, the first cinema in 1907. In 1913, Tsaritsin's first tram line was built, and the city's first electric lights were installed in the city center.
During the Russian Civil War
Tsaritsyn was under Soviet control starting from November 1917. In 1918, Tsaritsyn was besieged by White troops under Ataman
Krasnov
. Three assaults by White troops were repulsed. However, in June 1919 Tsaritsyn was captured by White forces of General Denikin, which left the city in January 1920. This was known as the Battle for Tsaritsyn
.
The city was renamed Stalingrad after Joseph Stalin
on April 10, 1925. This was officially to recognize the city's and Stalin's role in its defense against the Whites
in 1918-1920.
In 1931, in the city including the German settlement-colony Sarepta (founded in 1765), subsequently became the largest area of the city — Krasnoarmeysky. The first institute was opened in 1930, a year later was opened and the Pedagogical Institute.
Under Stalin, the city became a center of heavy industry and transshipment by rail and river, and as a result was attacked by Axis forces during World War II. In 1942, the city became the site of one of the pivotal battles of the war. The Battle of Stalingrad
saw perhaps the greatest casualty figures of any battle in warfare (estimates are between 1,250,000 and 1,798,619). The battle began on August 23, 1942, and on the same day, the city suffered heavy aerial bombardment that reduced most of it to rubble. By September, the fighting reached the city center. The fighting was of unprecedented intensity; the central railway station of the city changed hands thirteen times, and the famous Mamayev Kurgan
(one of the heights of the city) was captured and recaptured eight times. By the winter of 1942–43, the German forces controlled 90% of the city, and had cornered the Soviets into two narrow pockets. On November 19, Soviet forces launched a massive counterattack
. This led to the eventual encirclement of the German Sixth Army. On January 31, 1943 its commander, Field Marshal
Friedrich Paulus
surrendered, and on February 2, with the elimination of straggling German troops, the Battle of Stalingrad was over.
Stalingrad was awarded the title Hero City
for its heroism in 1945, and Great Britain's King George VI
awarded the citizens of Stalingrad the jeweled "Sword of Stalingrad
" in admiration of their bravery. Stalingrad was destroyed during the war, and in 1946, the construction of a modern city started. It included the memorial complex on the Mamayev Kurgan
. A number of cities around the world (especially those which had suffered similar wartime devastation) established sister/friendship/twinning
links (see list below) in the spirit of solidarity or reconciliation. One of the first "sister city" projects was that established between Stalingrad and England
's Coventry
during World War II
(as both suffered extensive devastation from aerial bombardment).
In 1961, the name was changed from Stalingrad to Volgograd ("Volga City") as part of Nikita Khrushchev
's programme of de-Stalinization
. This was and remains somewhat contentious, given the fame of the name "Stalingrad" and its importance in wartime remembrance. There were serious proposals to revert the name to "Stalingrad" during Konstantin Chernenko
's brief administration in 1985. There remains a strong degree of local support for a reversion but intermittent proposals have been not yet accepted by the Russian government.
On May 21, 2007, the CPRF or Communist Party of the Russian Federation
obtained an important success in the Volgograd mayoral election. Communist candidate Roman Grebennikov
was elected as mayor with 32.47% of the vote. Grebennikov is Russia's youngest mayor of a regional capital.
, oil refining, steel
and aluminium
production, manufacture of machinery and vehicles, and chemical production. A large Volgograd Hydroelectric Plant stands a short distance to the north of Volgograd.
; the Caucasus
and Siberia
. It stands at the east end of the Volga-Don Canal
, opened in 1952 to link the two great rivers of Southern Russia. European route E40
, the longest European route connecting Calais
, France
with Ridder, Kazakhstan
, passes through Volgograd. The M6 highway
between Moscow and the Caspian Sea also passes through the city. The Volgograd Bridge
, under construction since 1995, was inaugurated in October 2009. The city river terminal is the center for local passenger shipping along the Volga River.
Volgograd International Airport provides air links to major Russian cities as well as Antalya, Yerevan, and Aktau.
Volgograd's public transport system includes a light rail
service known as the Volgograd metrotram. Local public transport is provided by buses, trolleybuses and trams.
The Volga River
still is a very important communication channel.
Volvograd hosts one of the few floating churches in the world: the floating church of Saint Vladimir of Volgograd.
climate (Köppen climate classification
BSk)
, was erected on the Mamayev Kurgan
, the hill that saw some of the most intense fighting during the battle.
The Panorama Museum sited on the Volga contains artifacts from World War II. These include a panoramic painting
of the battlefield from the location of the monument on Mamayev Kurgan. A rifle
of the famous sniper Vasily Zaytsev (popularized in Western media in the film Enemy at the Gates
) is also on display.
and FC Rotor Volgograd are both Russian Second Division football clubs, having been relegated after being in the Russian Premier League in the early 1990s. Lukoil-Spartak represent the city in water polo.
Geographical renaming
Geographical renaming is the changing of the name of a geographical feature or area. This can range from the uncontroversial change of a street name to a highly disputed change to the name of a country. Some names are changed locally but the new names are not recognised by other countries,...
Tsaritsyn and Stalingrad is an important industrial city and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast
Volgograd Oblast
Volgograd Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Volgograd. Population: -Geography:*Area: 113,900 km²;*Borders length: 2221,9 km²....
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It is 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) long, north to south, situated on the western bank of the Volga River
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...
. Population:
The city was made famous for its resistance, extensive damage, and loss of life during the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History
Volgograd originated with the foundation in 1589 of Tsaritsyn at the confluenceConfluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Tsaritsa and Volga River
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...
s. The fortress Sary Su (a local Tatar language
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
name meaning: Yellow Water/River), was established to defend the unstable southern border of Tsarist Russia. It soon became the nucleus of a trading settlement. It was captured twice by Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
rebels, under Stepan Razin in the rebellion of 1670 and Yemelyan Pugachev
Yemelyan Pugachev
Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachov , was a pretender to the Russian throne who led a great Cossack insurrection during the reign of Catherine II...
in 1774. Tsaritsyn became an important river port and commercial center in the 19th century.
The original name of the city, Tsaritsyn, was first recorded by English explorer Barry in 1579, though he did not refer to the city, but to the island on the Volga. The origin of the name is usually traced back to the Turkic "Sary-Su" (yellow water) or "Sary-Sin" (Yellow Island). The date of the founding of the city is considered to be July 2, 1589, when the fortress Tsaritsyn was first named in a royal charter. The fortress was located slightly above the confluence of the Volga River Queen on the right bank.
Before Tsaritsyn, in the mouth of the river, there was a settlement of the Queen of the Golden Horde.
In 1607, the fortress was in revolt against the king's troops but was suppressed six months later. In 1608, the city had its first stone church, St. John the Baptist.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the garrison consisted of 350-400 people.
In 1670 the fortress was taken by troops of Stepan Razin, who left after a month. In 1708, the fortress was held by insurgent Cossacks Kondrati Bulavin. In 1717, Bulavin was sacked by the Crimean Tatars and Kuban. Later, in 1774, the city unsuccessfully stormed Yemelyan Pugachev.
In 1691, Tsaritsyn established customs. In 1708, Tsaritsyn was assigned to the Kazan Governorate
Kazan Governorate
The Kazan Governorate or Government of Kazan was a governorate of Imperial Russia from 1708–1920, with the city of Kazan as its capital.-History:...
; in 1719, to Astrakhan Governorate; According to the census in 1720, the city's population was 408 people. In 1773, the city became the provincial and district town. From 1779 it belonged to the Saratov Viceroyalty. In 1780, the city was under the Saratov Governorate (later as a province).
The population expanded rapidly during the 19th century, increasing from fewer than 3,000 people in 1807 to about 84,000 in 1900.
The first railroad came to the town in 1862. The first theatre opened in 1872, the first cinema in 1907. In 1913, Tsaritsin's first tram line was built, and the city's first electric lights were installed in the city center.
During the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
Tsaritsyn was under Soviet control starting from November 1917. In 1918, Tsaritsyn was besieged by White troops under Ataman
Ataman
Ataman was a commander title of the Ukrainian People's Army, Cossack, and haidamak leaders, who were in essence the Cossacks...
Krasnov
Pyotr Krasnov
Pyotr Nikolayevich Krasnov , 1869 – January 17, 1947), sometimes referred to in English as Peter Krasnov, was Lieutenant General of the Russian army when the revolution broke out in 1917, and one of the leaders of the counterrevolutionary White movement afterward.- Russian Army :Pyotr Krasnov...
. Three assaults by White troops were repulsed. However, in June 1919 Tsaritsyn was captured by White forces of General Denikin, which left the city in January 1920. This was known as the Battle for Tsaritsyn
Battle for Tsaritsyn
The Battle for Tsaritsyn was a military confrontation between Bolshevik forces and the White Army during the Russian Civil War. It resulted in a Bolshevik victory.-The battle:...
.
The city was renamed Stalingrad after Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
on April 10, 1925. This was officially to recognize the city's and Stalin's role in its defense against the Whites
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
in 1918-1920.
In 1931, in the city including the German settlement-colony Sarepta (founded in 1765), subsequently became the largest area of the city — Krasnoarmeysky. The first institute was opened in 1930, a year later was opened and the Pedagogical Institute.
Under Stalin, the city became a center of heavy industry and transshipment by rail and river, and as a result was attacked by Axis forces during World War II. In 1942, the city became the site of one of the pivotal battles of the war. The Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
saw perhaps the greatest casualty figures of any battle in warfare (estimates are between 1,250,000 and 1,798,619). The battle began on August 23, 1942, and on the same day, the city suffered heavy aerial bombardment that reduced most of it to rubble. By September, the fighting reached the city center. The fighting was of unprecedented intensity; the central railway station of the city changed hands thirteen times, and the famous Mamayev Kurgan
Mamayev Kurgan
Mamayev Kurgan is a dominant height overlooking the city of Volgograd in Southern Russia. The name in Russian means "tumulus of Mamai"....
(one of the heights of the city) was captured and recaptured eight times. By the winter of 1942–43, the German forces controlled 90% of the city, and had cornered the Soviets into two narrow pockets. On November 19, Soviet forces launched a massive counterattack
Operation Uranus
Operation Uranus was the codename of the Soviet strategic operation in World War II which led to the encirclement of the German Sixth Army, the Third and Fourth Romanian armies, and portions of the German Fourth Panzer Army. The operation formed part of the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad, and was...
. This led to the eventual encirclement of the German Sixth Army. On January 31, 1943 its commander, Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Friedrich Paulus
Friedrich Paulus
Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus was an officer in the German military from 1910 to 1945. He attained the rank of Generalfeldmarschall during World War II, and is best known for having commanded the Sixth Army's assault on Stalingrad during Operation Blue in 1942...
surrendered, and on February 2, with the elimination of straggling German troops, the Battle of Stalingrad was over.
Stalingrad was awarded the title Hero City
Hero City
Hero City is a Soviet honorary title awarded for outstanding heroism during the German-Soviet War of 1941 to 1945. It was awarded to twelve cities of the Soviet Union. In addition the Brest Fortress was awarded an equivalent title of Hero-Fortress...
for its heroism in 1945, and Great Britain's King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
awarded the citizens of Stalingrad the jeweled "Sword of Stalingrad
Sword of Stalingrad
The Sword of Stalingrad is a bejewelled ceremonial longsword specially forged and inscribed by command of George VI of the United Kingdom as a token of homage from the British people to the Soviet defenders of the city during the Battle of Stalingrad...
" in admiration of their bravery. Stalingrad was destroyed during the war, and in 1946, the construction of a modern city started. It included the memorial complex on the Mamayev Kurgan
Mamayev Kurgan
Mamayev Kurgan is a dominant height overlooking the city of Volgograd in Southern Russia. The name in Russian means "tumulus of Mamai"....
. A number of cities around the world (especially those which had suffered similar wartime devastation) established sister/friendship/twinning
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
links (see list below) in the spirit of solidarity or reconciliation. One of the first "sister city" projects was that established between Stalingrad and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(as both suffered extensive devastation from aerial bombardment).
In 1961, the name was changed from Stalingrad to Volgograd ("Volga City") as part of Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
's programme of de-Stalinization
De-Stalinization
De-Stalinization refers to the process of eliminating the cult of personality, Stalinist political system and the Gulag labour-camp system created by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Stalin was succeeded by a collective leadership after his death in March 1953...
. This was and remains somewhat contentious, given the fame of the name "Stalingrad" and its importance in wartime remembrance. There were serious proposals to revert the name to "Stalingrad" during Konstantin Chernenko
Konstantin Chernenko
Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko was a Soviet politician and the fifth General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He led the Soviet Union from 13 February 1984 until his death thirteen months later, on 10 March 1985...
's brief administration in 1985. There remains a strong degree of local support for a reversion but intermittent proposals have been not yet accepted by the Russian government.
On May 21, 2007, the CPRF or Communist Party of the Russian Federation
Communist Party of the Russian Federation
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is a Russian political party. It is the second major political party in the Russian Federation.-History:...
obtained an important success in the Volgograd mayoral election. Communist candidate Roman Grebennikov
Roman Grebennikov
Roman Georgievich Grebennikov - is a Russian political figure. He was elected Mayor of Volgograd in 2007.- Biography :...
was elected as mayor with 32.47% of the vote. Grebennikov is Russia's youngest mayor of a regional capital.
Economy
Modern Volgograd remains an important industrial city. Industries include shipbuildingShipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
, oil refining, steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
and aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
production, manufacture of machinery and vehicles, and chemical production. A large Volgograd Hydroelectric Plant stands a short distance to the north of Volgograd.
Transport
Volgograd is a major railway junction serviced by Pri Volga Railway. Rail links include Moscow; Saratov; Astrakhan; the Donbas region of UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
; the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
and Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. It stands at the east end of the Volga-Don Canal
Volga-Don Canal
Lenin Volga–Don Shipping Canal is a canal which connects the Volga River and the Don River at their closest points. The length of the waterway is 101 km ....
, opened in 1952 to link the two great rivers of Southern Russia. European route E40
European route E40
European route E 40 is the longest European route, more than long, connecting Calais in France via Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan, with Ridder in Kazakhstan near the border to China....
, the longest European route connecting Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with Ridder, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, passes through Volgograd. The M6 highway
M6 highway (Russia)
The Russian route M6 is a major trunk road that links Moscow to the Caspian Sea. The road branches off the Russian route M4 south of Stupino and goes southeast across Ryazan Oblast, Tambov Oblast and Volgograd Oblast, running along the right bank of the Volga through Volgograd before terminating...
between Moscow and the Caspian Sea also passes through the city. The Volgograd Bridge
Volgograd Bridge
Volgograd Bridge is a concrete girder bridge over the Volga River in the city of Volgograd, Russia. The bridge and adjacent flyovers are 7,110 meters long...
, under construction since 1995, was inaugurated in October 2009. The city river terminal is the center for local passenger shipping along the Volga River.
Volgograd International Airport provides air links to major Russian cities as well as Antalya, Yerevan, and Aktau.
Volgograd's public transport system includes a light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
service known as the Volgograd metrotram. Local public transport is provided by buses, trolleybuses and trams.
The Volga River
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...
still is a very important communication channel.
Volvograd hosts one of the few floating churches in the world: the floating church of Saint Vladimir of Volgograd.
Climate
Volgograd has a semi-arid or steppeSteppe
In physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes...
climate (Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk)
Culture and recreation
A memorial complex commemorating the battle of Stalingrad, dominated by an immense allegorical sculpture of Mother RussiaThe Motherland Calls
The Motherland Calls, , also called Mother Motherland, Mother Motherland Is Calling, simply The Motherland, or The Mamayev Monument, is a statue in Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, Russia commemorating the Battle of Stalingrad. It was designed by sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich and structural engineer...
, was erected on the Mamayev Kurgan
Mamayev Kurgan
Mamayev Kurgan is a dominant height overlooking the city of Volgograd in Southern Russia. The name in Russian means "tumulus of Mamai"....
, the hill that saw some of the most intense fighting during the battle.
The Panorama Museum sited on the Volga contains artifacts from World War II. These include a panoramic painting
Panoramic painting
Panoramic paintings are massive artworks that reveal a wide, all-encompassing view of a particular subject, often a landscape, military battle, or historical event. They became especially popular in the 19th Century in Europe and the United States, inciting opposition from writers of Romantic poetry...
of the battlefield from the location of the monument on Mamayev Kurgan. A rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
of the famous sniper Vasily Zaytsev (popularized in Western media in the film Enemy at the Gates
Enemy at the Gates
Enemy at the Gates is a 2001 war film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, starring Joseph Fiennes, Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins and Ed Harris set during the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II....
) is also on display.
Education
Higher education facilities include:- Volgograd State UniversityVolgograd State UniversityVolgograd State University is one of the leading institutions of higher education in Volgograd, Russia.-History and academic reputation:...
- Volgograd State Technical University (former Volgograd Polytechnical University)
- Volgograd State Medical UniversityThe Volgograd State Medical UniversityVolgograd State Medical University is located in a city called Volgograd which is situated in the southern part of Russia on the west bank of the Volga River. It started as Stalingrad Medical Institute founded in 1935. In 1993 it got the status of the Academy, and in 2003 it was granted the status...
- Volgograd State University of Architecture and Civil EngineeringVolgograd State University of Architecture and Civil EngineeringThe Volgograd State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering is one of the major Universities in Volgograd .- External links :* Official site of VSUACE on , and languages...
- Volgograd Academy of Industry
- Volgograd Academy of Business Administration
- Volgograd State Pedagogical UniversityVolgograd State Pedagogical UniversityThe Volgograd State Pedagogical University , is one of the major pedagogical institutions in the Russian Federation. The university is located in Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad .-History of the University:...
Sports
FC VolgogradFC Volgograd
FC Volgograd is a former name of the Russian football club from Volgograd, founded in late 2008, currently known as FC Rotor Volgograd. Before it was founded, it was originally supposed to be called FC Rotor-Volgograd Volgograd...
and FC Rotor Volgograd are both Russian Second Division football clubs, having been relegated after being in the Russian Premier League in the early 1990s. Lukoil-Spartak represent the city in water polo.
Famous residents
- Kurt AdlerKurt AdlerKurt Adler was an Austrian classical music conductor, chorus master and pianist with a European musical education. He was best known as the chorus master and conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1943 to 1973...
, conductor for the Metropolitan Opera (1943–1973) - Ilya BorodinIlya BorodinIlya Aleksandrovich Borodin is a Russian professional footballer. Currently, he plays in the Russian Second Division for FC Kaluga. He made his debut in the Russian Premier League in 1995 for FC Rotor Volgograd...
, footballer - Zakhar Dubenskiy, footballer
- Sasha Fillipov, Red ArmyRed ArmyThe Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
spy - Oleg GrebnevOleg GrebnevOleg Gennadievich Grebnev is a Russian team handball player and Olympic champion from 1992. He became European champion in 1996.-References:...
, hand ball player - Larisa IlchenkoLarisa IlchenkoLarisa Dmitriyevna Ilchenko is a Russian long distance swimmer. She had won eight World Championships and the 2008 Olympics at age 19....
, long distance swimmer - Yelena IsinbayevaYelena IsinbayevaYelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva is a Russian pole vaulter. She is twice an Olympic gold medalist , five-times a World Champion, and the current world record holder in the event...
, pole vaultPole vaultPole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
er - Lev Ivanov (football manager)Lev Ivanov (football manager)Lev Viktorovich Ivanov is a Russian professional football coach. Currently, he manages FC Zenit Penza.-External links:...
- Yuriy Kalitvintsev, Ukrainian football manager
- Elem KlimovElem KlimovElem Germanovich Klimov was a Soviet Russian film director. He studied at VGIK, and was married to film director Larisa Shepitko. He is best known in the West for his final film, 1985's Come and See , a powerful tale of a teenage boy in German-occupied Byelorussia during the German-Soviet War,...
, film director - Vladimir KryuchkovVladimir KryuchkovVladimir Alexandrovich Kryuchkov was a former Soviet politician and Communist Party member, having been in the organization from 1944 until he was dismissed in 1991...
, former head of the KGBKGBThe KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
, 1991 August coup gang of eightGang of EightThe Gang of Eight is a common colloquial term for a set of eight leaders within the United States Congress. Specifically, the Gang of Eight includes the leaders of each of the two parties from both the Senate and House of Representatives, and the chairs and ranking minority members of both the...
member - Tatyana LebedevaTatyana LebedevaTatyana Romanovna Lebedeva is a Russian athlete who competes in both the long jump and triple jump events. She is one of most successful athletes in the disciplines, having won gold medals at Olympic, world and European levels...
, long jumper and triple jumper - Maxim MarininMaxim MarininMaxim Viktorovich Marinin is a retired Russian pair skater. With partner Tatiana Totmianina, he is the 2006 Olympic Champion, two-time World Champion, and five-time European Champion.- Career :...
, figure skater - Maxim OpalevMaxim OpalevMaxim Alexandrovich Opalev is an athlete from Russia, who competes in sprint canoeing. Competing in three Summer Olympics, he has won a complete set of medals in the C-1 500 m event ....
, sprint canoerCanoe racingThis article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation .... - Denis PankratovDenis PankratovDenis Pankratov is a retired Russian butterfly swimmer of the 1990s, who was best known for winning the butterfly double at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA in a unique style. His 100 m butterfly triumph is particularly remembered for his swimming over 25 m of the first lap...
Olympic swimmer - Yevgeny SadovyiYevgeny SadovyiYevgeny Viktorovich Sadovyi is a retired Russian freestyle swimmer who won three gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics at Barcelona and was subsequently chosen by Swimming World magazine as the Male World Swimmer of the Year.-Career:...
Olympic swimmer - Aleksandra PakhmutovaAleksandra PakhmutovaAleksandra "Alya" Nikolayevna Pakhmutova has remained one of the best known figures in Soviet and later Russian popular music since she first achieved fame in her homeland in the 1960s....
, composer - Anton SakharovAnton SakharovAnton Aleksandrovich Sakharov is a Russian footballer . He plays in the Russian Second Division for FC SKA Rostov-on-Don. Sakharov played for Uralan Elista in the Russian Premier League during the 2003 season.-External links:*...
, footballer - Oleg SergeyevOleg SergeyevOleg Vyacheslavovich Sergeyev is a retired Russian football player. Currently, he works as an assistant coach with FC Salyut Belgorod.-Honours:* Soviet Premier League winner: 1991.* Soviet Premier League runner-up: 1990....
, footballer - Natalia ShipilovaNatalia ShipilovaNatalia Borisovna Shipilova is a Russian team handball player, playing on the Russian women's national handball team. She won gold medal with the Russian winning team in the 2007 World Women's Handball Championship....
, handball player - Yelena SlesarenkoYelena Slesarenko-2004:Largely unknown before 2004, she kickstarted the season by clearing 2.04 metres and winning the World Indoor Championships. When the outdoor season started she won the SPAR European Cup with the same result, improving her personal best from 1.97...
, high jumper - Igor VasilevIgor VasilevIgor Vladimirovich Vasilev is a Russian former handball player who competed for the Unified Team in the 1992 Summer Olympics.He was born in Volgograd.In 1992 he won the gold medal with the Unified Team. He played all seven matches and scored two goals....
, handball player - Oleg VeretennikovOleg VeretennikovOleg Veretennikov is a professional association football coach and a former international footballer. He is the top goalscorer in the history of Russian Premier League, and holds several other goalscoring records...
, footballer - Evgeni PlushenkoEvgeni PlushenkoEvgeni Viktorovich Plushenko is a Russian figure skater. He is the 2006 Winter Olympics Gold Medalist, 2002 Winter Olympics Silver Medalist, and 2010 Winter Olympics Silver Medalist, three-time World Champion, six-time European Champion, a four-time Grand Prix Final champion and an eight-time...
, Olympic gold medal figure skater - Nikolay DavydenkoNikolay DavydenkoNikolay Vladimirovich Davydenko is a Ukrainian-Russian tennis player. Davydenko's best result in a Grand Slam tournament has been reaching the semifinals, which he has done on four occasions: twice each at the French Open and the U.S. Open. His biggest achievement to date was winning the 2009 ATP...
, tennis player
Twin towns/sister cities
Volgograd is twinned with:| Coventry Coventry Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... , United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... (1943) Ostrava Ostrava Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the... , Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... (1948) Kemi Kemi Kemi is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio. It was founded in 1869 by royal decree, because of its proximity to a deep water harbour.... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... (1953) Liège, Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... (1959) Dijon Dijon Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area.... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... (1959) Turin Turin Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... (1961) Port Said Port Said Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787... , Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... (1962) |
Madras (Chennai Chennai Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India... ), India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... (1966) Hiroshima Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... (1972) Cologne Cologne Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... (1988) Chemnitz Chemnitz Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... (1988) Cleveland, Ohio Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... (1990) Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... (1991) Chengdu Chengdu Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... (1994) |
Jilin Jilin City Jilin City is the second largest city of Jilin province in Northeast China. At the 2010 census, 4,414,681 people resided within its administrative area of and 1,975,803 in its built up area... , China People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... (1994) Yerevan Yerevan Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country... , Armenia Armenia Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia... (1998) Kruševac Kruševac Kruševac is a city and municipality, and the administrative center of the Rasina District, in central Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has a population of 127,429, while the town has 57,627.... , Serbia Serbia Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans... (1999) Rousse Rousse Ruse is the fifth-largest city in Bulgaria. Ruse is situated in the northeastern part of the country, on the right bank of the Danube, opposite the Romanian city of Giurgiu, from the capital Sofia and from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast... , Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... (2001) Huntingdon Huntingdon, Pennsylvania Huntingdon is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Huntingdon County. It is located along the Juniata River, west of Harrisburg, about halfway between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, in an agricultural and fruit-growing region, with valuable forests and deposits of... , Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... (2003) Orlando Orlando, Florida Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States... , Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... (2008) Baku Baku Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal... , Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to... (2008) |
- A number of communities in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
have streets or avenues named after Stalingrad, hence Place de Stalingrad in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and the eponymous Paris MétroParis MétroThe Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
station of StalingradStalingrad (Paris Metro)Stalingrad is a Paris Métro station on the border between the 10th arrondissement and the 19th arrondissement at the intersection of lines 2, 5, and 7, located at the Place de Stalingrad, which is named for the Battle of Stalingrad.-History:...
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External links
- Official website of Volgograd Official website of Volgograd Volgograd.ru — City Web Portal, Local Business and Web Directory, News, Press, Webcams, 3D Mamayev Kurgan
- Over 2,000 original German WWII soldier photographs from the Eastern Front
- VISITVOLGOGRAD.INFO Tourist Information
- Sights of Volgograd
- Photo Gallery from Volgograd
- Stalingrad - Bilder einer erbitterten Schlacht (German)
- Volgograd city streets views
- Volgograd State University