Volgograd (Волгогра́д), Russia

Volgograd (Russian: Волгогра́д) is a city along the Volga River in southwestern Russia. Stretching over a distance of 80 km (50 mi) from north to south along the Volga, Volgograd is also the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast. It covers 565 sq km (218 sq mi) and has a population exceeding one million people (2012 estimate). It is the 12th largest city in Russia.

Volgograd, Russia
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Predmostnaya_square,_Volgograd.jpg
Author: Администрация Волгоградской области


The earliest documented mention of Volgograd in history was in 1589. The city may however have been founded earlier, in 1555. It was originally known as Tsaritsyn, as it was located where the Tsaritsa River flows into the Volga. Much of the urban development of Volgograd - then known as Tsaritsyn - happened in the late 19th century. The first railroad was built in 1862 while the first tram in 1913. Tsaritsyn was named Stalingrad, after Joseph Stalin, on 10 April, 1925. Under Stalin, the city became a major center for heavy industries. As a result, it suffered from Axis bombing during the Second World War. It was the site of one of the fiercest battles in the war, with the Battle of Stalingrad having perhaps the highest casualty figures of over a million people.

In 1961, Nikita Khrushchev renamed it Volgograd, meaning "Volga City", in an effort to de-Stalinize the Soviet Union. Since then, there has been a popular support to revert to Stalingrad, although this proposal has yet to be accepted by the Russian government.

Visiting Volgograd

Volgograd International Airport (VOG) receives mostly domestic flightsm from Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Omsk, Surgut, Tyumen and Yekaterinburg. The few international flights include those from Yerevan.

Places of Interest in Volgograd

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