General Information

The city of Volgograd, formerly called Tsaritsyn (1598-1925) and Stalingrad (1925-1961) is the capital of Volgograd region located in southwestern Russia. Volgograd is a port on the Volga River and the eastern terminus of the Volga-Don Canal. Volgograd stretches along the right shore of Volga River for almost 100 kilometers, and is the second lengthwise city in Europe. The population is about 1 million people.

City telephone code: +7 8442

Time: Moscow time

Climate

Volgograd is a southern city located on the bank of the Volga River, so the climate in the region is quite favourable. Average temperature in summer is +26 C and average temperature in winter is -9 C.

History

For many centuries the steppe between two rivers - Volga and Don – had been the center of severe battles with nomads. A frontier fortress called Tsaritsyn was founded on the Volga trade route in 1589 to defend southern borders of Russia. The name was given to the settlement because of its location close to the place where Tsaritsa River met with the Volga.

By the end of XIX century Tzaritsyn had become a large trade and industrial center of the Russian state. In 1880 oiltown of the Nobel company was constructed, in 1885 the telephone communications were laid, in 1913 the gun plant was founded and the first tram came on the route.

After the revolution of 1917 when Bolsheviks came to power, in the beginning of 1925, Tzaritzin was renamed to Stalingrad (literally "Stalin city") in honor of the USSR leader.

During World War II, the city was nearly destroyed in a battle that marked a major turning point in the war and a landmark in military history. In September 1942 German army of about 500,000 people commanded by General Friedrich von Paulus attacked Stalingrad, defended by the Russian army. Stalin ordered that the city be held at all costs. After two months of house-to-house fighting, the Germans had taken most of the city; but the Soviet garrison, receiving supplies across the Volga, held out. In November 1942 two Soviet forces, advancing from the north and south, encircled the Germans. In terms of loss of human life, it was one of the costliest battles in history. Combined German and Soviet losses during the battle were staggering—the Germans alone suffered approximately 300,000 casualties.

But after the Stalingrad battle, the Soviets followed up with a westward drive and generally remained on the offensive for the remainder of the war.

After the war the country helped to recover completely destroyed city and the new massive construction had started. A memorial complex commemorating the battle, dominated by a tall allegorical sculpture of Mother Russia, was erected on Mamaev Kurgan, a hill that saw some of the most intense fighting during the battle.

In 1961 Stalingrad is renamed Volgograd as a part of Khruschev’s attempt to liberalize the USSR after Stalin's rule.

Today Volgograd is a large industrial and cultural center in the south of Russia; it is located on intersection of major transport routes. A surprisingly large movement exists in Volgograd that wants to change the name back to "Stalingrad".

Industry

A center of heavy industry, Volgograd has shipyards, oil refineries, steel and aluminum mills, and tank, tractor, cable, machinery, and chemical factories. The industry of Volgograd is represented by leading enterprises of the Russian chemical and petrochemical branch, fuel and energy complex, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. Other industries include food processing, flour milling, distilling, sawmilling, tanning, and manufacture of farm and oil-field equipment.  

The leading industrial enterprises in Volgograd are Volgograd Tractor Plant producing tractors, Volgogradneftemash making equipment for oil extracting and refining, Chemprom and Caustic specializing on chemical production, Red October metallurgical plant and Volgograd Aluminum plant.

Transportation

Volgograd is a major port and rail center, with connections to Moscow, Caucasus and Siberia. As a transshipment point, the port handles oil, coal, ore, lumber and fish. A highway about 1000 km long links Volgograd with Moscow. Volgograd also has an airport. There are 5-6 direct flights from Moscow to Volgograd daily. The flight time is 1.5 hours. Every day 3 trains leave Moscow for Volgograd. The journey lasts 18 hours.

Municipal transport service provides more than 330 trolley buses and 350 trams. Besides the citizens are using above 800 buses, and 350 taxicabs.

Places To See

Volgograd is a big tourist centre, especially for foreigners. Over 70,000 foreign tourists come to Volgograd every year. There are many historical places, theatres, concert halls, restaurants and bars in Volgograd. The Volgograd region boasts rich cultural and historical heritage which is celebrated in the city's cultural foundations.

Being an old city with rich historical background, Volgograd is an important cultural center of the region. It has 7 theatres, including the most liked by the townspeople - Musical Theatre, State New Art Theatre, Puppet Theatre and others — 14 cinemas, 2 concert halls, a circus, a planetarium, 69 libraries, 5 museums, including famous Panorama Museum “Battle for Stalingrad”, 190 historical memorials, including monument-ensemble to the Heroes of Stalingrad’s battle on Mamaev Kurgan.

Volgograd is known worldwide for its museums which commemorate the city's participation in World War II.

Panorama Museum of the Stalingrad Battle shows relics from World War Two as well as a 360 degree lifelike depiction of the Stalingrad Battle.

Volgograd Fine Arts Museum has rotating displays of the artwork of local artisans.

Museum of Local History & Lore shows the development of Volgograd from Eurasian crossroads to a fortified Russian outpost to its current form and includes large archaeological and ethnographic collections.

The restored village Old Sarepta, is located on the territory the first German colony in the Lower Volga Region which is now part of the Krasnoarmeisk region. The former village center now acts as the home of the restored Lutheran Church, ethnographic & historical museum, archives, and a restored town hall with a newly opened German library.

The Memorial to the Heroes of Stalingrad Battle, located on Mamaev Hill, is known throughout the world. The Memorial is crowned with the Monument of the Motherland, the tallest freestanding statue in the world. This statue is three times
larger than the Statue of Liberty. It has become the symbol of Volgograd.

There are some Orthodox Churches, a Polish Roman Catholic Church, a Protestant Church, a Mosque and a Synagogue in Volgograd.

Hotels

Oktiabrskaya Hotel. Address: Volgograd, Kommunisticheskaya Str ., 5a. Phone:  +7(8442)338448, 338174; +7(8442)338451, 361624.

Volgograd Hotel. Address: Mira Str., 12. Phone: +7(8442) 361772, 335278; +7(8442) 339924.

Akter Hotel. Address: Krasnoznamenskaya Str., 15a. Phone: +7(8442) 365338; +7(8442) 365338.

Bank Hotel. Address: Kommunisticheskaya Str., 40. Phone: +7(8442)742162, 742174; +7(8442)965337.

Intourist Hotel. Address: Mira Str., 14. Phone: +7(8442)364553, 337713, 364552; +7(8442)361648.

Kaskad Hotel. Address: Gramshi Str., 55. Phone: +7(8442) 779304, 770174; +7(8442) 787714.

Tourist Hotel. Address: Naberezhnaya 62 Armii Str., 3a. Phone: +7(8442)341243, 349894; +7(8442)349897.

Volgo-Don Hotel. Address: Fadeeva Str., 47. Phone: +7(8442)672653.

Yuzhnaya Hotel***. Address: Raboche-Krestyanskaya Str., 18. Phone: +7(8442)975057, 409008, 975546; +7(8442)975400.

Krugozor Hotel. Address: Zemlyachki Str., 11. Phone: +7(8442)390269; +7(8442)354550.

Tsaritsynskaya Hotel. Address: Barrikadnaya Str., 1. Phone: +7(8442)958393, 441392; +7(8442)900316, 445316.

Volgograd is marking the 62nd anniversary of the start of a counter-offensive by Soviet troops at Stalingrad

Coventry, Britian and Volgograd, Russia, two war-damaged cities, are celebrating the 60th anniversary of their sister city agreement

Evgeniya Stroganova