The history of Saratov has more than four centuries. During this time, the city grew from a small archery fortress into an important industrial center of the Volga region. At different times, he experienced several waves of population growth: Old Believers, German colonists who were looking for a better life for the peasants. Saratov is home to many prominent figures in Russian history, including Tsarist Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin.
Border fort
According to the generally accepted interpretation, it is believed that the date of the foundation of Saratov is July 12, 1590. The city appeared as a fortress, which gradually developed into a serious fortification on the southeastern borders of Russia. From here, the development and settlement of vast lands continued. The date of the foundation of the city of Saratov coincided with the next round of development of trade along the Volga route.
Fortresses, which were then built along the underdeveloped banks of the great river, were a powerful barrier against the raids of the Nogais and Crimean Tatars. Dangerous nomads forced the tsarist government to build Samara, Tsaritsyn and Saratov almost simultaneously. All these cities had one founding father - Grigory Osipovich Zasekin. A skilled fortifier, an experienced military leader and builder remained one of the main figures,associated with the consolidation of Russian power on the Volga. 1590 (the year Saratov was founded) is a date that turned out to be an important milestone in this process. Thanks to the fortress, it was possible to establish a permanent connection between the lower and upper reaches of the Volga.
Fortress features
Zasekin determined not only the date of the foundation of Saratov, but also the initial site for the construction of the fortress. They became a convenient crossing on the Volga, located exactly halfway from Tsaritsyn to Samara. At first, about 300 archers served in the settlement. There was a hill near the town. It was used as a convenient platform for viewing the area for several kilometers around.
The city was protected not only by fortifications, but also by natural barriers: steep river slopes, forests, oxbow lakes, streams and small lakes. On one side, the natural boundary of Saratov was a deep ravine. The builders of the city also tried. When the date of the founding of Saratov came, fortifications and watchtowers appeared on a previously deserted place.
City of service people
The governor's office immediately became the heart of the new settlement. Next to it were the courtyards of archers, centurions and other military men. The rest of the city was occupied by the buildings of merchants and artisans. Service people (including gunners) lived near the fortress walls, so that in the event of an alarm, they could immediately prepare for the defense of the city.
Powder magazines, grain granaries and a prison stood apart from the rest of the buildings. the highestthe building was a church that towered above the rest of the buildings. Saratov was mostly built of wood, because of which there was a constant danger of fire. For the safety of the inhabitants, pottery and metallurgical furnaces stood in a bare field. The successful founding date of Saratov and the natural conditions of the Lower Volga region allowed the city to grow rapidly. There were huge untouched expanses of fertile land and abundant pastures. Rich airborne and hunting grounds also attracted new settlers here.
Population influx
In the history of Russian colonization of the Volga region, the date of the foundation of the city of Saratov became an important mark, after which the influx of immigrants to the region increased significantly. Service people traveled to the steppes for the sake of new prospects and a decent salary. Streltsy accompanied merchant ships and caravans, fighting not only Nogai nomads, but also gangs of "thieves" Cossacks who robbed merchants.
The founder of the city, Grigory Zasekin, was appointed its first governor. He was in charge of all city life and was responsible for paying salaries to the archers. In the days of rest from military affairs, they were engaged in gardening, arable farming and cattle breeding. Another wave of people who wanted to settle in Saratov appeared at the beginning of the 17th century, when the Russian state survived the bloody Civil War and the Polish intervention.
In the Time of Troubles
Against the backdrop of the horrors of the war, the inhabitants of the settlements and the peasants fled from the chaos of the central provinces in the Volga region. The date of formation of Saratov is 1590, howeverit was 20 years later that it grew into a real city at the expense of internally displaced persons. At the same time, the Volga fortress had to endure long-term oppression by the local Cossacks, who were commanded by various impostors (for example, Ileika Muromets and Ilya Gorchakov).
In the summer of 1607, a new threat appeared. A certain Tsarevich Ivan-August gathered a Cossack detachment, captured Tsaritsyn and moved up the Volga. The Saratov garrison was then commanded by Vladimir Anichkov and Zamyatiya Saburov. The defenders of the fortress fought off all attacks of the gang and did not allow it to enter the city.
New Challenges
Imaginary Tsarevich Ivan fled to the Don, where he died in a skirmish with the army of False Dmitry II. Saratov also briefly ceased to obey the Moscow authorities - the supporters of another impostor seized power in it.
Soon peace came, but in 1614 a real disaster overtook the settlement. The city burned to the ground. Many residents died, and those who managed to survive moved to Samara. Gradually, the fortress was nevertheless restored. Its revival coincided with the restoration of legitimate power in Moscow (the throne passed to the Romanov dynasty).
The Volga region, meanwhile, continued to live its provincial life, divorced from great political passions. The main event here was the construction of new fortresses (for example, the foundation date of Saratov became fundamental for the region). The history of the region in the 17th century is known rather fragmentarily. In 1636, Saratov was visited by Adam Olearius, the head of the German embassy, who left unique notes about the life of the thenRussia.
Settlement Growth
In 1674, under Alexei Mikhailovich, the Saratov fortress was moved to a new location not far from Sokolovaya Gora. During the Persian campaign, Peter I visited here. The foundation of Saratov was long over. Now the city has steadily grown and developed. Travelers noted its straight streets and rich shopping arcades. Saratov became the center of pottery, manufactory production, bread growing, and s alt production. The pride of the locals was a factory that produced taffeta, satin and stockings. In 1774, the city was attacked by a detachment of Emelyan Pugachev. His rebellion was already on its last legs. Ataman was arrested the same autumn near Saratov.
Growth of the city and surrounding villages was facilitated by landlords, ruling circles and merchants. New residents also appeared spontaneously. These settlers were serfs who fled from the landlords. Many villages arose around the monasteries (for example, the future Khvalynsk). In the middle of the 18th century, more than 200 thousand people lived in the Saratov region. During this period, new settlements of workers involved in s alt production on Lake Elton were built in the city.
Center of the province
Perhaps today Saratov would not have been such a large settlement if Catherine II had not signed a decree on the resettlement of schismatics to this region. The Old Believers founded many settlements, including Balakovo and Pugachev. Saratov's growth took place in a southwestern direction, where new residential areas appeared. In 1803 the first theater appeared in the city. In the eraCatherine II, the provincial center was flooded with German colonists.
In 1782 Saratov province was formed. Until 1850, it remained one of the largest in all of Russia. People from the central districts, where there was a shortage of land, sought to Saratov and its environs. In addition to Russians and colonists from Germany, Ukrainians, Mordovians, and Tatars settled in the region. According to the 1897 census, 2.5 million people lived in the Saratov province, and on the eve of the First World War, this figure exceeded 3 million. Growth stopped only because of the bloodshed and subsequent upheaval. The population of Saratov itself was 242 thousand people. It was the largest city in the entire Volga region (larger than Kazan, Astrakhan, Samara and Nizhny Novgorod).
Saratov and Stolypin
Many sights of Saratov and its environs are associated with Pyotr Stolypin (1862-1911), probably his most famous native. The famous statesman of the era of Nicholas II served for several years as Prime Minister of Russia. He was the main initiator of reforms during the existence of the tsarist Duma. His path to big politics began in his native Saratov - in 1903 he was appointed governor of Saratov. In 1906, he became Minister of the Interior and left the city, where after that he visited only on short visits.
Stolypin died after being shot dead in the Kiev theater. The chair, on which he sat after the fatal bullet hit, is exhibited in the Saratov Museum of Local Lore. Also in the city is a portrait of the Prime Minister, paintedthe great Russian artist Ilya Repin. In 2002, the first monument to Stolypin in modern Russia appeared in Saratov.
Soviet industrialization
Because of the First World War and the Civil War, the economy of Saratov significantly degraded. Only after more than ten years had passed did the volume of production reach the record level of 1913. In the 30s. the city experienced industrialization and collectivization. The transformations of that period greatly influenced what Saratov is today.
Photos of many modern enterprises are images of factories founded during forced industrialization. These include "Universal" - a plant engaged in the production of machine tools, as well as a knitting factory, a boiler plant, a meat processing plant, etc. Thanks to industrialization, the structure of Saratov's industry has changed. Metalworking played an increasing role in it, and the food industry played an ever smaller role.
The Great Patriotic War
During the Great Patriotic War, many enterprises from the front-line regions were evacuated to the relatively safe Saratov. Photos and reviews of tourists visiting the city today characterize it as a center of modern production, but a significant part of this economic capital was laid in 1941-1945. The rubber, textile and light industries of the local industry have received additional development.
Bryansk was evacuated to the satellite city of Saratov Engels, located on the opposite, left bank of the Volgamachine-building plant, which later became a trolleybus plant. There were also completely new productions. So, not far from Saratov, gas production was established, which was supplied to the city through a specially built gas pipeline. Most of the enterprises were reorganized to meet the needs of the front, due to which the share of mechanical engineering in the city's economy increased.
Last decades
In the 1950s. Several large enterprises of the chemical industry appeared in Saratov and the surrounding cities. The fuel and energy complex was developing, including the gas, shale, oil and thermal power industries. The city attracted more and more highly qualified scientific and technical specialists.
In addition to everything else, instrument making, mechanical engineering and electronics factories were updated. At the same time, the regional center became one of the fronts for raising virgin lands in the steppe regions of the RSFSR and Kazakhstan.
In the 1970s. in the Saratov Territory, the reclamation complex was born and rapidly developed. Irrigation canals and systems were built, as well as other related infrastructure. Today Saratov remains one of the largest cities in the Volga region. Together with the satellite city of Engels, it forms an agglomeration with a population of one million people.
