The city, which played a large significant role in the history of Russia, today is a metropolis with a population of over a million people. This article will help you make an excursion into the history of the city and answer the question of what Volgograd used to be called. It has changed its name twice throughout its history.
How Volgograd appeared
What was the name before and how did the city develop? It was founded at the end of the 16th century, but many researchers believe that the settlement existed a long time ago, back in the days of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. Along with Samara and Saratov, the city of Tsaritsyn was founded as a fortress by a garrison of military Cossacks and a local governor, Grigory Zasekin, at the behest of Ivan the Terrible after the conquest of the Astrakhan kingdom by the Muscovite state. There was an active trade with the Caspian territories in the region, so there was an urgent need to ensure the safety of merchants who carried money and goods along the Volga trade route, fromnomad raids. The fortress was guarded around the clock by archers on duty, who raised the garrison from the watchtowers on an alarm signal.
City Development
Volgograd was called earlier, before 1925? Until that time, he was called Tsaritsyn. The city began to develop rapidly, having moved to the right bank of the great Russian river Volga after the final victory over the wild hordes. Its inhabitants were distinguished by liveliness and enterprise, therefore, from a paramilitary settlement on the outskirts of the state, Tsaritsyn quickly assumed the guise of a merchant city. But in the following centuries of its history, the people often called Tsaritsyn "Ponizovaya freemen", since runaway serfs and peasants from all over Russia gathered in the Lower Volga. History has preserved the names of famous heroes-fighters for the free life of the people - Stepan Razin, Kondraty Bulavin, Emelyan Pugachev.
How Volgograd got its name
How the city used to be called and what is the history of each of its names - not everyone knows. Those who are not strong in history are sure that Tsaritsyn was named after Empress Catherine the Great. This is an incorrect assumption, although it is to her that he owes the transformation from a narrowly military settlement into a rapidly developing city. And the name arose thanks to the small river Tsaritsa, from which only a few springs remained. But five centuries ago, the riverbed was full, and it carried its clay waters quite rapidly into the Volga. For its color, the Mongol-Tatars began to call the river Sary-Su, which means "yellow water". Later, this name began to be perceived by ear as the Queen, hence the first name of the city.
The earliest mention of the Tsaritsyn fortress dates back to 1589, so since then this date has been considered official, and it is from it that Volgograd traces its history. What was the name of this city before and where did the first name come from, you now know.
Early 20th century
During the October Revolution and the Civil War, the city was at the crossroads of fighting between the Red and White armies. The White Guards, who captured the city, very cruelly de alt with the captured Red fighters - they were cut down with checkers. Great damage was inflicted on the city: residential and cultural buildings were wiped off the face of the earth, the water supply and sewerage system, as well as the power plant were put out of action, and industrial enterprises were almost destroyed. Then came the restoration of the city. First, the giants of the industry were launched: metallurgical, sawmill, woodworking plants, after that they set up lines for hosiery and clothing factories, built and launched food industry enterprises.
Second name
What was Volgograd used to be called (1925-1961)? In 1925, the city of Tsaritsyn changed its name to Stalingrad. Of course, this renaming is associated with I. V. Stalin, who since 1922 was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. By this time, the city had 112 thousand people, it ranked nineteenth in terms of the number of inhabitants among the cities of Russia. Two years later, the population was already 140 thousand, which served as an impetus for grandiose housing construction.
In the future, the city, like the whole country as a whole, developed towards industrialization. The country's first tractor plant was built, and "Red October" - a metallurgical plant - began to produce high-quality steel.
War
But the outbreak of war knocked the ground out from under their feet and subjugated everything. From its first days, Stalingrad turned into the largest arsenal in the south-east of Russia. Factories continuously produced and repaired tanks, ships, machine guns. On the territory of the city, a division of the people's militia and eight battalions were formed. Defensive construction reached a huge scale. Railway lines were built, which played a huge role in supplying the troops. Since 1942, regular enemy air raids by local air defense forces have been repulsed in Stalingrad.
The city worked and fought in spite of the fascist invaders, frustrating Hitler's plans. The enemy command sent its selected forces to Stalingrad. If they managed to break the main shock concentration of troops, then this would significantly change the course of the battles. But Stalingrad stubbornly resisted the onslaught, its heroic resistance allowed the Soviet troops to move on a decisive offensive. Having defeated the enemy, the Soviet army created the conditions for a radical change in the course of the entire war. At the Stalingrad line, the enemy was not only stopped, but also crushed physically and morally.
Memorial complex
Legendary Battle of Stalingrad left behind, turning the city into ruins. In memoryA famous memorial complex was erected on Mamaev Kurgan with the world-famous monument "The Motherland Calls!", which became the symbol of the city, about this battle. It was built for nine years, its height is 55 meters, weight is 8000 tons, the complex is one of the seven wonders of Russia. The monument is visible from all over the city.
What was the name of Volgograd before? Until 1961, it bore the proud name of Stalingrad, but, despite the historical significance of the name, the country's authorities decided to rename the city, giving it a third name - Volgograd, due to its geographical location. According to historians, this idea was put forward in order to combat Stalin's personality cult.
So you got acquainted with a brief history of the city and now you can answer any question about how the city of Volgograd used to be called.
