Volgograd is one of the largest cities of the Russian Federation, located in its European part, in which more than a million people live. At the same time, during its history, he managed to change more than one name.
Volgograd is a city that has played a significant role in the history of the country. Today this metropolis, which is home to more than 1 million people, is part of the Volga District of the Russian Federation.
Tsaritsyn
Until 1589, the settlement located on the site of today's Volgograd was actually a small village. However, after Russia managed to conquer the Astrakhan Khanate in the second half of the 16th century, trade with the Caspian territories began to actively develop in the region, and there was a need to organize the protection of the emerging trade route so that merchants carrying goods or money could feel relatively safe. …
To this end, the local voivode Grigory Zasekin at the end of the 16th century founded several small fortresses, including Tsaritsyn, Samara and Saratov. In particular, the first mentions of a fortress called Tsaritsyn date back to 1589. Since then, this year is considered the official date of the founding of Volgograd, and from it he counts his age.
Stalingrad
The renaming of the city took place on April 10, 1925: instead of the previous name Tsaritsyn, it began to be called Stalingrad. Of course, the new name was given to it in honor of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, who since 1922 served as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Nevertheless, over the next few years, Stalingrad did not stand out in any significant features against the background of other Soviet cities. Real world fame came to him after the famous Battle of Stalingrad took place on the city territory in 1942. During this battle, which began on August 23, 1942 and finally ended only on February 2, 1943, with the surrender of the Sixth Army of the Wehrmacht, the Soviet army was able to turn the tide of World War II in its favor. In memory of this battle in 1967, the famous memorial complex was erected on the Mamayev Kurgan, which includes the world-famous Motherland monument.
Volgograd
Despite all the historical significance of the name, in 1961 the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR decided to rename the city again. This time it was decided to name it with reference to its geographical location, giving it the name Volgograd. As historians note, this idea was put forward as part of the campaign to combat the personality cult of Stalin, which unfolded after his death. As a result, on November 10, 1961, an official decree was issued on assigning a new name to the city - Volgograd.
