Astrakhan

Astrakhan (English) Астрахань (Russian)
Ascension Cathedral in the Kremlin (1700–1710)
Astrakhan Oblast on the map of Russia
Coordinates {{coord|46|21|N|48|03|E|region:RU_type:city(502,800)|display=inline,title}}
Coat of Arms	Flag
Administrative status
Federal subject In jurisdiction of Administrative center of	Astrakhan Oblast
Local self-government
Charter	Charter of Astrakhan
Municipal status	Urban okrug
City Head	Sergey Bozhenov
Legislative body	City Duma
Area
Area	500 km² (193.1 sq mi)
Population (as of the 2002 Census)
Population - Rank - Density	502,800 inhabitants 1,005.6/km² (2,604.5/sq mi)
Events
Founded	1558
Town status	1717
Other information
Postal code	414000..414057
Dialing code	+7 8512
Official website
n/a

Astrakhan (Russian: А́страхань; Tatar: Ästerxan; from an Old Turkic-Hun word: As-Tarkhan Persian: حاجی‌ترخان Haji-Tarkhan) is a major city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea. Population: 502,800 (2004 est.); 504,501 (2002 Census); 509,210 (1989 Census).

Medieval history

Astrakhan was originally called As-Tarkhan, which interestingly, is another name for Ras Tarkhan (meaning "Lord of the Alans", the Alans were a Scythian, Iranian/Aryan, tribe.) Astrakhan is situated in the Volga Delta, rich in sturgeons and exotic plants. The fertile area formerly contained the capitals of Khazaria and the Golden Horde. Astrakhan itself was first mentioned by travellers in the early 13th century as Xacitarxan. Tamerlane burnt it to the ground in 1395. From 1459 to 1556, Xacitarxan was the capital of Astrakhan Khanate. The ruins of this medieval settlement were found by archaeologists 12 km upstream from the modern-day city.

Trinity Cathedral (1576–1603)

In 1556, the khanate was conquered by Ivan the Terrible, who had a new fortress built on a steep hill overlooking the Volga. In 1569, Astrakhan was besieged by the Ottoman army, which had to retreat in disarray. A year later, the Sultan renounced his claims to Astrakhan, thus opening the entire Volga River to Russian traffic. In the 17th century, the city was developed as a Russian gate to the Orient. Many merchants from Armenia, Persia, India and Khiva settled in the downtown, giving it a multinational and variegated character.

Modern history

For seventeen months in 1670–1671 Astrakhan was held by Stenka Razin and his Cossacks. Early in the following century, Peter the Great constructed a shipyard here and made Astrakhan the base for his hostilities against Persia, and later in the same century Catherine II accorded the city important industrial privileges. The city rebelled against the tsar once again in 1705, when it was held by the Cossacks under Kondraty Bulavin. A Kalmuck khan laid an abortive siege to the kremlin several years prior to that. In 1711, it was made a capital of a guberniya, whose first governors included Artemy Petrovich Volynsky and Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev.

Catholic church (1778). The Astrakhan church was the third on time of the basis a Catholic temple in Russia (after Petersburg and Moscow). The initiator of construction of the building which have reached us was pater Romuald.

Six years later, Astrakhan served as a base for the first Russian venture into Central Asia. In 1702, 1718, and 1767, it suffered severely from fires; in 1719 it was plundered by the Persians; and in 1830 the cholera swept away a large number of its people. Astrakhan's kremlin was built from the 1580s to the 1620s from bricks pillaged at the site of Sarai Berke. Its two impressive cathedrals were consecrated in 1700 and 1710, respectively. Built by masters from Yaroslavl, they retain many traditional features of Russian church architecture, while their exterior decoration is definitely baroque.

Notable people

• Boris Kustodiev, a Russian art deco painter
• Joseph Deniker, French naturalist and anthropologist.
• Ilya Nikolayevich Ulyanov, public figure in the field of public education, father of Aleksandr Ulyanov and Vladimir Lenin.
• Vasily Kirillovich Trediakovsky, Russian poet.
• Rinat Dasaev, USSR goalkeeper. Football legend.
• Marziyya Davudova, Azerbaijani actress
• Velimir Khlebnikov, a Russian poet, Silver Age of Russian Poetry

Sister Cities

• Ahmedabad, India

Monument to Peter the Great in Astrakhan (2007)

Astrakhan in the 17th century

Delta of the Volga close to Astrakhan

interior of the Maria Ascension cathedral

External links

• Modern foto of Astrakhan, history, maps.
• Satellite picture by Google Maps
• The site of modern Astrakhan

	Cities and towns in Astrakhan Oblast
	Administrative center: Astrakhan Akhtubinsk | Kamyzyak | Kharabali | Narimanov | Znamensk