Old name of Stalingrad. Stalingrad: history and modern name of the city
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What is the name of the city of Stalingrad now? History of Stalingrad
May 15, 2015Remember the history of the Second World War - 1942, for example. The battle for the city of Stalingrad (as it is now called, probably not everyone knows outside of Russia), in which the Red Army was successful, turned back the course of the war. It deservedly bears the title of hero city.
The city of Stalingrad: what it is called now and what it was called before
During the Paleolithic period, on the outskirts of the city there was a site of primitive people called Sukhaya Mechetka. In the 16th century, historical sources associated this area with the presence of representatives of the Tatar people. Since the memoirs of the English traveler Jenkinson mention the “abandoned Tatar city of Meskheti.” In official royal documents this city was first mentioned on July 2, 1589 under the name Tsaritsyn. That's what it was called until 1925.
As you know, in the 1920-1930s, cities were called mainly by the names and surnames (pseudonyms) of Soviet leaders and party leaders. Former Tsaritsyn in 1925 was the 19th city in the USSR in terms of population, so its fate of renaming could not be avoided. In 1925 the city was renamed Stalingrad. It is by this name that it is best known, because the Battle of Stalingrad went down in world history as the most important event of the Second World War.
In 1956, the debunking of the cult of Stalin began. The party had a lot of work in this direction, so the party leaders only got around to renaming the city in 1961. Since 1961 and to the present time, the settlement has had a name that very accurately characterizes its location - Volgograd (a city on the Volga).
Brief history of the city from 1589 to 1945
Initially, the city was concentrated on a small island. Why was it founded here? Because before that time people already lived here, and the place was convenient for trade. Its location on the Volga gave the settlement good chances for dynamic development. Real transformations in the city began to occur in the 19th century. The first school for noble children, the first pro-gymnasium, was opened, in which 49 children studied. In 1808, a doctor came to the city and did a lot for the development of medicine in it (she was the first local doctor).
With the development of transport infrastructure (Volga-Don and other railways) since the late 1850s, industry and trade in the city are developing very strongly, and the welfare of residents is increasing.
During the first three decades of the 20th century, the territory of Stalingrad expanded. New industrial facilities, residential buildings, and places of public recreation are being built. In 1942, the Germans came to the city of Stalingrad. What is this time called now? An occupation. 1942 and 1943 were the worst years in the city's history.
Our time: the city is thriving
Stalingrad - what kind of city is it now? Volgograd. This name fully reflects its essence, because the river is one of the main trade routes. In the 1990-2000s, Volgograd several times acquired the status of a million-plus city. Industry, services and recreation, and sports are actively developing in the city. The football team of the Volgograd "Rotor" has played more than one season in the Russian top league.
But still, the settlement played its most important role in history under the name “city of Stalingrad” (as it is now called, we should also not forget, because the old name is unlikely to return).
Source: fb.ruCurrent
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
It is curious that when making such a state decision, none of the Soviet leaders dared to declare its necessity and importance personally, from the rostrum of the same congress. Including the head of state and party Nikita Khrushchev. A modest party official, secretary of the Leningrad regional party committee Ivan Spiridonov, who was soon safely dismissed, was entrusted with “voicing” the guiding opinion.
One of the many decisions of the Central Committee, designed to finally eliminate the consequences of the so-called cult of personality, was the renaming of all settlements previously named in honor of Stalin - Ukrainian Stalino (now Donetsk), Tajik Stalinabad (Dushanbe), Georgian-Ossetian Staliniri (Tskhinvali), German Stalinstadt (Eisenhüttenstadt), Russian Stalinsk (Novokuznetsk) and the hero city of Stalingrad. Moreover, the latter did not receive the historical name Tsaritsyn, but, without further ado, was named after the river flowing through it - Volgograd. Perhaps this was due to the fact that Tsaritsyn could remind people of the not so distant times of the monarchy.
The decision of party leaders was not even influenced by the historical fact that the name of the key Battle of Stalingrad in the Great Patriotic War passed from the past to the present and has been preserved to this day. And that the whole world calls the city where it happened at the turn of 1942 and 1943 Stalingrad. At the same time, the emphasis is not on the late generalissimo and commander-in-chief, but on the truly steely courage and heroism of the Soviet soldiers who defended the city and defeated the fascists.
Not in honor of kings
The earliest historical mention of the city on the Volga is dated July 2, 1589. And its first name was Tsaritsyn. Historians' opinions on this matter, by the way, vary. Some of them believe that it comes from the phrase Sary-chin (translated as Yellow Island). Others point out that the Tsaritsa River flowed not far from the 16th-century border Streltsy settlement. But both of them agreed on one thing: the name has no special relation to the queen, and indeed to the monarchy in general. Consequently, Stalingrad could well have been returned to its former name in 1961.Was Stalin angry?
Historical documents of early Soviet times indicate that the initiator of the renaming of Tsaritsyn to Stalingrad, which happened on April 10, 1925, was not Joseph Stalin himself or any of the communists of a lower leadership level, but ordinary residents of the city, the impersonal public. They say that in this way the workers and intellectuals wanted “dear Joseph Vissarionovich” for his participation in the defense of Tsaritsyn during the Civil War. They say that Stalin, having learned about the initiative of the townspeople, even expressed displeasure about this. However, he did not cancel the decision of the City Council. And soon thousands of settlements, streets, football teams and enterprises named after the “leader of the peoples” appeared in the USSR.Tsaritsyn or Stalingrad
Several decades after Stalin’s name disappeared from Soviet maps, seemingly forever, a discussion broke out in Russian society and in Volgograd itself about whether it was worth returning the city’s historical name? And if so, which of the previous two? Even Russian Presidents Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin contributed to the ongoing process of discussions and disputes, at different times inviting citizens to express their opinion on this matter in a referendum and promising to take it into account. Moreover, the first did this on Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, the second - at a meeting with veterans of the Great Patriotic War in France.And on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, the country was surprised by deputies of the local Duma. Taking into account, according to them, numerous requests from veterans, they decided to consider Volgograd as Stalingrad for six days a year. Such memorable dates at the local legislative level were:
February 2 is the day of the final victory in the Battle of Stalingrad;
May 9 - Victory Day;
June 22 - Day of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War;
August 23 - Day of Remembrance for the victims of the bloodiest bombing of the city;
September 2 - Day of the end of World War II;
November 19 - The day of the beginning of the defeat of the Nazis at Stalingrad.
Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd in November 1961 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR. The decree was signed by the chairman and secretary of the presidium N. Organov and S. Orlov. The city bore the name of the “leader of the peoples” for 36 years. Its original name is Tsaritsyn.
Instructions
The first mentions of the city of Tsaritsyn in documents date back to 1589, the period of Fyodor Ivanovich, the son of Ivan the Terrible. The city received its name, apparently, from the Tsaritsa River. The name of the river most likely comes from the distorted Tatar “sari-su” (water) or “sara-chin” (yellow island). According to folk legends, recorded in the 19th century by local historian A. Leopoldov, the river was named after a certain. Either the daughter of Batu, who accepted martyrdom for the Christian faith, or the wife of this Horde king, who loved to walk along the picturesque banks of the steppe river.
In April 1925, Tsaritsyn was renamed Stalingrad. The initiative to rename, as usual, came from local party leaders. In the 1920s, a semi-spontaneous campaign began to rename cities named after representatives of the Russian imperial house. The name Tsaritsyn also turned out to be inconvenient. The question was not whether to rename it or not, but after whom to rename it. Various versions have been put forward. Thus, it is well known that the prominent Sergei Konstantinovich Minin, one of the leaders of the defense of Tsaritsyn against the “whites” during the civil war, sought to rename the city to Miningrad. As a result, local party leaders, led by the secretary of the provincial committee Boris Petrovich Shedolbaev, decided to name the city after Stalin. Joseph Vissarionovich himself, judging by the surviving documents, was not very enthusiastic about this idea.
The city received its current name Volgograd in 1961 during the “de-Stalinization” campaign. At that time, it was considered ideologically correct to get rid of geographical names reminiscent of the “leader of the peoples.” The choice of what new name to give the city was not obvious. It was proposed to rename it Heroysk, Boygorodsk, Leningrad-on-Volga and Khrushchevsk. The point of view prevailed that “the names of the hero city and the mighty river on which it is located should merge together.” Immediately after the removal of N.S. Khrushchev from the leadership of the state, initiatives began to appear to return the name of Stalingrad. Supporters of this idea, of which there are many now, in a similar way want to perpetuate the heroism of Soviet soldiers in the Battle of Stalingrad, which turned the tide of World War II.
Helpful advice
Sources:
- DECREE of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR dated November 10, 1961 "ON THE RENAME OF THE STALINGRAD REGION INTO THE VOLGOGRAD REGION AND THE CITY OF STALINGRAD INTO THE CITY OF VOLGOGRAD"
- Tsaritsyn, Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
- Leopoldov A. Historical sketch of the Saratov region
- Miningrad - the city that could have been
- Renaming Volgograd
The city of Tsaritsyn and the street name derived from it - Tsaritsynskaya - is a heritage, which is quite logical and natural, from tsarist and imperial times. Modern Volgograd bore this name from 1589 to 1925 before it was renamed Stalingrad. But which Russian cities have streets with this name?
Volgograd and Volgograd region
Tsaritsynskaya street is in the former city of Tsaritsyn. In Volgograd (Angarsky microdistrict), its length is 1.3 kilometers, and the maximum numbering of houses is up to 79. The presence of just such a name in the city is quite logical, based on its original name. But not everything is so simple here, since historians continue to put forward a large number of hypotheses explaining this name. At first glance, Tsaritsyn or “the city of the queen” could get its name from the river of the same name flowing through it (and now near Volgograd). Other historians, making clarifications, argue that this name has nothing to do with Russian female autocrats, since the “queen” is a Tatar princess who loved to walk along the banks of what was then a fairly large and full-flowing river, where a very bad thing happened to her. a story that connected the princess with the Russian hero.
Another version, dating back to Ivan the Terrible, claims that the same “queen” was Ivan the Terrible’s wife Anastasia, to whom the Russian Tsar dedicated the construction of a small fortress in 1556.
But the most meticulous historians, who, nevertheless, largely share the opinions of adherents of the first theory, put forward a third hypothesis about the Tatar or even Bulgar origin of the name of the city. They believe that the Russians simply remade the phrase “sary su” or “yellow water” in their own way. The thing is that the Tsaritsa River has long been known for its muddy yellow waters, as it collected rain streams along with clay and sand. As confirmation of this particular version, historians offer the name of the island near Volgograd - “Sary Chan” or “Sarachan” or literally “Yellow Island”.
In addition to the aforementioned Tsaritsynskaya street in Volgograd, there is also a street of the same name in the village of Yuzhny near the city of Volzhsky, Volgograd region.
Other Tsaritsyn streets
There is one in the Leningrad region, in Peterhof. It is very small - only about 400 meters long with two houses. In house number two there is the Cascade cinema, the Barsky Corner restaurant and the Night City night club, and in the first there is Nikolaevskaya and its dental department, as well as a pharmacy.
Be that as it may, Russians remembered the name “Tsaritsyn” well relatively recently after the initiative of the country’s authorities to rename Volgograd to Stalingrad. Then a group of citizens took up the idea, but suggested returning to a more elegant and earlier name. Which of these proposals will win, as well as which version of historians will find greater confirmation - only time will tell.
Video on the topic
Volgograd is one of the large cities of the Russian Federation, located in its European part, where more than a million people live. At the same time, during its history it has managed to change more than one name.
Volgograd is a city that played a significant role in the history of the country. Today, this metropolis, 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 a need arose to organize the protection of the emerging trade route so that merchants carrying money could feel relatively safe.To this end, local governor Grigory Zasekin founded several small fortresses at the end of the 16th century, including Tsaritsyn, Samara and Saratov. In particular, the first mention of a fortress called Tsaritsyn dates back to 1589. Since then, this year has been considered the official date of the founding of Volgograd, and it counts its age from there.
Stalingrad
The city was renamed on April 10, 1925: instead of the former 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.However, over the next few years, Stalingrad did not stand out from the others with any significant features. 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, the famous memorial complex on Mamayev Kurgan was erected in 1967, 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 in relation to its geographical location, giving it the name Volgograd. As historians note, this idea was put forward as part of the campaign to combat Stalin’s personality cult, which unfolded after his death. As a result, on November 10, 1961, an official decree was issued to give the city a new name - Volgograd. districtIt is the administrative center of the Lower Volga industrial zone of the Volga economic region and the Volgograd region.
Glorious past
Until 1589, on the site of the city there was a Tatar settlement “Meskhet”. After the conquest of the Astrakhan Khanate, it was decided to found the city of Tsaritsyn for connecting trade between Russia and the Caspian region, where salt became the main product.
The founding day of Volgograd is considered to be July 2, 1589. At that time, three fortresses were already based on the banks of the Volga to protect the waterway and caravans. Among them was the Tsaritsyn fortress, which controlled the eastern side of the Volga-Don crossing, where the shortest route between the Volga and Don passed.
Until 1800, the city remained a small border village with a garrison. The main population consisted of military personnel who served to protect trade routes and caravans. At that time, Tatar and Cossack raids were common in the city. He was often in enemy siege or peasant rebellion.
Since 1776, Tsaritsyn began to gradually grow. The new stage brought a noticeable increase in outbuildings and civilian population. The area around the city began to be successfully developed.
After the construction of the Volga-Don Railway in 1862, the city became the main transport hub of the region.
Since 1870, a boom in industrial growth began. Oil depots, metallurgical and weapons factories became the basis of Tsaritsyn's industry thanks to the transport hub.
In the period 1918-1920, several military operations were carried out in the city, in which the Red Army emerged victorious.
On April 10, 1925, Tsaritsyn was renamed Stalingrad, in honor of Stalin. It was with this new name that the glorious city became a hero of the Great Patriotic War, where the famous Battle of Stalingrad took place from 1942 to 1943. The city suffered greatly at that time and after the war all efforts were devoted to restoration.
On November 10, 1961, the city was renamed Volgograd due to the “de-Stalinization” of that period, and has this name to this day. After the war, the city continued to increase its industrial potential due to its location on the Volga River and transport routes.
Today the city has a rich history, stretching from Tsaritsyn to Volgograd.
Video on the topic
Volgograd- a city in the southeast of the European part of Russia, the administrative center of the Volgograd region, a hero city. It is located on the right bank of the Volga River in its lower reaches. The city stretches for 70 km along the Volga River.
Founded in 1589 as a guard fortress at the confluence of the Tsarina River (from the Turkic "sary-su" yellow water) into the Volga. Until 1925 it was called Tsaritsyn, and from 1925 to 1961 - Stalingrad.
In 1607, there was an uprising in the fortress against the tsarist troops, which was suppressed six months later.
In 1608, the first stone church appeared in the city - St. John the Baptist. At the beginning of the 17th century, the fortress garrison numbered 350-400 people.
In 1670, the fortress was taken by the troops of Stepan Razin, who left it a month later.
In 1708, also for about a month, the fortress was in the hands of the rebel Cossacks of Kondraty Bulavin. In 1717 it was plundered by the Crimean and Kuban Tatars. Later, in 1774, the city was unsuccessfully stormed by Emelyan Pugachev.
The city was part of first the Kazan, then the Astrakhan province. According to the 1720 census, 408 people lived in the city. In the 18th century the city had the status of a district town.
Since 1773 the city became a voivodeship, and since 1780 - a district one.
In 1807, less than 3 thousand people lived in Tsaritsyn. After the appearance of the first railway in 1862, population growth increased markedly and by 1900 the city's population was about 84 thousand people.
The first theater opened in the city in 1872, and the cinema in 1907.
The first institute (Stalingrad Tractor Institute) opened in the city in 1930, a year later the Pedagogical Institute was opened.
During the Civil War, fierce battles took place for Tsaritsyn, which received the name “Defense of Tsaritsyn” in Soviet historiography. Since 1920, Tsaritsyn has been the center of the Tsaritsyn province. In 1925 the city was renamed Stalingrad. Until 1928, Stalingrad was the center of a district within the Lower Volga region, in 1932 it was the center of the Lower Volga region. In 1934, after the division of the Lower Volga region into Saratov and Stalingrad, Stalingrad became the center of the latter. In 1936, the Stalingrad region was transformed into the Stalingrad region.
The most serious shock in the history of the city was the Great Patriotic War and the Battle of Stalingrad. The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command advanced the 62nd, 63rd and 64th armies to the Stalingrad direction. On July 12, the Stalingrad Front was created, which was faced with the task of defending in a zone 520 kilometers wide and stopping the further advance of the enemy. On July 17, 1942, one of the greatest battles of the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War began - the Battle of Stalingrad, which lasted 200 days and nights. The Nazis sought to capture Stalingrad as soon as possible.
On August 23, the city was subjected to a terrible bombing, which destroyed or seriously damaged most of the city's buildings. Nazi troops broke through to the Volga north of Stalingrad. Workers, city police, units of the NKVD troops, sailors of the Volga military flotilla, and cadets of military schools stood up to defend the city.
On August 25, a state of siege was introduced in Stalingrad. Up to 50 thousand workers of Stalingrad joined the ranks of the people's militia. 150 thousand workers of the Stalingrad factories, under conditions of continuous bombing from the air and under the most severe artillery fire, provided the front with tanks, guns, mortars, Katyusha rockets, and also shells. Four defensive lines were built on the approaches to Stalingrad and in the city itself. In total, by the beginning of the defense, up to 2,750 kilometers of trenches and communication passages, and 1,860 kilometers of anti-tank ditches had been built.
By September 12, 1942, despite the heroic resistance of the Soviet troops, the enemy came close to the city. The whole country came to the aid of Stalingrad. During the defensive battles, the Nazi troops lost about 700 thousand killed and wounded, over 2 thousand guns and mortars, more than a thousand tanks, assault guns and other equipment.
By November 19, 1942, favorable conditions had developed for the Soviet troops to launch a counteroffensive.
It took Soviet troops 75 days and nights to encircle and defeat Nazi troops at Stalingrad. The population of the Stalingrad region provided great assistance to the troops in preparing the counteroffensive. The Volga military flotilla played an important role in the battle for Stalingrad. In September-November alone, the flotilla transported 65 thousand soldiers and up to 2.5 thousand tons of various cargo to the right bank of the Volga.
In January 1943, the Nazi troops stationed in the city were defeated. On January 31, the commander of the 6th German Army, Field Marshal General F. Paulus, who was with his headquarters in the basement of the central department store, surrendered. On February 2, the last Nazi units capitulated. During the Battle of Stalingrad, the fascist bloc lost about 1.5 million soldiers and officers killed, wounded, captured and missing.
For combat distinctions, 44 formations and units were given the honorary names Stalingrad, Kantemirovskoe, Tatsinskoe. 55 formations and units were awarded orders, 183 became guards, 112 of the most distinguished soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The medal “For the Defense of Stalingrad,” established on December 22, 1942, was awarded to over 700 thousand participants in the battle.
The main attractions of today's Volgograd are mainly associated with the history of the Battle of Stalingrad. This is primarily due to the fact that in two days, August 22 and 23, 1942, as a result of the bombing of the city by Nazi troops, more than 90% of the northern part of the city (up to the floodplain of the Tsaritsa River) was destroyed. Suffice it to say that in the Central region there are only one building suitable for habitation.
Among the monuments of the Battle of Stalingrad, the following stand out:
- Mamaev kurgan- "the main height of Russia." During the Battle of Stalingrad, some of the fiercest battles took place here. Today, a monument-ensemble “To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad” has been erected on Mamayev Kurgan. The central figure of the composition is the sculpture “Motherland”.
- Panorama "The defeat of Nazi troops at Stalingrad"- located on the Central embankment of the city. Opened in 1982.
- Ruins of an old mill- the only building in the city that has remained unrestored since the war.
- "House of Soldier's Glory" or, as it is popularly called, “Pavlov’s House” is a brick building that occupied a dominant position over the surrounding area.
- Avenue of Heroes- a small pedestrian street connecting the embankment of the Volga River and the Square of Fallen Fighters. On September 8, 1985, a memorial monument dedicated to the Heroes of the Soviet Union and full holders of the Order of Glory, natives of the Volgograd region and heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad was unveiled here. On the monument are the names (surnames and initials) of 127 Heroes of the Soviet Union, who received this title for heroism in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942-1943, 192 Heroes of the Soviet Union - natives of the Volgograd region, of whom three are twice Heroes of the Soviet Union (Efremov Vasily Sergeevich Malyshev Yuri Vasilievich , Shurukhin Pavel Ivanovich), and 28 holders of the Order of Glory of three degrees.
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet army in the Battle of Stalingrad. Everyone knows that after the expulsion of Hitler's troops the city lay in ruins; everyone remembers the famous photograph of the Barmaley fountain with dancing children.
But almost no one, except interested local residents, saw what Stalingrad (and, until 1925, Tsaritsyn) looked like before the battle for it began. Therefore, I suggest you look at old photographs and try to imagine the pre-war Volga city:
There are not many Soviet pre-war photographs of Stalingrad, so let's start with Tsaritsyn during the imperial period.
The first (central) part of Tsaritsyn. The photo was taken from the first fire tower, opened in 1854, which stood where the entrance to the Medical University is now located (along the Alley of Heroes). 
Salt wharf and barns at the end of the 19th century 
View of the city of Tsaritsyn, 1886. Now this is the perspective of Avenue. Lenin from the city center in a southwestern direction. 
Fishing pier on the Volga, 1886 
Lower Forest Pier, 1886 
View of the city of Tsaritsyn, 1886 
Gryaze-Tsaritsyn railway. Oil warehouses of the Nobel brothers partnership, 1886 
Viaduct, 1898. The railway bridge across the Tsarina River, built in 1898, connected the Gryaze-Tsaritsyn and Tikhoretsk railways into a single transport system. 
The Tsaritsa River at its confluence with the Volga, early 20th century 
Tsaritsyn at the beginning of the 20th century. Astrakhanskaya street is the current Sovetskaya street. 
Kulyginsky vzvoz is another alternative to Astrakhan, the route from Zatsaritsyn to the central (First) part of the city. The vzvoz has been partially preserved in the area of the high-speed tram turning circle, where even now you can go down the same road into the Tsaritsyn ravine. 
View of the floodplain of the Tsaritsa River and the beginning of Aleksandrovskaya Street, 1880s. Yes, residential buildings used to stand right in the ravine. 
Pleasure garden "Concordia", late 19th - early 20th centuries. Apparently, this place is now a vacant lot. 
Railway station, summer gazebo. 1875 
Station Square at the end of the 19th century 
Tsaritsyn station, fish warehouses 
Station in 1903-1905 
Trade school, early 20th century. It was located on Belskaya Street (current Kommunisticheskaya); In the distance you can see the tower of the 1st fire station. 
Moskovskaya street and the building of the Zemstvo government, 1905-1912. 
View of the city from the Volga, 1912 
The ravine through which the Tsarina flows, 1910-1914 
Building of the 4th Women's Gymnasium, 1913. Surprisingly, it survived the war. Now it houses the Cossack Theater. 
This is the same building from a different angle. Here you can see the trams that had just appeared in the city (the first electric tram was launched in Tsaritsyn in the spring of 1913). 
Gogol Street, 1913-1917. 
The same street, 1913-1916 
Market Square, 1910-1915. 
Jail 
Holy Spirit Monastery, 1912-1917. 
Tsaritsyn. 1st Men's Gymnasium and Real College, 1916-1917. These buildings no longer exist, now this block on Prospect. Lenin is occupied by the administration of the Volgograd region. 
The square in front of the Church of the Ascension, circa 1918. Now in this place there is a park named after. Sasha Filippova. 
Orphanage of the Mezhrabpom organization, former Miller's house. After the revolution, it housed a Youth Theater. The building was seriously damaged during the war, but did not collapse, and stood abandoned until the 1960s, when it was then demolished. The house stood next to the current parking lot of the Pyramid shopping center. 
"House with Swans", built in the 1920s (corner of Mira and Lenin streets). It was also damaged during the war and was restored in a greatly modified form. 
Physiotherapeutic Institute named after. Semashko, 1925-1942 
City Council building, 1925-1942. Now it houses the Volgograd Regional Museum of Local Lore. 
Tsaritsyn Defense Museum, late 1920s. 
In 1930, the famous fountain was built on the site of the flowerbed. 
The station after reconstruction in 1931. 
Stalingrad Youth Theater, 1930-1941. 
House of Public Utilities Workers, 1937-1941. The building was destroyed during the Battle of Stalingrad. 
Square of Fallen Soldiers, 1937-1938. At the top of the photo you can see the ruins of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, blown up in 1932. 
From a different angle. 
Nizhnyaya Oktyabrskaya Street and Oktyabrskaya Square, 1935 (now here is the Alley of Heroes) 
State publishing house, 1930s 
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the monument to Lenin on the Square of Fallen Fighters. They were neighbors, as you already understood, not for long. The cathedral was destroyed by the communists in 1932, and the monument was destroyed during the war. 
City center in 1931 
Stalingrad in 1932. The cathedral has not yet been blown up. 
House of Science and Arts, 1930. It was opened under the Tsar, but under the Bolsheviks it retained its functions. 
It's him. The building was badly damaged during the war, and in the early 1950s it was rebuilt in the Stalinist style. 
Regional Executive Committee, 1935-1940. There is now a park where construction of the new Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is underway. 
The central department store, which was built right before the war, in 1938. It was destroyed during the war and restored in 1949 according to a new design. Nowadays the Intourist Hotel is located here. 
Proletkultskaya Street, until 1942. It ran parallel to the current Komsomolskaya, now this place is occupied by residential areas of post-war buildings. 
"House of Visitors" at the Tractor Plant. It has still been preserved (215 Lenin Avenue), but in poor condition. 
Checkpoint of the Red October plant, 1939 
View of the village of the tractor factory and the circus, 1932-1941. The Stalingrad Circus was opened in 1932 and is designed for 3,000 spectators. During the Great Patriotic War it was partially destroyed. The lower part of the building was subsequently used for the construction of the Traktorozavodsky district market. 
April 10, 1941, view of Komsomolsky Square 
All photos found on the site
Stalingrad is a hero city located on the great Russian Volga River. For some, he is a symbol of the perseverance and dedication of the Russian people.
Some associate this name with the name of I.V. Stalin, a rather controversial figure in the history of the country. In this article we will tell you in detail what Stalingrad is now called and how to find it on the map.
Founding history
His story begins in 1589. The city occupied the island of Tsaritsyn, located at the confluence of the river of the same name into the Volga. Exactly Tsaritsa River this settlement owes its first name - Tsaritsyn. It has always had strategic importance in military conflicts and various unrest. At the time of its foundation, the fortress garrison fought off nomadic raids on river caravans in the area of the Volgodonsk Isthmus.
During the turbulent XVII-XVIII centuries. the city was sacked and burned several times. The Time of Troubles became for him the period of his first serious trials. The city, which supported the false rulers, was burned by government troops. It was rebuilt in 1615, not on the island, but on the banks of the Volga.
During numerous uprisings and peasant wars of this period, Tsaritsyn was at the epicenter of events. The last significant clash of this time was the defense of the city from the troops of Emelyan Pugachev. Tsaritsyn became the only settlement in the lower Volga that did not submit to Pugachev. For his brave actions, the commandant of the fortress was awarded the rank of general.
From the second half of the 18th century, due to significantly expanded borders, the city became a quiet and peaceful settlement.
The 19th century becomes a time of active expansion and development for Tsaritsyn. A school, a pharmacy and a coffee shop are opening. Industrial enterprises appear. In the second half of the century the city became a major railway junction. The convenience of the location and developed infrastructure make it possible to open large industrial enterprises in it: a metallurgical and weapons factory, kerosene production.
The period of quiet life and development was stopped by the tragic events of the early 20th century. During the Civil War Tsaritsyn became a Bolshevik stronghold in the Volga region. He withstood 3 assaults by the White Guards. In these events, J.V. Stalin, commander of the North Caucasus Military District at that time, played an important role.
As a result of the fourth attempt, the settlement came under the control of the white army for a short time. At the beginning of 1920, Tsaritsyn finally became subordinate to the Red Army. These events caused a lot of grief to the residents of the city and significantly weakened its economy.
Following these tragic events, famine came to the settlement, which claimed the lives of several million people. Foreign charitable organizations provided assistance to the townspeople, and a good harvest and the end of the Civil War in 1923 marked the beginning of a new rise for the brave city on the Volga.
In the Soviet state there could not be a city with a name reminiscent of the country's tsarist past. It was decided to rename it. in honor of a man who distinguished himself during the defense of the city from White Guard detachments. It is under this name that the settlement on the Volga will become a world famous place.
The years 20–30 became a period of active development of industry and the social sphere for Stalingrad. Existing enterprises were restored and new ones were built: tractor and hardware plants, a shipyard. Urban public transport was actively developing, housing construction was underway, education and medicine were developing. Stalingrad grew and improved.
Trial by war
Peacetime for both the city and the entire country ended in 1941. The enterprises of Stalingrad completely switched to the production of military products. Women and children stood at the machines. And in July 1942, the war came directly to the Volga. On July 17, the bloody and heroic Battle of Stalingrad began, which claimed the lives of more than a million people - soldiers, women, children, old people.
During the air raids, most of the city areas were destroyed. But the Stalingrad residents, living in dugouts and fleeing from airstrikes in the basements, continued to build fortifications and go to work at the machines. For 200 long days, Soviet troops and residents of Stalingrad held back the Nazi army. The perseverance, courage, heroism and dedication of the Soviet people made it possible not only to defend the city, but also to encircle (November 1942), and then defeat (February 1943) the army of General Paulus.
The significance of this victory cannot be overestimated. At the cost of enormous human sacrifice, the Soviet Union turned the tide of events in World War II. The Nazi plans were destroyed. Their allies changed their minds, and many of them began to look for ways out of hostilities.
And Stalingrad lay in ruins. About 35 thousand inhabitants remained alive, although almost half a million people lived here before the war. A huge number of dead bodies of people and animals on the streets threatened a new disaster - an epidemic. But the heroic city began to recover.
In the relatively surviving area - the village of Beketovka - city services were located, medical institutions were deployed, public transport began to operate, and the most surviving buildings were repaired. But the war was not over yet, and the main resources were used to restore the defense industry.
Most of the Stalingrad factories resumed work in 1943, and in 1944, already assembled tanks and tractors rolled off the assembly line.
The 50s became a period of another active construction in Stalingrad. The housing stock was actively restored and public buildings were built. New streets and squares appeared. And in 1952, the Volgodonsk Canal named after I.V. Stalin was opened. A lot of objects in the city were dedicated to the “Leader of the Peoples”. But this was the case until 1953.
The city after the debunking of the cult of personality
After Stalin’s death, N.S. Khrushchev, who replaced him, began “debunking the cult of personality.” Monuments to Stalin were demolished, the names of objects named in his honor were changed. This phenomenon could not ignore the glorious Volga city. In 1961, Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd.
Volgograd was still actively developing and growing. In 1967, the Mamayev Kurgan memorial complex was built, supplemented in 1985 with the “Battle of Stalingrad” panorama. In the 60-80s, new industrial enterprises, educational and cultural institutions opened. A transport network was actively built: the Astrakhan Bridge, Volgograd metro stations, highways connecting the city with neighboring settlements.
The post-Soviet life of Volgograd, like the whole country, began with a decline in all areas of industry and economy. Enterprises closed, residential and public construction stopped, and numerous scammers and dubious enterprises appeared.
With the beginning of the 2000s, life in Volgograd began to improve again. Frozen facilities were being completed, the transport network and public institutions were being developed. But even in this time of peace, Volgograd residents are tested for their fortitude and fortitude. The city has repeatedly become the target of terrorist attacks.
Modern disputes about the name of Volgograd
Now there is a debate about the need to return the city's historical name - Stalingrad. This idea has both supporters and opponents. This idea appeared not in Volgograd society, but in the circles of metropolitan politicians. About 30% of Volgograd residents support the initiative to return the name Stalingrad to the city. They justify their position with the following arguments:
- the renaming is a tribute to the heroism of the people in the Battle of Stalingrad;
- this will help raise the level of patriotism among young people in the first place;
- it is by this name that the settlement is known all over the world;
- Stalingrad and Stalin are not the same thing;
- Volgograd needs to return its historical name.
Opponents of the renaming idea point to the fact that the historical name of the city on the Volga is Tsaritsyn - the name given to it at its founding. It is also noted that the majority of the country’s residents still associate the name Stalingrad with the name of I.V. Stalin, whose role in the history of the country is ambiguous. Renaming will require huge funds, which local authorities do not have at their disposal.
There is a third point of view. Many residents don’t care what name they live in. Volgograd residents want solutions to their pressing economic problems.
Local authorities eventually agreed and officially assigned the name Stalingrad to the city during the days reminiscent of difficult trials and heroic events:
- February 2 - Military Glory Day;
- February 23 - Defender of the Fatherland Day;
- May 8 - Day of awarding the city the title of “hero city”;
- May 9 - Victory Day;
- June 22 - Day of Remembrance and Sorrow;
- August 23 - Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Bombing of Stalingrad;
- September 2 - Day of the end of the war;
- November 19 - Day of the beginning of the defeat of Nazi troops at Stalingrad;
- December 9 is Heroes Day.
It doesn’t matter what the brave city on the Volga was called: Tsaritsyn in the era of the monarchy, Stalingrad in the era of the emergence of Soviet power and the bloody World War, or Volgograd in modern times. The only important thing is that this city has always guarded the peace of the country and bravely resisted all troubles and challenges.
Video
From this video you will learn little-known historical facts about this famous city.
You can get acquainted with the history of Volgograd by watching this video.
This video will tell you about one of the most terrible and most famous periods in the life of Stalingrad.
You will learn about the world-famous Battle of Stalingrad from this video.
The second part of the video about the battles of Stalingrad.
This video talks about how Stalingrad was revived after the Great Patriotic War.
Volgograd or Stalingrad? The controversy continues to this day.
