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Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and
administrative center An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or ...
of
Saratov Oblast Saratov Oblast (russian: Сара́товская о́бласть, ''Saratovskaya oblast'') is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the Volga Federal District. Its administrative center is the types of ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, and a major port on the
Volga River The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length, longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Cas ...
upstream (north) of
Volgograd Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...
. Saratov had a population of 901,361, making it the 17th-largest city in Russia by population. Saratov is from
Volgograd Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...
, from
Samara Samara ( rus, Сама́ра, p=sɐˈmarə), known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev (; ), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with ...
, and southeast of
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. The city stands near the site of Uvek, a city of the
Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fr ...
. Tsar Feodor I of Russia likely developed Saratov as a fortress to secure Russia's southeastern border. Saratov developed as a shipping port along the Volga and was historically important to the
Volga Germans The Volga Germans (german: Wolgadeutsche, ), russian: поволжские немцы, povolzhskiye nemtsy) are ethnic Germans who settled and historically lived along the Volga River in the region of southeastern European Russia around Saratov ...
, who settled in large numbers in the city before they were expelled after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Saratov is home to a number of cultural and educational institutions, including the
Saratov Drama Theater Saratov Drama Theater (russian: Саратовский академический театр драмы имени И. А. Слонова) is located in the city of Saratov, Russia. It is one of the oldest theaters in Russia. Saratov Drama Theate ...
,
Saratov Conservatory Saratov Conservatory is a music conservatory in Russia. The conservatory in Saratov, was founded in 1912, and was the first provincial conservatory to be founded in Russia, after St Petersburg Conservatory and Moscow Conservatory. Saratov was, at ...
,
Radishchev Art Museum The Radishchev Museum in Saratov opened to the public on June 29, 1885. It is supposed to have been Russia's first major public art museum outside Moscow or St. Petersburg. It was founded by Alexey Bogolyubov and named after his grandfather, the ...
,
Saratov State Technical University Yuri Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov (SSTU, Russian: ''Саратовский государственный технический университет имени Гагарина Ю.А.'') was founded in 1930 as Saratov Automobile ...
, and
Saratov State University Saratov Chernyshevsky State University (russian: Саратовский государственный университет имени Н. Г. Чернышевского, СГУ, transcribed as SGU) is a major higher education and research inst ...
.


Etymology

The name Saratov may be derived from ''Sary Tau'' (Сары Тау), meaning "Yellow Mountain" in the
Tatar The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
is an umbrella term for different
language. Another version of the name origin derives it from the words ''Sar Atau'', which means the "Boggy Island".


History

Uvek, a city of the
Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fr ...
, stood near the site of the modern city of Saratov from the mid-13th century until its destruction by
Tamerlane Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kür ...
in 1395. While the exact date of the foundation of modern Saratov is unknown, plausible theories date it to ca. 1590, during the reign (1584–1598) of
Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
Fyodor Ivanovich, who constructed several settlements along the
Volga River The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length, longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Cas ...
in order to secure the southeastern boundary of his state. Town status was granted to it in 1708. By the 1800s, Saratov had grown to become an important shipping port on the Volga. The Ryazan-Ural Railroad reached Saratov in 1870. In 1896, the line crossed the Volga and continued its eastward expansion. A unique train-ferry, owned by the Ryazan-Ural railroad, provided the connection across the river between the two ends of the railroad for 39 years, before the construction of a railway bridge in 1935. During January 1915, with
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
dominating the Russian national agenda, Saratov became the destination for deportation convoys of ethnic Germans, Jews, Hungarians, Austrians and Slavs whose presence closer to the western front was perceived as a potential security risk to the state. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Saratov was a station on the north–south Volzhskaya Rokada, a specially designated military railroad supplying troops, ammunition and supplies to
Stalingrad Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...
. In 1942-1943 the city was bombed by German aircraft. The main target was the Kirov oil refinery, which was heavily bombarded, seriously damaging the installation and destroying 80% of its plant and temporarily interrupting its work. The Luftwaffe was able to destroy all the fuel stock at bases in Saratov and eliminate the oil plant in the city. Until the
end of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
in 1991, the Soviet authorities designated Saratov a "
closed city A closed city or closed town is a settlement where travel or residency restrictions are applied so that specific authorization is required to visit or remain overnight. Such places may be sensitive military establishments or secret research ins ...
"; off-limits to all foreigners due to its military importance as the site of a vital facility manufacturing military aircraft.


German community

Saratov played a prominent role in the history of the
Volga Germans The Volga Germans (german: Wolgadeutsche, ), russian: поволжские немцы, povolzhskiye nemtsy) are ethnic Germans who settled and historically lived along the Volga River in the region of southeastern European Russia around Saratov ...
. These Germans, who arrived in the region in response to the express invitation to populate these lands made to them by Tsarina
Catherine II of Russia , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...
in
1763 Events January–March * January 27 – The seat of colonial administration in the Viceroyalty of Brazil is moved from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro. * February 1 – The Royal Colony of North Carolina officially creates Meck ...
, had this city as the administrative center of the German community established on the left bank of the
Volga River The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length, longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Cas ...
, along different agricultural colonies. Meanwhile, the Germans who settled in the lands to the right of the Volga, had the city of
Samara Samara ( rus, Сама́ра, p=sɐˈmarə), known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev (; ), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with ...
as their administrative center. Catherine II, through her two edicts published in Germany, had promised the settlers that they would remain German, enjoying a great deal of autonomy, even if they moved to the Volga region, and they did so. There, the Germans continued with their German language, their own education, their churches, their publications, etc. However, after more than a century living in that region, the living conditions of the Germans began to change. Catherine II was no longer alive, and the government began to apply an aggressive
Russification Russification (russian: русификация, rusifikatsiya), or Russianization, is a form of cultural assimilation in which non-Russians, whether involuntarily or voluntarily, give up their culture and language in favor of the Russian cultur ...
policy, which meant that from 1878 some groups of Volga Germans began to emigrate to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
and
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. Those who could not leave or who remained in the hope conditions would improve suffered greatly. Hostilities did not stop even after the confiscation of their assets. In 1941,
Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...
ordered the deportation of all ethnic Germans of Russia to forced labor
Gulag The Gulag, an acronym for , , "chief administration of the camps". The original name given to the system of camps controlled by the GPU was the Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps (, )., name=, group= was the government agency in ...
concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
s located in
Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
and other areas of
Soviet Central Asia Soviet Central Asia (russian: link=no, Советская Средняя Азия, Sovetskaya Srednyaya Aziya) was the part of Central Asia administered by the Soviet Union between 1918 and 1991, when the Central Asian republics declared ind ...
, leading to
genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...
. After several decades, some survivors were allowed to return to the area, although all the properties had been occupied by Russian communists. Later, with the opening of the borders after the
dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
, several survivors chose to emigrate to
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. This is a
civilian population Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not "combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant, ...
that suffered
torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...
and other very traumatic experiences for decades, who have generally had all their relatives killed, who have been dispossessed by massive confiscations, and who have never been compensated for any of the
crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...
of which they have been victims. Today only a few reminders remain of the once prominent place for Volga Germans. The Roman Catholic St. Klemens Cathedral, which had been built by the Volga Germans on the main street of Saratov, the then called "German Street" (german: Deutsche Straße, russian: Немецкая Улица, Nemetskaya Ulitsa), has its steeples removed and was converted into the Pioneer Cinema by order of the Soviet government (religion was prohibited). Meanwhile, the old German Street, the pedestrian street of Saratov, was renamed ''Kirov Prospect'' in reference to the Bolshevik leader
Sergei Kirov Sergei Mironovich Kirov (né Kostrikov; 27 March 1886 – 1 December 1934) was a Soviet politician and Bolshevik revolutionary whose assassination led to the first Great Purge. Kirov was an early revolutionary in the Russian Empire and membe ...
, a name that still retains. The city does not have any monument, street, or plaque that remembers the victims of the genocide.


Administrative and municipal status

Saratov is the
administrative center An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or ...
of the
oblast An oblast (; ; Cyrillic (in most languages, including Russian and Ukrainian): , Bulgarian: ) is a type of administrative division of Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union and the Kingdom of ...
Charter of Saratov Oblast, Article 10 and, within the framework of administrative divisions, it also serves as the administrative center of
Saratovsky District Saratovsky District (russian: Сара́товский райо́н) is an administrativeCharter of Saratov Oblast and municipalLaw #78-ZSO district (raion), one of the administrative divisions of Saratov Oblast, thirty-eight in Saratov Oblast, Rus ...
, even though it is not a part of it. As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the city of oblast significance of Saratov—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the
districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
.Law #21-ZSO As a municipal division, the city of oblast significance of Saratov is incorporated as Saratov Urban Okrug.Law #79-ZSO


Geography


Climate

Saratov has a moderately continental climate with warm and dry summers and an abundance of sunny days. The warmest month is July with daily mean temperature near ; the coldest is February, at . Summers are hot and dry in Saratov. Daytime temperatures of or higher are commonplace, up to during a heat wave in 2010. Snow and ice are dominant during the winter season. Days well above freezing and nights below both occur in the winter.


Economy and infrastructure

Saratov Oblast is highly industrialized, due in part to the richness in natural and industrial resources of the area. The oblast is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centers in Russia. Saratov possesses six
institute An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes can ...
s of the
Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across t ...
, twenty-one research institutes, nineteen project institutes, as well as the
Saratov State University Saratov Chernyshevsky State University (russian: Саратовский государственный университет имени Н. Г. Чернышевского, СГУ, transcribed as SGU) is a major higher education and research inst ...
, the
Saratov State Socio-Economic University Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., ...
, the
Saratov State Technical University Yuri Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov (SSTU, Russian: ''Саратовский государственный технический университет имени Гагарина Ю.А.'') was founded in 1930 as Saratov Automobile ...
, and many scientific and technological laboratories attached to some of the city's large industrial enterprises.


Transportation

Saratov is served by the
Saratov Gagarin Airport Gagarin International Airport (russian: Международный Аэропорт Гагарин) is an airport near Saratov, Russia, that has been in operation since 20 August 2019. History Saratov Central Airport had been the airport that s ...
(opened in 20 August 2019 replacing
Saratov Tsentralny Airport : ''Tsentraly may also refer to airports in Riga, Moscow, Omsk, or Orenburg.'' Saratov Tsentralny Airport (, ''Aeroport Centraľnyj'') is a defunct airport in Saratov. It was a federal-status international airport located in Saratov's K ...
). The airport serves flights to both international and domestic destinations.
Saratov West Saratov West is a air base in Russia located 12 km west of Saratov. It is an military training airfield. The base is home to the 131st Training Helicopter Regiment as part of the Zhukovsky – Gagarin Air Force Academy. References External ...
is a general aviation airfield. The aerospace manufacturing industry is served by the
Saratov South Saratov South was a former air base in Russia located 8 km southwest of Saratov. And was a military airfield during the Cold War with 17 parking stands and tarmac space. It later served as a Yakovlev factory airfield. Google Earth high-r ...
airport. Nearby
Engels-2 (air base) Engels Air Force Base (russian: Энгельс, formally Engels-2) is a strategic bomber military airbase in Russia located east of Saratov. Engels is a major bomber operations base, and is Russia's sole operating location for the Tupolev ...
is the main base for Russian strategic
Tu-95 The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the ...
and
Tu-160 The Tupolev Tu-160 (russian: Туполев Ту-160 Белый лебедь, translit=Belyj Lebeď, translation= White Swan; NATO reporting name: Blackjack) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy strategic bomber designed by the Tupolev Des ...
bombers. Motorways link Saratov directly to Volgograd, Samara, and Voronezh. The railways also play an important role. The
Privolzhskaya Railway The Privolzhskaya Railway (Приволжская железная дорога; "Volga Railway") is a subsidiary of the Russian Railways headquartered in Saratov. It serves the Saratov, Volgograd, and Astrakhan regions of Russia. Its three bran ...
is headquartered in Saratov. The Volga itself is an important inland waterway. Buses and trolleybuses form the backbone of public transport in the city. Saratov has a tram network, which opened in 1908. Currently, there are two depots, while a third was closed in 2001. The rolling stock currently consists of 71-605,
71-619 The 71-619 (colloquially KTM-19) is the modern Russian four-axle high-floor motor tramcar. These rail vehicles are produced at the Ust'-Katav Wagon-building plant (russian: UKVZ, УКВЗ, Усть-Катавский Вагоностроител ...
,
71-608 The 71-608 (in colloquial language KTM-8) is a Russian motor four-axle high-floor tramcar. These rail vehicles are produced by Ust'-Katav Vagon-building plant (UKVZ, УКВЗ, Усть-Катавский Вагоностроительный Зав ...
and a number of refurbished
Tatra T3 The T3 is a type of Czech tramcar produced by ČKD Tatra. A late-2000s study conducted on the Prague tram system has shown 98.9% reliability, the best of the Prague tram system fleet. During its period of production between 1960 and 19 ...
, renamed to MTTE and MTTCh. A trolleybus network is also present in the city. On July 2, 2021, an intercity route over the
Volga The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length, longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Cas ...
was opened, linking to the trolleybus network of
Engels Friedrich Engels ( ,"Engels"
''
Trolza-5275 low-floor trolleybus Тролза Оптима 1272 в Саратове.jpg, Trolza-5275 low-entry trolleybus Saratov trams 1002+1004.jpg, KTM-19 trams


City budget

Information about revenues and expenditures of the city budget for the period 2007–2017.


Education

Saratov is host to a number of colleges and universities. These include the
Saratov State University Saratov Chernyshevsky State University (russian: Саратовский государственный университет имени Н. Г. Чернышевского, СГУ, transcribed as SGU) is a major higher education and research inst ...
(1909),
Saratov State Technical University Yuri Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov (SSTU, Russian: ''Саратовский государственный технический университет имени Гагарина Ю.А.'') was founded in 1930 as Saratov Automobile ...
,
Saratov State Medical University ) , type = Public , established = - Imperial University, Saratov - Saratov State Medical Institute - Saratov Order of the Red Banner Medical Institute - Saratov State Medical University , rector = Andrey Vyacheslavovich Eremin , address = 11 ...
,
Saratov State Academy of Law Saratov State Academy of Law (Russian: ''Саратовская государственная юридическая академия'') is a Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education in the Saratov region of the Russ ...
and
Saratov State Agrarian University Saratov State University of Genetics, Biotechnology and Engineering named after N.I. Vavilov (russian: Саратовский государственный университет генетики, биотехнологии и инженерии ...
. In 2014 a newly renovated campus for the Saratov Regional College of Art was opened.


Culture

One of the city's most prominent landmarks is the 19th century neo-Gothic Conservatory. When it was built in 1912, the Conservatory was Russia's third such institution (after Moscow and St. Petersburg). At the time, Saratov, with a population of 240,000, was the third-largest city in Russia. The main building of the conservatory had been built in 1902 by architect Alexander Yulyevich Yagn, and originally it housed a music school. Before the opening of the conservatory in 1912, the building was reconstructed by the architect Semyon Akimovich Kallistratov. When Saratov Conservatory opened in September 1912, it immediately had 1,000 students ready to begin their studies. The
Saratov Drama Theater Saratov Drama Theater (russian: Саратовский академический театр драмы имени И. А. Слонова) is located in the city of Saratov, Russia. It is one of the oldest theaters in Russia. Saratov Drama Theate ...
was founded in 1802, making it one of Russia's oldest. It is ranked as one of Russia's National Theaters. In Soviet times, the theater was renamed in honor of Karl Marx, but now carries the name of
Ivan Slonov Ivan () is a Slavic languages, Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John (given name), John) from Hebrew language, Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. T ...
(1882–1945), an actor, theatrical director and educator, born in the city. The full name in Russian is The I. A. Slonov Saratov State Academic Theater (). Saratov is noted for several art museums, including the
Radishchev Art Museum The Radishchev Museum in Saratov opened to the public on June 29, 1885. It is supposed to have been Russia's first major public art museum outside Moscow or St. Petersburg. It was founded by Alexey Bogolyubov and named after his grandfather, the ...
, named for
Alexander Radishchev Alexander Nikolayevich Radishchev (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Ради́щев; – ) was a Russian author and social critic who was arrested and exiled under Catherine the Great. He brought the tradition of radicali ...
, Fedin Art Museum, named after Russian novelist
Konstantin Fedin Konstantin Aleksandrovich Fedin ( rus, Константи́н Алекса́ндрович Фе́дин, p=kənstɐnʲˈtʲin ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ ˈfʲedʲɪn, a=Konstantin Alyeksandrovich Fyedin.ru.vorb.oga; – 15 July 1977) was a So ...
, Saratov Local History Museum, Chernyshevsky Estate Museum, named for
Nikolay Chernyshevsky Nikolay Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky ( – ) was a Russian literary and social critic, journalist, novelist, democrat, and socialist philosopher, often identified as a utopian socialist and leading theoretician of Russian nihilism. He was t ...
, and some others. The Radishchev Art Museum contains more than 20,000 exhibits, including ancient Russian
icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...
s, works by Camille Corot,
Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor, generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a uniqu ...
, as well as works by some of the finest Russian painters (e.g.
Ivan Kramskoy Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi (russian: Ива́н Никола́евич Крамско́й; June 8 (O.S. May 27), 1837, Ostrogozhsk – April 6 (O.S. March 24), 1887, Saint Petersburg) was a Russian painter and art critic. He was an intellectual l ...
,
Vasily Polenov Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (Russian: Васи́лий Дми́триевич Поле́нов; 1 June 1844 – 18 July 1927) was a Russian landscape painter associated with the Peredvizhniki movement of realist artists. His contemporaries would ca ...
,
Ilya Repin Ilya Yefimovich Repin (russian: Илья Ефимович Репин, translit=Il'ya Yefimovich Repin, p=ˈrʲepʲɪn); fi, Ilja Jefimovitš Repin ( – 29 September 1930) was a Russian painter, born in what is now Ukraine. He became one of the ...
,
Ivan Shishkin Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin (russian: Ива́н Ива́нович Ши́шкин; 25 January 1832 – 20 March 1898) was a Russian landscape painter closely associated with the Peredvizhniki movement. Biography Shishkin was born to a Russian m ...
,
Aleksandra Ekster Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "prot ...
,
Pavel Kuznetsov Pavel Varfolomevich Kuznetsov (1878–1968) was a Russian painter and graphic artist. Life and career He studied at Saratov at Bogolyubov Art School (1891–1896), then Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (1897–1904) and f ...
, Aristarkh Lentulov,
Robert Falk Robert Rafailovich Falk (russian: Роберт Рафаилович Фальк, October 15, 1886 - October 1, 1958) was a painter. Biography Falk was born in Moscow in 1886. In 1903 to 1904 he studied art in the studios of Konstantin Yuon and I ...
,
Pyotr Konchalovsky Pyotr Petrovich Konchalovsky (''also trans.'' Petr; russian: Пётр Петрович Кончаловский; 21 February 1876 – 2 February 1956) was a Russian and Soviet painter, a member of the Knave of Diamonds group. Biography Ear ...
,
Martiros Saryan Martiros Saryan ( hy, Մարտիրոս Սարյան; russian: Мартиро́с Сарья́н; – 5 May 1972) was a Soviet Armenian painter, the founder of a modern Armenian national school of painting. Biography He was born into an Armenia ...
,
Fyodor Rokotov Fyodor Stepanovich Rokotov (Fedor Rokotov) (russian: Фёдор Степа́нович Ро́котов) (1736–December 24, 1808) was a distinguished Russian painter who specialized in portraits. Fyodor Rokotov was born into a family of p ...
).


Demographics

More than 90% of the city's population are ethnic
Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...
. Among the remainder are
Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
is an umbrella term for different
,
Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian. The majority ...
,
Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
,
Kazakhs The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , , , , ; the English name is transliterated from Russian; russian: казахи) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to northern parts of Central Asia, chiefly Kazakhstan, but also parts o ...
and others.


Sports

Several sports clubs are active in the city:


Twin towns – sister cities

Saratov is twinned with: *
Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to: Places Antarctica * Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia *Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane *Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area Canada * Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbo ...
, United States *
Carrboro Carrboro is a town in Orange County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 21,295 at the 2020 census.
, United States *
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, United States *
Dobrich Dobrich ( bg, Добрич ; ro, Bazargic, tr, Hacıoğlu Pazarcık) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, 9th most populated city in Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Dobrich Province and the capital of the region of Southern Dobr ...
, Bulgaria *
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...
, China


Notable people

*
Roman Abramovich Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (, ; he, רומן ארקדיביץ' אברמוביץ'; born 24 October 1966) is a Russian Russian oligarchs, oligarch and politician. He is the former owner of Chelsea F.C., Chelsea, a Premier League football club ...
, businessman * Boris Andreyev, actor * Oleg Antonov, aircraft designer *
Boris Babochkin Boris Andreyevich Babochkin (russian: Бори́с Андре́евич Ба́бочкин; 18 January 1904 – 17 July 1975) was a Soviet and Russian film and theater actor and director. Boris Babochkin was one of the first internationally r ...
, actor, director *
Denis Bakurskiy Denis Aleksandrovich Bakurskiy (russian: Денис Александрович Бакурский; born 19 March 1981) is a former Russian professional football player. Club career He played in the Russian Football National League for FC Sokol ...
, former Russian professional football player *
Rachel Bluwstein Rachel Bluwstein Sela (20 September (Julian calendar) 1890 – 16 April 1931) was a Hebrew-language poet who immigrated to Palestine, then part of the Ottoman Empire, in 1909. She is known by her first name, Rachel ( he, רחל ), or as Ra ...
, poet *
Alexey Bogolyubov Alexey Petrovich Bogolyubov (russian: Алексей Петрович Боголюбов; 16 March 1824 – 3 February 1896) was a Russian landscape art, landscape painter. Biography Bogolyubov was born in the Pomeranie village of Novgorod Gube ...
, painter *
Viktor Borisov-Musatov Victor Elpidiforovich Borisov-Musatov (russian: Ви́ктор Эльпидифо́рович Бори́сов-Муса́тов), ( – ) was a Russian painter, prominent for his unique Post-Impressionistic style that mixed Symbolism, pure de ...
, painter *
Nikolay Chernyshevsky Nikolay Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky ( – ) was a Russian literary and social critic, journalist, novelist, democrat, and socialist philosopher, often identified as a utopian socialist and leading theoretician of Russian nihilism. He was t ...
, philosopher *
Gavrila Derzhavin Gavriil (Gavrila) Romanovich Derzhavin ( rus, Гаврии́л (Гаври́ла) Рома́нович Держа́вин, p=ɡɐˈvrilə rɐˈmanəvʲɪtɕ dʲɪrˈʐavʲɪn, a=Gavrila Romanovich Dyerzhavin.ru.vorb.oga; 14 July 1743 – 20 ...
, poet *
Irina Dryagina Irina Viktorovna Dryagina (russian: Ирина Викторовна Дрягина; 31 March 1921 – 9 June 2017) was botanist and veteran of the Second World War. During the conflict, she served as a squadron commissar in the 46th Guards Night ...
, World War II pilot and scientist *
Konstantin Fedin Konstantin Aleksandrovich Fedin ( rus, Константи́н Алекса́ндрович Фе́дин, p=kənstɐnʲˈtʲin ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ ˈfʲedʲɪn, a=Konstantin Alyeksandrovich Fyedin.ru.vorb.oga; – 15 July 1977) was a So ...
, writer *
Nikolai Grandkovsky Nikolai Karlovich Grandkovsky (Russian: Николай Карлович Грандковский; 23 February 1864, Saratov - 18 May 1907, Penza) was a Russian Realism (arts), Realist painter who specialized in portraits and Genre art, genre sce ...
, painter *
Joseph Hakobyan Joseph G. Hakobyan (born 28 August 1931) is a Russians, Russian scientist. He is an expert on missiles development. He was the Deputy General of the Moscow Research Institute. Hakobyan was born in Saratov, Russia. External links Акопян ...
, engineer *
Lev Igorev Lev Stepanovich Igorev (Russian: Лев Степанович Игорев; 10 February 1821, in Komarovka, Saratov Governorate – 29 December 1893, in Saratov) was a Russian portrait painter in the Academicism, Academic style. Biography His f ...
, painter *
Anastasia Karpova Anastasia (from el, Ἀναστασία, translit=Anastasía) is a feminine given name of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, where it was the most ...
, pop singer *
Lev Kassil Lev Abramovich Kassil (russian: Лев Абрамович Кассиль; 10 July 1905 – 21 June 1970) was a Soviet and Russian writer of juvenile and young adult literature and screenwriter, depicting Soviet life, teenagers and their world, sc ...
, writer *
Kombinaciya Kombinaciya (Russian: Комбинация) is a Russian female pop band. The name means "combination," but the Russian word is a double entendre which also refers to a woman's frilly slip, and at the group's 1988 performance in Moscow they wer ...
, pop band *
Pavel Kuznetsov Pavel Varfolomevich Kuznetsov (1878–1968) was a Russian painter and graphic artist. Life and career He studied at Saratov at Bogolyubov Art School (1891–1896), then Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (1897–1904) and f ...
, painter *
Eduard Limonov Eduard Veniaminovich Savenko ( rus, Эдуард Вениаминович Савенко, , ɨdʊˈart vʲɪnʲɪɐˈmʲinəvʲɪtɕ sɐˈvʲenkə, links=yes; 22 February 1943 – 17 March 2020), known by his pen name Eduard Limonov ( rus, Эд ...
, writer and politician *
Konstantin Paustovsky Konstantin Georgiyevich Paustovsky ( rus, Константи́н Гео́ргиевич Паусто́вский, p=pəʊˈstofskʲɪj; – 14 July 1968) was a Soviet writer nominated for the Nobel Prize for literature in 1965. Early life ...
, writer *
Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin Kuzma Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin, (; November 5, Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O._S._24_October.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>O._S._24_October">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html"_;"title="nowiki/>Old_Styl ...
, painter *
Lev Pitaevskii Lev Petrovich Pitaevskii (russian: Лев Петро́вич Пита́евский ; 18 January 1933 – 23 August 2022) was a Russian theoretical physicist, who made contributions to the theory of quantum mechanics, electrodynamics, low-temper ...
, physicist *
Natalia Pogonina Natalia Andreevna Pogonina (russian: Ната́лья Андре́евна Пого́нина; born 9 March 1985) is a Russian chess player who holds the FIDE title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She is the runner-up of the Women's World Chess Ch ...
, chess player, women Grandmaster (WGM) *
Jean-Victor Poncelet Jean-Victor Poncelet (; 1 July 1788 – 22 December 1867) was a French engineer and mathematician who served most notably as the Commanding General of the École Polytechnique. He is considered a reviver of projective geometry, and his work ''Tr ...
, French engineer and mathematician (
POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...
) *
Alexander Radishchev Alexander Nikolayevich Radishchev (russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Ради́щев; – ) was a Russian author and social critic who was arrested and exiled under Catherine the Great. He brought the tradition of radicali ...
, writer *
Lidiya Ruslanova Lidia Andreyevna Ruslanova (sometimes spelt ''Lidiya'' or ''Lydia'', russian: Лидия Андреевна Русланова; 27 October 1900 in Saratov Governorate – 21 September 1973 in Moscow) was a performer of Russian folk songs. Early li ...
, Russian folk singer *
Sweeney Schriner David "Sweeney" Schriner (November 30, 1911 – July 4, 1990) was a Russian-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Americans and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was ...
, ice hockey player *
Nikolay Semyonov Nikolay Nikolayevich Semyonov (or Semënov), (russian: Никола́й Никола́евич Семёнов; – 25 September 1986) (often referred to in English as Semenoff, Semenov, Semionov, or Semyonova) was a Soviet physicist and chem ...
, Nobel Prize-winning chemist * Fyodor Shekhtel, architect *
Leonid Sobinov Leonid Vitalyevich Sobinov (russian: Леони́д Вита́льевич Со́бинов, 7 June S 26 May1872 – 14 October 1934) was an Imperial Russian operatic tenor. His fame continued unabated into the Soviet era, and he was made a Peop ...
, operatic tenor *
Pyotr Stolypin Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin ( rus, Пётр Арка́дьевич Столы́пин, p=pʲɵtr ɐrˈkadʲjɪvʲɪtɕ stɐˈlɨpʲɪn; – ) was a Russian politician and statesman. He served as the third prime minister and the interior minist ...
, statesman *
Vladimir Stoupel Vladimir Stoupel is a Russian-born French pianist and Conductor (music), conductor. He began studying the piano at age of three with his mother, Rimma Bobritskaia. He made his debut at the age of twelve, playing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. ...
, pianist and conductor *
Oleg Tabakov Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov (russian: Олег Павлович Табаков; 17 August 1935 – 12 March 2018) was a Soviet and Russian actor and the Artistic Director of the Moscow Art Theatre. People's Artist of the USSR (1988). Biography Tabak ...
, actor *
Evgeny Tomashevsky Evgeny Yuryevich Tomashevsky (russian: Евгений Юрьевич Томашевский; born 1 July 1987) is a Russian chess player. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 2005. Tomashevsky is a two-time Russian Chess Champion ...
, chess Grandmaster and former World number 15 *
Valeriya Valeriya (russian: Валерия) is a stage name of Alla Yurievna Perfilova (russian: Алла Юрьевна Перфилова, born April 17, 1968 in Atkarsk), a Russian singer and fashion model. Valeriya, who is a recipient of the titles Pe ...
, pop singer *
Nikolai Vavilov Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov ( rus, Никола́й Ива́нович Вави́лов, p=nʲɪkɐˈlaj ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ vɐˈvʲiləf, a=Ru-Nikolay_Ivanovich_Vavilov.ogg; – 26 January 1943) was a Russian and Soviet agronomist, botanist a ...
, biologist and geneticist, died in a Saratov jail *
Mikhail Vrubel Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel (russian: Михаил Александрович Врубель; March 17, 1856 – April 14, 1910, all New Style, n.s.) was a Russian Painting, painter, Drawing, draughtsman, and sculptor. A prolific and inno ...
, painter *
Oleg Yankovsky Oleg Ivanovich Yankovsky (russian: Оле́г Ива́нович Янко́вский; 23 February 1944 – 20 May 2009) was a Soviet Union, Soviet and Russia, Russian actor who excelled in psychologically sophisticated roles of modern intellectu ...
, actor *
Nikolay Zinin Nikolay Nikolaevich Zinin (russian: link=no, Никола́й Никола́евич Зи́нин; 25 August 1812, in Shusha – 18 February 1880, in Saint Petersburg) was a Russian organic chemist. Life He studied at the University of Kazan where ...
, chemist *
Zedd Anton Zaslavski (russian: Антон Заславский; born 2 September 1989), known professionally as Zedd (), is a Russian-born German disc jockey, DJ, record producer, and songwriter. Zedd grew up and began his musical journey in Kaise ...
, music producer and DJ, born in Saratov and moved to Germany. *
Elvira T Elvira Sergeevna Tugusheva (russian: Эльвира Сергеевна Тугушева, born 14 August 1994 in Saratov, Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northe ...
, singer *
Katia Elizarova Ekaterina Igorevna "Katia" Elizarova (russian: Екатерина Игоревна "Катя" Елизарова, link=no; born 17 August 1986) is a Russian model and actress. Early life Elizarova was born in Saratov, Soviet Union. Her great-gr ...
, model *
Nikolai Bondarenko Nikolai Nikolayevich Bondarenko (russian: Николай Николаевич Бондаренко; born 3 June 1985) is a Russian opposition politician and blogger, who served as Member of the Saratov Oblast Duma from 2017 until his expulsion ...
, politician


References


Sources

* * * * *


External links


Official website of Saratov
*
The Saratov Room (local news, events and places)Saratov.RuOld photos of SaratovSaratov Regional Museum of Local LoreRadischev Art GalleryCatalog of the Radishchev GalleryCultural guide to SaratovGoogle Earth view of Saratov
{{Use mdy dates, date=November 2012 Saratovsky Uyezd Populated places on the Volga Cities and towns in Saratov Oblast Volga German people