Astrakhan

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This article is about the city in Russia. For the type of fur, see Astrakhan (fur).

Astrakhan (English) Астрахань (Russian)
Ascension Cathedral in the Kremlin (1700–1710)
Astrakhan Oblast on the map of Russia
Coordinates 46°21′N 48°03′E / 46.35, 48.05Coordinates: 46°21′N 48°03′E / 46.35, 48.05
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).

1 Medieval history
2 Modern history
3 Notable people
4 Sister Cities
5 External links

[edit] Medieval history

Astrakhan' was originally called As-Tarkhan, which is another name for Ras Tarkhan (meaning "Lord of the Alans", a Scythian tribe.) Astrakhan' is situated in the Volga Delta, rich in sturgeon 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. 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.

[edit] Modern history

Monument to Peter the Great in Astrakhan' (2007)

Catholic church (1778). The Astrakhan' church was the third on time of the basis a Catholic temple in Russia (after Peterburg and Moscow). The initiator of construction of the building was pater Romuald.

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. 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.

In the autumn of 1942, Astrakhan' became one of the easternmost points in the Soviet Union reached by the invading German Wehrmacht, during Case Blue, the offensive which led to the Battle of Stalingrad. Light armored forces of German Army Group A made a brief scouting mission to the city before withdrawing.

Today, Astrakhan' is a lively city, home to dozens of different ethnicities and languages. The city will celebrate its 450th anniversary in 2008, with a large festival in October.