Rostov-on-Don

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Rostov-on-Don (English)
Ростов-на-Дону (Russian)
Rostov-on-Don (Russia)
Rostov-on-Don
Location of Rostov-on-Don on the map of Russia
Coordinates
47°14′N 39°42′E / 47.233, 39.7Coordinates: 47°14′N 39°42′E / 47.233, 39.7
Coat of Arms
City Day: Third Sunday of September
Administrative status
Federal subject
In jurisdiction of
Administrative center of		 Rostov Oblast
Rostov Oblast
Rostov Oblast
Local self-government
Charter Charter of Rostov-on-Don
Municipal status Urban okrug
Mayor Mikhail Chernyshyov
Legislative body City Duma
Area
Area 354 km² (136.7 sq mi)
Population (as of the 2002 Census)
Population
- Rank
- Density
 1,068,267 inhabitants
10th
3,017.7/km² (7,815.8/sq mi)
Events
Founded 1749
Town status 1797
Other information
Postal code 344000-344999[1]
Dialing code +7 863
Official website
http://www.rostov-gorod.ru/

Rostov-on-Don (Russian: Росто́в-на-Дону́, Rostov-na-Donu IPA: [rɐ'stof nə dɐ'nu]) is the city and the administrative center of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia, located on the Don River, just 46 km from the Sea of Azov. Population: 1,052,000 (2007); 1,068,267 (2002 Census); 1,019,305 (1989 Census).

Contents

[edit] History

The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azov. (See the article on Azov for detailed information on those settlements.)

Rostov-on-Don was in essence established in 1749, as a customs house was built on the Temernik (a tributary of the Don), and soon a large fortress followed. It was named after Saint Dimitry of Rostov, a newly-glorified bishop from the old Northern town Rostov the Great. As Azov gradually declined, a settlement near the new fortress superseded it in importance as a chief commercial centre of the region. In 1756 the “Russian commercial and trading company of Constantinople” set up there, establishing a settlement on the high bank of the Don known as the "Kupecheskaya Sloboda" (the merchant's fortress). In 1796 this settlement received town rights and was renamed Rostov-on-Don, in order to distinguish it from its ancient namesake.

Rostov Oblast administration building
Rostov Oblast administration building
A fountain in the Park of Revolution
A fountain in the Park of Revolution
Central market near Nativity Cathedral
Central market near Nativity Cathedral

The Don River that the city is named for is a major shipping lane connecting southwestern Russia with regions to the north, and Rostov-on-Don is an important river port in both passenger-oriented and industrial shipping. With such a good geographical position, the city grew rapidly. As the most heavily industrialized city of South Russia, it was a bone of contention between the Whites and the Bolsheviks during the Civil War. By 1928, the regional government was moved from the old Cossack capital Novocherkassk to Rostov, which also engulfed the nearby Armenian town of Nor Nakhijevan (Nakhijevan, Proletarskiy district now).

In the Soviet years, the Bolsheviks demolished two of Rostov's principal landmarks - St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (1908) and St George Cathedral in Nakhichevan (1783-1807). Much of the city was reduced to rubble by the German forces who occupied it twice - in 1941 and 1942. Nowadays, the most conspicuous feature of the downtown is the enormous Cathedral of Virgin's Nativity (1860-87), designed by Konstantin Thon.

Rostov-on-Don has experienced considerable economic growth in recent years, as the Russian economy recovers nationwide. Numerous start-up companies have established headquarters in the city, the median income is increasing, and the city is being transformed from a place thrown back in time by the collapse of USSR into a modern, industrial and technology-rich hub.

[edit] Education

Public educational institutions include Southern Federal University and Don State Technical University, while the major private university is the Institute of Management, Business and Law. Along with higher education institutions can also be found in Rostov a French cultural center (Alliance francaise) [1], a British Council and German Goethe Institut, DAAD and Bosch foundation.

[edit] Sport

Two professional football clubs are based in Rostov-on-Don. Both of them FC Rostov and SKA are in the First Division. SKA had some success in UEFA Cup. In the Russian Basketball Super League, Rostov is represented by Lokomotiv. Handball team Rostov-Don plays in the Russian Handball Championship.

[edit] Music from Rostov

  • PPK
  • Kasta hip-hop band
  • Sputnik-Vostok
  • Zapretshennye Barabantshiki

[edit] Sister cities

Municipal duma in central Rostov-on-Don
Municipal duma in central Rostov-on-Don

The city is twinned with:

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ (Russian) Russian postal objects - find by name
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Cities and towns in Rostov Oblast
Administrative center: Rostov-on-Don
Coat of arms of Rostov Oblast Flag of Rostov Oblast