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Volgograd was founded in 1589, originally under the name “Tsaritsyn,” on land that had been occupied first by the Golden Horde some two centuries before. Like most cities along the Volga, it was founded as a military fortress to the secure the valuable Volga trade route, which connected Europe and the Middle Easte. Also like most cities along the Volga, Volgograd has a rich history of commercialism, multiculturalism, and education. The Don Cossacks claim the city as part of their homeland, and the city also welcomed many of the Volga Germans, immigrants invited by Catherine the Great to help tame and cultivate the rich land. Unfortunately, however, much of the architectural heritage of the city was wiped out during the WWII, when the city, then known as Stalingrad, played host to WWII’s bloodiest and most horrific battle. The hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians who died did not perish in vien however, as the Red Army began an advance after winning this months-long battle that would take it all the way to Berlin three years later. Many historians consider Stalingrad to be WWII’s turning point. The city was named a hero-city and rebuilt nearly from scratch according to a very Soviet plan: factories lining the river and neighborhoods surrounding the factories. The result was a large, incredibly long town (80 km!) winding around the Volga. In 1961, it was renamed again, this time to “Volgograd,” after the river that has long dominated its culture and economy. The city can be considered as two pieces: the historical center and the production center stemming from it like a comet’s tail. The historical center, particularly today, envisages what Communism tried to build: massive institutions and monuments, a green riverfront, Lenin literally in lights. The production center shows what Communism, for the most part, did build: cheap apartment buildings, tiny stores, crumbling playgrounds. For history buffs of the Soviet era, Volgograd is a gold mine. For those interested in U.S.-Russian relations today, Volgograd is treasure trove. It’s relatively young and independent university hosts institutions to support exchange programs between the two countries and a quite well-funded institution for studying and publishing on all aspects of our relations. In 2004, the facility hosted four Fulbright Scholars from America. Yet the town is small enough to make demands on one’s Russian language skills. Today, Volgograd is one of the best choices for education in Russia. Volgograd Universities:
Volgograd State University
Volgograd Medical Acadamy
Volgograd State Technical University Thinking about a trip to Volgorod? Why to Go There: A military history must-see! Then known as Stalingrad, the city was the site of WWII bloodiest and perhaps most important battle. It's now littered with memorials to it including the monstrous "Mother Russia" statue. The city site was also home to many Don Cossaks, who were at once Russia's economic and political nuisance and military boon. Budget: A few days and under 5000 ru ($170) How to Get There: Trains leave regularly from the Paveletsky Railroad Station (at the Paveletskaya Metro stop). You may buy tickets there. It's quite a ways, however, so you may want to travel by plane. We recommend StarTravel for student-discount fares. They have an office inside the first humanitarian building on the MGU campus. Sample Itinerary: The city's distance from Moscow might be daunting, so we recommend combining a visit to Volgograd with a visit to at least one other southern city. Fly into Volgograd early in the day and catch a cab to the city center. From there, take the metro to the Mother Russia statue at the end of town. The massive Lenin statue and WWII memorial (travel back along Leninsky Prospect, towards the city center - perhaps by bus) are also not to be missed. You should allot time to see the "Alley of Heroes:" a pedestrian walk leading to the Volga with more memorials and a giant neon Lenin atop one of the surrounding buildings. An expedition into the industrial part of town is also recommended for insights into Soviet social history, if you are interested in such things. Plan to spend the night in Volgograd, or catch a night train to Samara or Saratov to see more of the area. For help on this, or for other questions, you may contact us.
| Train from Moscow: 36 hours | | Plane from Moscow: 2.5 hours |
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