Rukhmanova Xenia

Research work "The history of the formation of the Saratov region"

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Municipal stage of the All-Russian competition of local history research works of students "Fatherland"

Nomination "Historical local history" Pages of the history of the native land "

The history of the formation of Saratov and the Saratov region

Prepared by: Rukhmanova Ksenia

Introduction

The history of our Motherland for each person begins with learning the history of his native land, his native city. The place where we were born is dear to us throughout our lives. It attracts to itself with invisible threads and it is impossible not to know its history, not to remember and not to take care of it.

The theme of the research work: "The history of the formation of Saratov and the Saratov region" was not chosen by chance. The study of history is always relevant, and the study of the history of the development of the native land is a theoretical and practical contribution to the study of the history of the country.

The purpose of this work: the study of the history of the native land and little-known historical events.

Work tasks:

1. Study literature on local history

2. To study and analyze the history of the development of the Saratov region.

3. Answer the problematic questions posed in the work, thereby highlighting the little-known historical facts of the formation period of Saratov and the Saratov region.

4. Conduct research work with students in my class to determine how well they know the past and present of their native land.

The relevance of the work is to involve students in the study of their region. The main sources revealing the content of my research were the works of M.V. Bulycheva, V.I. Ivanova, B.I. Kazakov. These sources cover in detail the events of the history of the Saratov region and the city of Saratov from ancient times to the present day.

Research methodology

In order to study the history of my native land, I used various methods.

Poll method . In order to obtain information on the topic of my research, I decided to conduct a survey of students in my class: what interesting things do they know from the history of the Saratov region and the city of Saratov. Based on previous experience, I understood that the guys would not be very interested in a question asked in this form. Therefore, I decided to intrigue them with my problem, to make sure that they, too, were enthusiastically involved in the research process. Therefore, I started with a remarkable fact: the city of Saratov is known to many, but the song “There are so many golden lights on the streets of Saratov” has gained wide popularity. It was thanks to this hit that the city became famous. This begs the question: why is the song about the Saratov fires and when did the first golden fires (i.e. electricity) appear on the Saratov land?

Another interesting fact: the song also sings about single guys from Saratov, who are many on the streets. What is the reason for such a demographic situation, when there were more young guys than girls in Saratov?

By answering these questions, you can learn a lot about the city of Saratov, or, as it is now called, the capital of the Volga region. By the way, here's another question: why the capital of the Volga region?

Yes, the guys managed to get interested and involved in the work, but it was difficult for them to answer questions right away, so we decided together to usesurvey method.As part of this method, questionnaires were created, which included the following questions:

• What interesting facts from the history of Saratov and the Saratov region do you know.
• Why do you think there were a lot of single guys in Saratov?
• When and thanks to whom did electricity appear in Saratov?

Questionnaires were distributed to the students of our school. And in the end, the results of the survey showed that the guys are not familiar enough with the history of their native land, and no one knew the answer to questions about Saratov guys and electricity.

Well, we had to resort to the most effectivemethod of studying literature(study of reliable sources). In search of answers to questions, we went on an exciting journey through the stages of studying the Saratov region.

Here is the information we have.

After Ivan the Terrible annexed the Astrakhan and Kazan khanates to Russia, fortress cities arose on the Volga to protect the raids of the steppes. The first fortress cities appear: Samara, Saratov, Tsaritsyn.

In the book of M.V. Bulychev provides information that the city of Saratov was founded in 1590. Saratov - from the name of the mountain Saratau, which in translation from the Mongolian language means "Yellow Mountain". Probably, we can already answer the second question: there were many young guys in Saratov, since they consisted of the defenders of the city and were brought to this territory. But what about the golden lights? Let's go further.

On January 11, 1780, Catherine the 11th established the Saratov vicegerency. The queen invited the Germans to these places to develop the Saratov territory. Why were the Germans invited here? What were the German settlements like? This is another object of our study. But there is still no information about electricity! So let's move on.

In the 19th century, Saratov became a major trading center. There were small and large enterprises that processed grain, leather, clay ... There was an oil-pressing, tobacco, grape industry. Another interesting production appeared - the production of the famous Saratov harmonicas. At the end of the 19th century there were eight workshops for the production of harmonicas in the city. And until now, Saratov is the only city in the world where such harmonicas are produced. This is evidenced by the monument to the accordion player, recently installed on Kirov Avenue. The Saratov harmonica is the hallmark of the city (see Appendix 1).

The year 1871 became very significant for Saratov - a railway was built along the Volga River. The road was necessary, since the Saratov land produced mainly agricultural products, which quickly deteriorated, so its transportation by water was possible only in the summer. In winter, the Volga froze. With the advent of the railway, the transportation of products became year-round.

Along with this, the Saratov culture also developed.

In 1803, the first fortress theater was opened in Saratov.

In 1885 - the first Radishevsky Art Museum in Russia (see Appendix 2)

In 1873 - the circus of the Nikitin brothers (see Appendix 3)

In 1909 - Saratov State University (see Appendix 4)

In 1912 - the conservatory (see Appendix 5)

All this put Saratov close to the major cultural centers of Russia.

Now, I think, we can answer the question: why Saratov in the early 20th century. began to be called the capital of the Volga region? In terms of its amenities, Saratov was the best city on the Volga.

Here is what is said about Saratov during the Great Patriotic War in the book of B.I. Kazakova: The Saratov region was the rear, the nearest rear of Stalingrad. By decision of the State Committee, 100 industrial enterprises and 370 thousand people were evacuated to the Saratov region. It is thanks to the evacuation of equipment that mechanical engineering begins to develop. However, the light appeared only at military enterprises. I would like to remember the famous fellow countrymen. Three hundred people awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union are our countrymen. Among them, fighter pilot V.V. Talalikhin, Major General I.V. Panfilov, political instructor V.G. Klochkov, armor-piercer I.M. Kaplunov and others)

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the country was destroyed, it was necessary to feed the people. For this reason, in 1954, the uplift of virgin lands began on the Saratov land. That's why there are young guys who come to Saratov land from all over Russia. After raising the virgin lands, it is these guys who are attracted for the further development of our region.

At the end of the plowing of virgin lands, young guys begin the construction of power plants. From 1956 to 1971, the Saratov hydroelectric power station was built, in 1980 - the Balakovo nuclear power plant, and in 1970 the construction of powerful thermal power plants began in Saratov and Engels. Here they are, the first lights on the land of Saratov and so many young, handsome and single guys! It is these guys who will then produce oil.

Research work in the classroom

A study was conducted in the class, revealing how much students know their region. It was proposed to complete the table.

The children were asked to choose the coat of arms of Saratov from the three proposed coats of arms. The following explains why it looks like this.

There are several interpretations of the image on the coat of arms:

• Three sterlets speak of the abundance of these fish in the Volga River.
• The geometric figure of the fish on the coat of arms indicates the crossroads of roads converging to Saratov.
• So are the churches in Saratov.

Today, other projects of coats of arms are proposed in the region, since the sterlet is no longer found in the Volga.

To fill in the column of sights, I suggest that students guess what they call in the Saratov region:

• Saratov Tretyakov Gallery (Radishchev Museum).
• Povolzhsky La Scala (Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre)
• Temple of Science (Library of Chernyshevsky Saratov University).

Third column: offers illustrations of products of mechanical engineering, chemical and other industries. All this is commented on during the show.

Make a logical chain of the foundation of the territory of the Saratov Territory:

• Development of mechanical engineering.
• Plowing of virgin land.
• Rise of guard cities.
• Emergence of shopping malls.
• Development of mechanical engineering, chemistry, food industry.
• Railway construction.
• electrification of the region.
• Oil and gas.

Look at the map of the Saratov region (see Appendix 6). The city of Saratov was repeatedly called the main candidate for the role of the capital of the Volga region. But besides Saratov, there are many more worthy cities in our region. Name them. Students remember as many cities of the Saratov region as possible.

Also name the villages located on the territory of our region.

Nevertheless, Saratov deserves to be called the first: here the first heart operation was performed by the doctor Ermolaev, the first video recorder was created. Saratov land met the first cosmonaut of the planet - Yu.A. Gagarin.

This city deserves that every citizen can say "I am proud of my city!"

The results of the study showed that students do not know their native land well enough: there were problems with compiling a logical chain for the development of the territory of the Saratov Territory, gaps in the knowledge of Saratov sights were identified. The results of the study are presented in the table (see Appendix 7).

As a result of the study, we can conclude that the work was successful: the guys studied local history literature with interest, answered the problematic questions posed in the work, noted for themselves how well they know the past and present of their native land.

Conclusion

The Saratov Territory has a unique individual appearance and a rich historical destiny. The work done by me is only the initial stage of a multifaceted study, the study of the Saratov region from various sides and aspects. I consider the main result of the work to be that I managed to involve students in the study, to arouse in them an interest in the study of their native land. In the future, we plan to engage in the recognition of individual cities and settlements of the region, to actively work with archival materials. We hope that all our works will be useful: they will be used in history lessons, extracurricular activities, in the work of the local history circle.

List of used literature

1. Two centuries of the province. Saratov region - from the past to the present: historical and journalistic edition. / V. Ivanov, A. Yakovlev; ed. E. Maksimov. - Saratov: Frame, 1997. - 258 p.

2. History of the Saratov region from ancient times to the present day / M.V. Bulychev and others - Saratov: Privolzh. book. publishing house, 2008. - 304 p.

3. Kazakov B.I. Pages of the annals of Saratov / B.I. Kazakov, G.D. Kazakova, L.N. Lubomirova - Saratov: Privolzh. book. publishing house, 1987. - 136 p.

4. Culture of the region: textbook. allowance for 8 cells. / comp. G.N. Gavrilova, E.V. Kolesova, Yu.B. Pushnova. - Saratov: Saratovtelefilm, 2007. - 80 p. - (Culture of the region).

Saratov region in the XIV-XVII centuries.

In the XIV century. on the territory of the modern Zavodskoy district of Saratov was the third largest city of the Golden Horde called Uvek. According to one version, the city was destroyed by Timur in the war with Tokhtamysh in 1395, according to another, the main part of the city descended into the Volga during coastal landslides. The official date of foundation of the city is July 5 (15), 1590. It was on this day that the "founding fathers" of Saratov arrived on the Volga coast - Prince Grigory Osipovich Zasekin and the head of the archery Fyodor Mikhailovich Turov. They laid the first fortress of Saratov on the left bank of the Volga, opposite the Tatar settlement of Uvek. According to one version, the name of the city comes from the merger of the Tatar-Mongolian words: “sary” (yellow) and “tau” (mountain). So, in turn, they called the Sokolovaya Mountain, yellow in color.
Throughout its history, the city has repeatedly moved from one place to another. The settlement, founded somewhat higher up the Volga than modern Saratov, completely burned down in the winter of 1613-1614, and the garrison that made up its population went to Samara. In 1617, Saratov was rebuilt again, but already on the left bank of the Volga - at the confluence of the Saratovka River into the Volozhka.
Saratov of the 17th century is a guard fortress and the center of the Volga trade. If the first settlers of the city were archers and warriors, then later townspeople who were engaged in fishing, as well as trading in livestock and salt from the Astrakhan lakes, appeared in the fortress city. The city quickly grew and developed, gradually losing its military character and acquiring commercial and industrial significance.
On August 15, 1670, Stepan Razin entered Saratov with an army, the inhabitants greeted him with bread and salt. From that moment until July 1671, Saratov became one of the centers of the Peasant War on the Lower Volga.
After another fire and in connection with the general dilapidation of buildings in 1674, the government ordered "Saratov on the mountains to make a new one." Construction began on the city on the right bank of the Volga, where Saratov is still located.
During its subsequent history, the city burned out several times almost to the ground - residents sometimes had to save themselves in courts on the Volga.

Saratov region in the XVIII-XIX centuries.

On March 6, 1700, Peter the Great issued a grant to Saratov for the eternal possession of the lands surrounding the city. And in 1708, in connection with the division of Russia into 8 provinces, by decree of Peter the Great, Saratov was assigned to the Kazan province.
Since 1764, after Catherine II signed a manifesto inviting foreigners to Russia, foreigners, mainly Germans, began to settle in Saratov and its environs.
In 1769, the Saratov province was formed, giving the city the right to be considered an administrative center.
In 1774, the Volga region was engulfed in a peasant war led by Emelyan Pugachev. On October 6, at the head of a 5,000-strong army, he entered the city almost without a fight. Most of the population and the composition of the garrison swore allegiance to him. Two days later, the army with the Saratovites who joined it set off on a campaign against Tsaritsyn.
As an independent administrative unit, the Saratov viceroyalty, later called the province, has existed since 1780.
On January 11, 1780, the Decree of Catherine II on the establishment of the Saratov vicegerency was issued, and on November 7 of the same year, the Decree on the opening of the vicegerency followed.
On February 3, 1781, the solemn opening of the Saratov vicegerency took place with the participation of Bishop Anthony, who arrived from Astrakhan, and the Astrakhan governor, Lieutenant General Jacobi.
In 1782, the Saratov governorship was renamed into a province.
In 1796, when the administrative-territorial borders were being revised in Russia, 8 out of 41 provinces were abolished, including the Decree of December 12, 1796, the Saratov province was liquidated, and its territory was divided between the Penza and Astrakhan provinces.
After 3 months, the Decree of March 5, 1797 was followed by restoration. Saratov province. Thus, in 1997, 200 years have passed since the final dispensation of the Saratov province.
In subsequent years, the territory of the province was redrawn more than once.
The last changes took place in 1941, when the Republic of the Volga Germans ceased to exist.
In the 19th century, Saratov became a provincial city. On January 11, 1780, Catherine II issued a decree establishing the Saratov governorship, which in 1782 became known as a province. In 1781, the coat of arms of Saratov was established: "There are three sterlets in a blue field, which means the great abundance of such fish in this country."
In 1810, the next town-planning plan was approved, after which the active development of the modern city center began. In 1825, oil lanterns appeared on the streets of the city, and in 1844-45. a wooden water pipe was built, which became a city landmark. In 1870, traffic began on the first section of the Tambov-Saratov railway.
By the end of the 19th century, Saratov became the largest Russian commercial and industrial center, supplying fabrics, iron and machine-building products, cement, flour, salt and grain to other regions of Russia and abroad - it was then that Saratov kalach became famous.

Saratov region during the Great Patriotic War

On June 22, 1941, the attack of fascist Germany on the Soviet Union disrupted the peaceful life of our people. The severe period of the Great Patriotic War began in the history of the Soviet state.
The perfidious attack of fascist Germany on the Soviet Union aroused a feeling of anger and indignation among the working people of the Saratov region. At meetings held in the region in the first days of the war, representatives of workers, collective farmers, and intellectuals called on all Soviet people to unite even more closely. The working people declared their ardent desire to volunteer for the active Army, to smash the enemy.
On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, thousands of Saratov residents showed high combat prowess. For courage and heroism shown in battles, 47 thousand soldiers, sergeants and officers from Saratov were awarded orders and medals. More than 200 Saratov soldiers were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
During the war years, many military educational institutions were stationed in Saratov. The headquarters of the Volga Military District, one of the centers for the formation of units and formations for the front, was located here. Saratov prepared and sent to the front over 500 different military units. About thirty military schools, colleges and courses trained commanders and specialists for the army in the field. The most famous in Saratov were the 1st and 2nd tank, infantry and border schools. First Saratov Red Banner Order of the Red Star Tank Technical School named after the Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General A.I. Lizyukov was established in 1918 as a military instructor school. During the war years, it trained commanders and technicians of medium and light tanks, political fighters, fuel and lubricants specialists. The school was commanded by Colonel D.A. Roganin, Major General I.A. Safonov, Colonel I.F. Dergachev. In 1943-1944, two graduations of officers for the Polish and Czechoslovak people's armies were made.
The Soviet intelligentsia made a great contribution to improving the country's defense capability. In the factory laboratories, at the departments of universities in the city of Saratov, issues of great national economic and defense importance were resolved. During the war years, tens of thousands of soldiers and commanders of the Red Army were treated in hospitals in Saratov. The medical staff of the region worked selflessly. Thanks to the correct organization of treatment and care, the Saratov medical hospitals achieved the return to service of 80-90% of the wounded.
Art workers in the city of Saratov, from the very first days of the war, widely developed artistic services for the front, hospitals and military units of the Red Army located in the city and region.
The war was a severe test for the country, for the whole people. Having withstood it, having won a historic victory, thanks to the vitality, the country was able to return to peaceful construction.

Saratov region in the post-war years

In the first post-war years, the Saratov region became a major supplier of building materials to areas whose economy was severely destroyed during the war. In the late 40s - early 50s. many enterprises in this industry carried out orders for the largest construction projects in the country: the Volga-Don Canal, the Kuibyshev and Stalingrad hydroelectric power stations. Along with the Volsky cement plants, new enterprises producing crushed stone in the Pugachevsky, Ivanteevsky and Ershovsky districts also took part in the implementation of this huge construction program. Thus, by the beginning of the 1950s in the region, the basis of a powerful construction complex was created, which further contributed to the placement of the largest economic facilities of national importance here. The structure of the region's economy gradually became more complex. There was a long-term trend of outstripping development of industries that determine scientific and technological progress - chemical, machine-building, electric power.
The 1950s can be considered the beginning of the “big chemistry” of the Saratov region. The construction of chemical plants of national importance in Balakovo, Engels, and Saratov necessitated the creation of a large-scale production of prefabricated reinforced concrete structures in these industrial centers. During this period, the branches of the fuel and energy complex - gas, oil, shale, heat and power - developed dynamically. The structure of the machine-building complex was improved. The presence of highly qualified scientific and technical personnel was an important prerequisite for the creation in our region (primarily in Saratov) of precision engineering, instrumentation, and electronics. The largest enterprises of these industries, located on the northwestern outskirts of Saratov, served mainly the needs of the country's military-industrial complex.
Technical glass factory, sugar factory, fat factory - new buildings of other industries.
Important tasks were solved during this period in the agricultural sector. In 1953-1956. in the Saratov region, about 1 million hectares of virgin lands were plowed up and developed. The technical equipment of agricultural production increased significantly, and with the connection in 1960 of the region to the Unified European Energy System of the country, the possibilities of mechanizing the main technological processes in animal husbandry and electrifying rural areas expanded.
At the turn of the 1970s. the first of the giants of the electric power industry, the Saratov hydroelectric power station, went into operation. The region has turned from energy-deficient to energy-surplus. The power plant gave impetus to the development of the city of Balakovo, where, relying on a powerful construction base and cheap electricity, the largest industrial hub of the region after Saratov was formed. Mechanical engineering and especially energy-intensive branches of the chemical industry, which have been developing most dynamically in the past three decades, have received further development.
The 1970s went down in the history of the economy of the Saratov Territory as the years of the birth and rapid development of the reclamation complex. During this period, hundreds of kilometers of irrigation canals, several large irrigation systems and other reclamation infrastructure facilities were built. Currently, our region has the largest array of irrigated lands in Russia. All this was ultimately reflected in the formation of the appearance of the countryside and the modern structure of agricultural production. Insufficient productivity of natural fodder lands is compensated by fodder production on irrigated lands, which was an incentive for the further development of animal husbandry.
The growth of the economic potential of the region continued until the end of the 1980s. By this time, the role of the "troika" of the main branches of industry—machine-building, chemical, and energy—had become much stronger. The largest new buildings of those years: factories of rubber products, chemical, self-propelled earth-moving machines, nuclear power plant in Balakovo; a factory for raincoat fabrics and a plant for autotractor trailers in Balashov; Engels factories of synthetic detergents and autotractor glow plugs; CHPP-5 in Saratov, etc. The Saratov region is one of the largest in Russia in terms of its industrial potential, the capacity of construction organizations, the volume of agricultural production, the size and level of the scientific and technical base and the training of qualified personnel and occupies an important place in the territorial division of labor.

In this article, you will learn a brief history of the Saratov region, about what territories it used to consist of and how it was transformed. The history of the Saratov region is inextricably linked with the history of every city and village, therefore, in order to study the history of our region in more detail, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the history of at least the largest cities. Read about the cities of the Saratov region in our section: Cities of the Saratov region.

History of the Saratov region

Within the existing borders, the Saratov region did not develop immediately. Before the revolution, its territory was part of two provinces: in Saratov - the Right Bank, in Samara - the Left Bank.

The first information about the Saratov region dates back to the 2nd century AD, when geographical data about the Volga appeared. Recall that earlier the name of the river was "Ra" and it was one of the main ancient Russian trade waterways, along which spices, silk, cotton, salt were transported from south to north, and honey, wax, hemp, wood, furs.

In addition, the road from Asia to Europe has long run through this territory. Numerous hordes of nomads advanced along this path from the east, bringing death and ruin to the peoples who inhabited the Russian land. But in the middle of the 16th century, the Muscovite state, having defeated the Tatar khanates, began to own the entire Volga route. True, the Lower Volga region was in danger for a long time after that. Nogais roamed on both sides of the Volga, and Crimean Tatars attacked Russian lands from the south.

Our land was described by many travelers: Marco Polo, Ibn Batut, P. Pallas, N.N. Semenov, I. Falk, I. Lepekhin, S. Nikitin, A. Tillo and others.

Throughout its history, the Saratov region has been transformed nine times! Russia

Transformations of the Saratov region

In 1780, the Saratov governorship was formed as part of nine counties (Saratov, Khvalynsky, Volsky, Kuznetsky, Serdobsky, Atkarsky, Petrovsky, Balashovsky and Kamyshinsky), and in 1797 the Saratov province was formed. After the revolution, in 1928, the Saratov province was transformed into the Lower Volga region. In 1928-1934, together with the German Autonomous Republic, the Lower Volga Region formed the Lower Volga Territory, and from January 10, 1934, the Saratov Territory.

The region was formed according to the Constitution of the USSR, adopted on December 5, 1936, by transforming the Saratov Territory into the Saratov Region with the allocation of the Volga German ASSR.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of September 7, 1941, the territories of 15 cantons of the former ASSR of the Volga Germans (Balzersky, Zolotovsky, Kamensky, Ternovsky, Kukkusky, Zelmansky, Krasnoyarsk, Marxstadt, Unterwaldensky, Fedorovsky, Gnadenflursky, Krasno-Kutsky, Lysandergeysky) were included in the Saratov region , Marienthal and Eckheim).

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 6, 1954, the cities of Balashov and Rtishchevo, Arkadaksky, Balashovsky, Kazachkinsky, Kistendeysky, Krasavsky, Makarovsky, Novo-Pokrovsky, Rodnichkovsky, Romanovsky, Rtishchevsky, Saltykovsky, Samoilovsky and Turkovsky districts. After the abolition of the Balashov region by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR of November 19, 1957, these cities and districts were returned to the Saratov region.

In custody

Saratov was founded in the first days of July 1590 as a guard fortress for the protection of the southern borders of the Russian state. The fact is that after the campaigns of Russian troops against the Kazan Khanate and the Astrakhan Khanate, the Russian kingdom received vast territories of the Volga region. It was decided to build new fortress cities on the Volga. In the summer of 1586, the Samara fortress was founded, and in the summer of 1589, Tsaritsyn ( now Volgograd). Saratov was founded by Prince Grigory Zasekin and the boyar Fyodor Turov, halfway between Samara and Tsaritsyn.

Today we recall the main milestones in the history of Saratov - a major cultural, economic and educational center of the Volga region.

The exact location of the original Saratov is unknown. The city was founded by Russian governors three times: in 1590, 1617 and 1674, and each time in a new place. To the south of the mountain, which is now called Sokolovaya, Colonel Alexander Shel laid the third building of the city in a new place in 1674. Sokolovaya Gora is still a popular place from where the entire city center is visible.

There are several hypotheses about the name of Saratov, but at the moment there is no generally accepted one. One of the hypotheses suggests that Saratov got its name from the name of Sokolovaya Mountain, in Tatar "sary tau" - "yellow mountain". There is also an assumption that the name of the city comes from the words "sar atav" - "low-lying island" or "saryk atov" - "hawk island". There is also an assumption that Saratov got its name from the Scythian-Iranian hydronym "sarat". There are also many hypotheses.

According to the Regional reform of 1708, Peter I, Saratov was assigned to the Kazan province. After 10 years, the city went to the Astrakhan province, another 10 years later - again to Kazan, and in 1739 - again to Astrakhan.

A strong impetus to the development of the city was given by the establishment in 1747 of the “salt management”. Opposite Saratov, Pokrovskaya Sloboda is founded by Ukrainians carters of salt from Elton. The location at the intersection of the shortest land route to Moscow and the water route from the lower reaches of the Volga and the Caspian makes Saratov an important transit point, a major center for the trade in fish and salt. So, in 1750, 3,264 tons of fish were sent from Saratov by carts (in 2005, 1,800 tons were caught).

On January 11, 1780, the city became the center of the Saratov governorate, renamed in 1796 into the Saratov province.

The General Plan of Saratov, approved in 1812, became the basis for the development of the city for more than a hundred years. Regular geometric quarters were planned, the so-called regular building, and in the old part of the city it was also proposed to “regulate” the construction of houses.

The Patriotic War of 1812 made its own adjustments to the life of Saratov. Many Saratov soldiers were awarded military orders, and three received golden swords with the inscription "For Courage". In 1813, French prisoners were exiled here, who were used for public works - they leveled ravines, built dams, planted gardens. In the future, many of them took Russian citizenship and remained forever in Saratov, populating the quarters of the German settlement.

In 1828, the Saratov Tobacco Factory, one of the first in Russia, began to operate in Saratov. In addition to it, a rope, leather, bell, brick and a number of other factories operated. Weaving workshops produced the famous cheap fabric - sarpinka, the "homeland" of which was Saratov.

The further growth of handicrafts and trade stimulated the development of a shipping company on the Volga.

The people of Saratov saw the first steamship in 1820, christening it "the devil's bark with a stove." But by the middle of the 19th century, shipping was actively developing, large shipping companies began to appear in the Volga basin.

The Volga, which turned into the main transport artery of Russia, made Saratov a major port. The number of residents of the city grew, and the appearance of the city changed; according to contemporaries, among other cities, "Saratov began to occupy one of the first places in terms of the beauty of buildings and the wealth of the inhabitants."

The strongest impetus to the development of the Saratov province was given by the construction in July 1871 of the Tambov-Saratov railway, which connected the city with the country's railway network, Saratov was connected by railway with Moscow, St. Petersburg and the ports of the Baltic Sea. By the beginning of the 20th century, it was possible to travel by rail from Saratov to 11 provinces of Russia. The industry began to grow rapidly.

In 1908, a tram appeared in Saratov. Saratov tram system, one of the oldest tram systems in Russia. The construction of a tram in Saratov began in August 1907. By this time, a horse-tram had been operating in Saratov for 20 years. On October 1, 1908, a trial tram passed along Ilyinskaya Street. On December 11, 1908 regular tram service began.

A significant contribution to the economic and cultural life of the province belongs to patrons. There were enough people in Saratov who loved their hometown very much and spared no effort and money for the prosperity of their region.

Among the first benefactors of the Saratov Territory were large landowners: princes S. F. Golitsyn and A. B. Kurakin, V. A. Volsky and K. V. Zlobin, A. P. Sapozhnikov, the Saratov merchant M. A. Ustinov.

Thanks to the manifesto of Catherine II of July 22, 1763, Saratov was for a long time the "center of attraction" for the Volga Germans, who at the beginning of the 20th century numbered about 800 thousand. After 1917, they received territorial autonomy - the ASSR of the Volga Germans. On October 19, 1918, by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, the first autonomous region in the RSFSR was formed from part of the territories of the Saratov and Samara provinces - the autonomous region of the Volga Germans.

Volga Germans leave for Germany under the care of Red Cross workers.December 2nd1929Swinemünde

Collectivization in the German countryside had sad consequences. According to historians, thousands of the most productive peasant farms were destroyed, while their owners were shot, arrested, imprisoned, deported, or, at best, became state laborers in "kulak" special settlements.

As relations between the USSR and Germany deteriorated, so did the attitude towards the Soviet Germans. According to the order of the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the USSR No. 00439 dated July 25, 1937, all Germans who worked in defense industry enterprises (or had defense workshops) were to be arrested. On July 30, arrests and dismissals began, and in the autumn of 1937 a mass operation began. In 1941, the Volga Germans were deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan.

The deportation of Germans to the USSR led to the decline of the national language and culture, to accelerated assimilation with the rest of the population of the USSR. Since the late 1980s, some ethnic Germans have returned in small numbers to the city of Engels, but a much larger number have emigrated to Germany.

The rapid development of Saratov was noted during the Great Patriotic War, when a number of factories and military schools were evacuated here from the west of the USSR. Until 1990, Saratov was a closed city (foreigners were not allowed to visit it), since several large defense industry enterprises worked in the city, in particular, the Saratov Aviation Plant, which produced military and civilian aircraft. Many industrial enterprises in Saratov also carried out orders for the Soviet space program.

In 2011, in the general city attractiveness rating compiled by the Russian Union of Engineers, Saratov ranked 20th out of 164 cities. Population dynamics, transport infrastructure, natural and ecological potential, housing affordability, innovative activity, welfare of citizens and other parameters were taken into account.

Stolypin Square. On the left - the Saratov city hall, in the center -monument P.A. Stolypin, on the right - Saratov Regional Duma

According to Forbes, in 2013 Saratov ranks 10th in terms of business attractiveness out of 30 cities. According to the results of this year's rating, Saratov overtook Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg in terms of financial attractiveness.

Down to the ground

People have lived on the site of modern Saratov since ancient times. Evidence of this is the Alekseevsky settlement - an archaeological monument with cultural horizons from the Catacomb culture of the Middle Bronze Age (XX-XIX centuries BC) to the Russian settlement of the Golden Horde period (XIII-XIV centuries). The settlement either revived during the period of a relatively stable state system (Khazar Kaganate, Volga Bulgaria, Golden Horde), then disappeared without a trace during the next tide of waves of nomadic peoples. The last such cycle before the foundation of Saratov ended in 1395-1396, during the invasion of Tamerlane, who destroyed Uvek (Ukek) - the Golden Horde city, the center of the ulus of the same name. In the next 200 years, the rare population of the Wild Field was represented by Nogai, and then Kalmyk nomad camps, gangs of thieves' Cossacks and fishing artels of Moscow monasteries.

Foundation of the city and the 17th century

After the campaigns of Russian troops against the Kazan Khanate in 1552 and the Astrakhan Khanate in 1556, the Muscovite kingdom received vast territories of the Volga region. Under Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, it was decided to build new fortress cities on the Volga. In the summer of 1586, the Samara fortress was founded, and in the summer of 1589, Tsaritsyn (now Volgograd). The city of Saratov was founded on July 2 (12), 1590 by Prince Grigory Zasekin and boyar Fyodor Turov, halfway between Samara and Tsaritsyn.

The exact location of the original Saratov is unknown - it varies from the modern left-bank Anisovka opposite Uvek to Pristannoye on the right bank of the Volga. In the winter of 1613-1614, the city burned down and was rebuilt on the left bank of the Volga, at the mouth of the Saratovka River, in 1617. It was seen at this place by Adam Olearius in 1636 and by Jan Struys:

“August 14, 1669 anchored in Saratov. This is a small city located on a plain irrigated by one of the branches of the Volga River. The neighborhood of the Cossacks, Tatars, Kalmyks makes it necessary to keep a strong garrison in it. In this place, Kalmyks begin to meet, who, in my opinion, are uglier and more terrible than all people.

In 1674, according to the royal decree of Alexei Mikhailovich "Saratov on the mountains to make a new one", the city was moved to the right bank of the Volga, to the area of ​​​​the present Museum Square.

As a result, the city called Saratov was founded by Russian governors three times: in 1590, 1617 and 1674, and each time in a new place. This mountain is now called Sokolovaya Gora. Sokolovaya Gora is still a popular place from where almost the entire city is visible. It was to the south of it that Colonel Alexander Shel laid the third building of the city in a new place in 1674.

Throughout the 17th century, Saratov and its environs were devastated by various gangs of thieves, Kalmyks and Kuban Tatars, who did not stop attacking it until the first half of the 18th century. In 1670, Stepan Razin subjected the city to a three-day robbery. In 1708 he was under siege by Bulavin's troops.

The settled agricultural population could not occupy the region for a very long time. Only those who were attracted by the free life of the Cossacks and the impunity of robberies and robberies on the Volga came here. Kazan Governor Artemy Volynsky, in his report to the Senate in 1719, says:

“From Saratov to Astrakhan, between cities of two hundred and three hundred miles, there was no living, for the sake of both merchants, and passers-by and fishermen from Kalmyks and Kuban, great ruin is being repaired and working people are taken prisoner.”

City name

There are several hypotheses about the name of Saratov, but at the moment there is no generally accepted one. In the recent past, it was believed that Saratov got its name from Sokolovaya Mountain, which was called in Tatar "sary tau" - "yellow mountain". However, this hypothesis has now been refuted, since Sokolovaya Mountain has never been yellow, and a forest has always grown on it. There is an assumption that the name of the city comes from the words "sar atav" - "low-lying island" or "saryk atov" - "hawk island". There is an assumption that Saratov got its name from the Scythian-Iranian hydronym "sarat". There are also many hypotheses that find much less support than the above.

Territory settlement. provincial center

The construction of the Tsaritsyno guard line (1718-20) and other measures taken by Peter I to strengthen security created the conditions for settling the Right Bank. According to the Regional reform of 1708, Saratov was assigned to the Kazan province. In 1718 the city went to the Astrakhan province; from 1728 - again in Kazan, in 1739 - again in Astrakhan.

In 1700, Peter I granted a letter of allotment to Saratov of 298,763 acres on the meadow and upland sides of the Volga.

“The construction of the city itself is quite fair, although there is no stone structure in it, except for 7 churches and two monasteries - male and female; however, the straight streets and good rows make this city pleasant, so that it can be reckoned as one of the best cities on the Volga. It contains salt and fish piers, tanneries, rope, hat and mulberry factories. For the last of these, about five versts from the city, a vast garden has been planted with mulberry trees, which are irrigated by springs spouting from the mountains. Near the city on the banks of the Volga there is a whole fleet of ships with guns - for safety from the daring people traveling along the Volga.

Academician I. I. Lepekhin 1769

A strong impetus to the development of the city was given by the establishment in 1747 of the “salt administration”. Opposite Saratov, Pokrovskaya Sloboda is founded by Little Russian salt carriers (Chumaks) from Elton. The location at the intersection of the shortest land route to Moscow and the water route from the lower reaches of the Volga and the Caspian makes Saratov an important transit point, a major center for the trade in fish and salt. So in 1750, 204 thousand poods of fish were sent from Saratov by carts (3264 tons, for comparison, 1800 tons of fish were caught in 2005).

According to the manifesto of Catherine II in 1762, the persecution of schismatics was stopped, they were allocated lands in the Trans-Volga region. In the future, this led to the emergence in Saratov of a significant number of economically active Old Believer merchants. In 1763, foreigners were invited to settle in the free lands of the Volga region and New Russia. Established in Saratov in 1766, the "Office of the Office of Guardianship of Foreigners" became the center for managing German colonists in the Volga region.

In Saratov, Emelyan Pugachev had his last tangible success. On August 6, 1774, the army surrounded the impostor, and after the battle on August 7, took the city. But by this time, Michelson's detachments were already literally on the heels of the Pugachevites, and on August 11, Saratov came under the control of government troops.

On January 11, 1780, the city became the center of the Saratov governorate, renamed in 1796 into the Saratov province.

The administrative measures of enlightened absolutism for the organization and development of the city were expressed in the deployment of civil stone construction, the planting of modern education and health care. A public school (1786), a printing house (1794), and a hospital (1806) were opened. Offices were built, a noble assembly (1807), a theater (1810), a guest house (1811), a gymnasium (1820), the magnificent cathedrals of Alexander Nevsky (1825) and the Transfiguration Cathedral (1826).

The basis for the development of the city for more than a hundred years was the General Plan of Saratov approved in 1812 (drawn up in 1803-10, revised after the great fire of 1811).

In the reign of Nikolai Pavlovich, order was put in place in the provincial administration, the rule of law was strengthened. A prison castle and barracks are being built. Capital buildings of 4 police units with fire towers are being erected in the city. “Since then, in terms of organization, the Saratov fire brigade and tools have competed with the Moscow one, as the authorities responded during inspection reviews of it.” Prior to this, the city was completely burned out up to 15 times.

On October 20, 1828, in view of the strengthening of the schism, an independent episcopal see was established. After 2 years, a seminary was opened, and a year later, in 1831, the first parish schools for the common people and a public library. In 1848, the Tiraspol diocese was formed with a center in Saratov, for the spiritual guidance of the Russian Germans of the Catholic confession.

Cholera epidemics broke out in 1830 and 1848. The terrible epidemic of 1830, which lasted more than a month, claimed up to 10,000 people (a quarter of the city's population).

In 1844, a new building of the City Duma was solemnly opened. In the same year, the private bailiff V. V. Grishin, at his own expense, installed a water supply from under Lysa Gora, followed by wiring to five collapsible pools. The paving and lighting of the central streets began.

In 1892, a cholera epidemic broke out again in Saratov, which caused a riot in Khvalynsk.

"Capital of the Volga Region"

On July 4, 1871, the construction of the Tambov-Saratov railway was completed, connecting the city with Moscow and St. Petersburg, the rapid growth of industry began, the city became one of the largest in Russia (along with Nizhny Novgorod and Samara) centers of grain trading and flour-grinding industry.

The historian S. Kedrov wrote about Saratov in 1893:

“... Saratov today, with its 120,000 population, about 8 thousand students in 69 schools, approximately 600 thousand in annual budget, 138 factories and plants, 16933 buildings, a relatively developed public press (9 publications, including five newspapers), with its museum, arcade, partly asphalt sidewalks on the main streets, water supply, railway and horse-drawn railways, opera and drama theatres, an extensive library and a bright public reading room - takes on a metropolitan appearance according to the local public consciousness.

Until the end of the 1920s, Saratov was the largest of the cities of the Volga region (larger than Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, etc.) and was often unofficially referred to as the "capital of the Volga region."

In Soviet times

From 1928 to 1932, Saratov was the center of the Nizhnevolzhsky, from 1934 - the Saratov Territory, from 1936 - the Saratov Region. The rapid development of the city was noted during the Great Patriotic War, when a number of factories and military schools were evacuated here from the west of the USSR. Until 1990, Saratov was a closed city (foreigners were not allowed to visit it), since several large defense industry enterprises worked in the city, in particular, the Saratov Aviation Plant, which produces military and civilian aircraft. Many industrial enterprises in Saratov also carried out orders for the Soviet space program.

Modern Saratov

Saratov is a multifunctional center with numerous industrial, cultural and educational institutions. In the historical center are the administration of the city and the region (a complex of buildings built in the late 19th - mid-20th centuries); theaters: opera and ballet (1875), drama (1967), young spectator, conservatory (1912), circus, philharmonic; Museums: Saratov Art Museum named after A. N. Radishchev (1885), House-Museum of K. Fedin (building of the beginning of the 18th century), Museum-estate of Nikolai Chernyshevsky (beginning of the 19th century).

Saratov is a well-known center of higher education, research and design activities in Russia. In addition to one of the oldest universities in Russia, SSU, there are more than a dozen universities. The city also has developed engineering, oil and chemical industries,

Thanks to the manifesto of Catherine II of July 22, 1763, for a long time Saratov was the "center of attraction" for the Volga Germans, who at the beginning of the 20th century numbered about 800 thousand people.

During the Great Patriotic War, many of them were resettled in Siberia and Kazakhstan; some subsequently returned. Since the 1980s, most have emigrated to Germany, but until now, the Catholic Cathedral of St. Clement (now converted into the Pioneer cinema) on Nemetskaya Street reminds of Saratov's past.