To the question What is the name of the city of Stalingrad now? given by the author User deleted the best answer is The city, now called Volgograd, entered the history of World War II, the history of the USSR and Russia under the name Stalingrad.
After the war, the historical name was changed. Was the decision taken at one time to rename Stalingrad to Volgograd correct? Russians do not have a clear opinion: 39% think this decision is wrong, and 31% think it is correct. The latter point of view is most often shared by people under 35 years of age (39%) and respondents with higher education (37%). The renaming of Stalingrad is considered wrong mainly by supporters of G. Zyuganov (60%), respondents over 50 years of age (55%), as well as people with incomplete secondary education (47%).
From time to time, proposals are made to return the “historical” name to the city. 20% of respondents support this idea. These are mainly those who do not like the renaming of Stalingrad to Volgograd. Half of those who support the initiators of returning the city’s old name motivate their point of view by the fact that “Stalingrad is the history of Russia,” the memory of the war and those killed during the Battle of Stalingrad (11%): “for history: we need to remember the war” ; “this name has gone down in world history”; “The war veterans will be pleased, and the younger generation will remember how many lives were given so that there would never be a return to bloodshed.”
For 4% of respondents, Stalingrad is “the city of Stalin.” By renaming they would like to perpetuate the memory of their beloved leader: “let Stalin remain for centuries”; “Stalin is a historical figure; we, our generation, love him”; "Stalin's merits are undeniable."
For another 2% of respondents, Stalingrad is “the first name”, “more familiar” (“we are already accustomed to these cities, to the old names”; “the first name is always somehow familiar, better”).
There are almost twice as many opponents of renaming Volgograd to Stalingrad as supporters (38%).
A fifth of respondents (18%) consider this idea pointless and expensive - it causes irritation: “you shouldn’t engage in nonsense”; “enough to make people laugh”; "nothing else to do?"; "an expensive event for a poor country"; “all this costs people’s money”; “changing the name of the city all the time is indecent”; "I'm tired of renaming."
For 8% of respondents, returning the name Stalingrad to the city is unacceptable due to a negative attitude towards the leader: “Stalin does not deserve it - he is a criminal of the highest order”; “There was no greater criminal towards his people.”
And 5% of respondents simply like the name Volgograd. It seems familiar and suitable to them, natural for a city on the Volga: “everyone is already accustomed to the name Volgograd”; “the city stands on the Volga and let it bear the name of this great river”; "Volgograd sounds beautiful."
1% of respondents were against naming cities after politicians (“cities cannot be renamed in honor of leaders”; “there should be no political names in the names of cities”). And another 1% of respondents are convinced that cities should bear their original historical names, and if they are planning to rename Volgograd again, then it is necessary to Tsaritsyn (“I am for the original name of the city - what it was under the tsar”; “if it is restored, then Tsaritsyn"; "the names should remain the same as they were assigned from birth").
It should be noted that every third Russian (33%) does not care what name the famous Volga hero city will bear.
Agree.
Answer from Yoidor Ivanenko[active]
Volgograd
Answer from V@mp[guru]
VOLOGRAD of course!
Answer from Anatoly[newbie]
Hit yourself at the wall untill you die! Unified State Examination.
Answer from Georgy Telegin[newbie]
Volgograd
Answer from Daniil Ponomarev[newbie]
Volgograd for sure!
Answer from Elena Kolesnikova[newbie]
Volgograd I'm sure
Answer from Garik Avakyan[guru]
In 1925, Tsaritsyn was renamed Stalingrad. By this time, the city ranked nineteenth among the cities of our state in terms of population. Rapid population growth - from 85 thousand people in 1920 to. 112 thousand in 1925 and 140 thousand in 1927 - served as a kind of impetus for the scale of housing construction.
In the housing construction of this period, a search was carried out for new forms of living, new structures, and a new artistic image of modern housing.
By 1927, the restoration of destroyed medical institutions in the city was completed and the construction of new ones began. The network of school and preschool institutions, cultural centers, and clubs was expanded. During the same period, the Drama Theater with a permanent theater studio was opened. For the workers of the Red October plant, the best club named after Lenin in the city at that time was built.
The further rapid development of the mountains was associated with the industrialization of the country.
In 1928, construction of the country's first tractor plant began on the northern outskirts of Stalingrad. It was erected in an unprecedentedly short time. Already on June 17, 1930, the first wheeled tractor rolled off the main conveyor belt of Seversky Krai. In parallel with the construction of the tractor plant, the construction of a powerful regional power station began. Became a state district power station.
The metallurgical plant "Red October" began producing new products - high-quality steel. In the 30s, a shipyard appeared on the southern outskirts of the city.
The new hardware plant began supplying parts for tractor factories in Stalingrad and Kharkov.
Forestry and woodworking enterprises were reconstructed and expanded, large red and sand-lime brick factories, canning, tanning and soap factories, a meat processing plant, a soft drink plant, bakeries, a furniture plant, knitting factories and other light and food industry enterprises were built.
The city center has been transformed. The houses of loaders, canners, utility workers, pilots, the building of the regional executive committee, residential buildings on Lenin, Saratovskaya, Ostrovsky streets, as well as the buildings that form the Square of the Fallen Fighters, the House of the Red Army and the commune, the central department store, the Intourist Hotel and others formed the main appearance of pre-war Stalingrad. The central embankment was being improved. The wooden warehouses were demolished, the embankment slopes were graded and landscaped.
The Metro cafe appeared on one of them. Already in 1935 - 1937. it was the best embankment among the cities of the Volga region.
Many plans were not destined to come true - the Great Patriotic War began.
From its very first days, the city became one of the largest arsenals in the southeast of the country. Stalingrad factories produced and repaired tanks, artillery pieces, ships, mortars, machine guns and other weapons. A militia division and eight fighter battalions were formed. On October 23, 1941, a city defense committee was created, which played a major role in coordinating the actions of military and civilian authorities.
The construction of defensive fortifications was carried out on a huge scale by units of the 5th Engineer Army and the working people of the city and region. More than 2,800 km of lines, 2,730 km of trenches and communication passages, 1,880 km of anti-tank obstacles, 85 thousand positions for fire weapons, and 4 defensive contours (including the city one) were built.
In the shortest possible time, together with military railway workers, the railway lines Stalingrad - Vladimirovka - Baskunchak and Astrakhan - Kizlyar were built, which subsequently played a significant role in supplying troops in the Stalingrad direction. In the spring of 1942, regular fascist air raids on Stalingrad began, which were repelled by local air defense forces. By the beginning of summer, the enemy seized the strategic initiative in the southwestern direction.
The troops of the Bryansk, Southwestern and Southern fronts, suffering heavy losses, retreated 150 - 400 kilometers. The balance of forces in this direction was in favor of the enemy. The failure of the Kharkov operation worsened the situation at the front. Prot
Answer from ALTON[guru]
Volgograd
Answer from Irina[guru]
and before there was Tsaritsin
It is curious that when making such a state decision, none of the Soviet leaders dared to declare its necessity and importance personally, from the rostrum of the same congress. Including the head of state and party Nikita Khrushchev. A modest party official, secretary of the Leningrad regional party committee Ivan Spiridonov, who was soon safely dismissed, was entrusted with “voicing” the guiding opinion.
One of the many decisions of the Central Committee, designed to finally eliminate the consequences of the so-called cult of personality, was the renaming of all settlements previously named in honor of Stalin - Ukrainian Stalino (now Donetsk), Tajik Stalinabad (Dushanbe), Georgian-Ossetian Staliniri (Tskhinvali), German Stalinstadt (Eisenhüttenstadt), Russian Stalinsk (Novokuznetsk) and the hero city of Stalingrad. Moreover, the latter did not receive the historical name Tsaritsyn, but, without further ado, was named after the river flowing through it - Volgograd. Perhaps this was due to the fact that Tsaritsyn could remind people of the not so distant times of the monarchy.
The decision of party leaders was not even influenced by the historical fact that the name of the key Battle of Stalingrad in the Great Patriotic War passed from the past to the present and has been preserved to this day. And that the whole world calls the city where it happened at the turn of 1942 and 1943 Stalingrad. At the same time, the emphasis is not on the late generalissimo and commander-in-chief, but on the truly steely courage and heroism of the Soviet soldiers who defended the city and defeated the fascists.
Not in honor of kings
The earliest historical mention of the city on the Volga is dated July 2, 1589. And its first name was Tsaritsyn. Historians' opinions on this matter, by the way, vary. Some of them believe that it comes from the phrase Sary-chin (translated as Yellow Island). Others point out that the Tsaritsa River flowed not far from the 16th-century border Streltsy settlement. But both of them agreed on one thing: the name has no special relation to the queen, and indeed to the monarchy in general. Consequently, Stalingrad could well have been returned to its former name in 1961.Was Stalin angry?
Historical documents of early Soviet times indicate that the initiator of the renaming of Tsaritsyn to Stalingrad, which happened on April 10, 1925, was not Joseph Stalin himself or any of the communists of a lower leadership level, but ordinary residents of the city, the impersonal public. They say that in this way the workers and intellectuals wanted “dear Joseph Vissarionovich” for his participation in the defense of Tsaritsyn during the Civil War. They say that Stalin, having learned about the initiative of the townspeople, even expressed displeasure about this. However, he did not cancel the decision of the City Council. And soon thousands of settlements, streets, football teams and enterprises named after the “leader of the peoples” appeared in the USSR.Tsaritsyn or Stalingrad
Several decades after Stalin’s name disappeared from Soviet maps, seemingly forever, a discussion broke out in Russian society and in Volgograd itself about whether it was worth returning the city’s historical name? And if so, which of the previous two? Even Russian Presidents Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin contributed to the ongoing process of discussions and disputes, at different times inviting citizens to express their opinion on this matter in a referendum and promising to take it into account. Moreover, the first did this on Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, the second - at a meeting with veterans of the Great Patriotic War in France.And on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, the country was surprised by deputies of the local Duma. Taking into account, according to them, numerous requests from veterans, they decided to consider Volgograd as Stalingrad for six days a year. Such memorable dates at the local legislative level were:
February 2 is the day of the final victory in the Battle of Stalingrad;
May 9 - Victory Day;
June 22 - Day of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War;
August 23 - Day of Remembrance for the victims of the bloodiest bombing of the city;
September 2 - Day of the end of World War II;
November 19 - The day of the beginning of the defeat of the Nazis at Stalingrad.
Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd in November 1961 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR. The decree was signed by the chairman and secretary of the presidium N. Organov and S. Orlov. The city bore the name of the “leader of the peoples” for 36 years. Its original name is Tsaritsyn.
Instructions
The first mentions of the city of Tsaritsyn in documents date back to 1589, the period of Fyodor Ivanovich, the son of Ivan the Terrible. The city received its name, apparently, from the Tsaritsa River. The name of the river most likely comes from the distorted Tatar “sari-su” (water) or “sara-chin” (yellow island). According to folk legends, recorded in the 19th century by local historian A. Leopoldov, the river was named after a certain. Either the daughter of Batu, who accepted martyrdom for the Christian faith, or the wife of this Horde king, who loved to walk along the picturesque banks of the steppe river.
In April 1925, Tsaritsyn was renamed Stalingrad. The initiative to rename, as usual, came from local party leaders. In the 1920s, a semi-spontaneous campaign began to rename cities named after representatives of the Russian imperial house. The name Tsaritsyn also turned out to be inconvenient. The question was not whether to rename it or not, but after whom to rename it. Various versions have been put forward. Thus, it is well known that the prominent Sergei Konstantinovich Minin, one of the leaders of the defense of Tsaritsyn against the “whites” during the civil war, sought to rename the city to Miningrad. As a result, local party leaders, led by the secretary of the provincial committee Boris Petrovich Shedolbaev, decided to name the city after Stalin. Joseph Vissarionovich himself, judging by the surviving documents, was not very enthusiastic about this idea.
The city received its current name Volgograd in 1961 during the “de-Stalinization” campaign. At that time, it was considered ideologically correct to get rid of geographical names reminiscent of the “leader of the peoples.” The choice of what new name to give the city was not obvious. It was proposed to rename it Heroysk, Boygorodsk, Leningrad-on-Volga and Khrushchevsk. The point of view prevailed that “the names of the hero city and the mighty river on which it is located should merge together.” Immediately after the removal of N.S. Khrushchev from the leadership of the state, initiatives began to appear to return the name of Stalingrad. Supporters of this idea, of which there are many now, in a similar way want to perpetuate the heroism of Soviet soldiers in the Battle of Stalingrad, which turned the tide of World War II.
Helpful advice
Sources:
- DECREE of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR dated November 10, 1961 "ON THE RENAME OF THE STALINGRAD REGION INTO THE VOLGOGRAD REGION AND THE CITY OF STALINGRAD INTO THE CITY OF VOLGOGRAD"
- Tsaritsyn, Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron
- Leopoldov A. Historical sketch of the Saratov region
- Miningrad - the city that could have been
- Renaming Volgograd
The city of Tsaritsyn and the street name derived from it - Tsaritsynskaya - is a heritage, which is quite logical and natural, from tsarist and imperial times. Modern Volgograd bore this name from 1589 to 1925 before it was renamed Stalingrad. But which Russian cities have streets with this name?
Volgograd and Volgograd region
Tsaritsynskaya street is in the former city of Tsaritsyn. In Volgograd (Angarsky microdistrict), its length is 1.3 kilometers, and the maximum numbering of houses is up to 79. The presence of just such a name in the city is quite logical, based on its original name. But not everything is so simple here, since historians continue to put forward a large number of hypotheses explaining this name. At first glance, Tsaritsyn or “the city of the queen” could get its name from the river of the same name flowing through it (and now near Volgograd). Other historians, making clarifications, argue that this name has nothing to do with Russian female autocrats, since the “queen” is a Tatar princess who loved to walk along the banks of what was then a fairly large and full-flowing river, where a very bad thing happened to her. a story that connected the princess with the Russian hero.
Another version, dating back to Ivan the Terrible, claims that the same “queen” was Ivan the Terrible’s wife Anastasia, to whom the Russian Tsar dedicated the construction of a small fortress in 1556.
But the most meticulous historians, who, nevertheless, largely share the opinions of adherents of the first theory, put forward a third hypothesis about the Tatar or even Bulgar origin of the name of the city. They believe that the Russians simply remade the phrase “sary su” or “yellow water” in their own way. The thing is that the Tsaritsa River has long been known for its muddy yellow waters, as it collected rain streams along with clay and sand. As confirmation of this particular version, historians offer the name of the island near Volgograd - “Sary Chan” or “Sarachan” or literally “Yellow Island”.
In addition to the aforementioned Tsaritsynskaya street in Volgograd, there is also a street of the same name in the village of Yuzhny near the city of Volzhsky, Volgograd region.
Other Tsaritsyn streets
There is one in the Leningrad region, in Peterhof. It is very small - only about 400 meters long with two houses. In house number two there is the Cascade cinema, the Barsky Corner restaurant and the Night City night club, and in the first there is Nikolaevskaya and its dental department, as well as a pharmacy.
Be that as it may, Russians remembered the name “Tsaritsyn” well relatively recently after the initiative of the country’s authorities to rename Volgograd to Stalingrad. Then a group of citizens took up the idea, but suggested returning to a more elegant and earlier name. Which of these proposals will win, as well as which version of historians will find greater confirmation - only time will tell.
Video on the topic
Volgograd is one of the large cities of the Russian Federation, located in its European part, where more than a million people live. At the same time, during its history it has managed to change more than one name.
Volgograd is a city that played a significant role in the history of the country. Today, this metropolis, home to more than 1 million people, is part of the Volga District of the Russian Federation.
Tsaritsyn
Until 1589, the settlement located on the site of today's Volgograd was actually a small village. However, after Russia managed to conquer the Astrakhan Khanate in the second half of the 16th century, trade with the Caspian territories began to actively develop in the region, and a need arose to organize the protection of the emerging trade route so that merchants carrying money could feel relatively safe.To this end, local governor Grigory Zasekin founded several small fortresses at the end of the 16th century, including Tsaritsyn, Samara and Saratov. In particular, the first mention of a fortress called Tsaritsyn dates back to 1589. Since then, this year has been considered the official date of the founding of Volgograd, and it counts its age from there.
Stalingrad
The city was renamed on April 10, 1925: instead of the former name Tsaritsyn, it began to be called Stalingrad. Of course, the new name was given to it in honor of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, who since 1922 served as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.However, over the next few years, Stalingrad did not stand out from the others with any significant features. Real world fame came to him after the famous Battle of Stalingrad took place on the city territory in 1942. During this battle, which began on August 23, 1942 and finally ended only on February 2, 1943 with the surrender of the Sixth Army of the Wehrmacht, the Soviet army was able to turn the tide of World War II in its favor. In memory of this battle, the famous memorial complex on Mamayev Kurgan was erected in 1967, which includes the world-famous Motherland monument.
Volgograd
Despite all the historical significance of the name, in 1961 the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR decided to rename the city again. This time it was decided to name it in relation to its geographical location, giving it the name Volgograd. As historians note, this idea was put forward as part of the campaign to combat Stalin’s personality cult, which unfolded after his death. As a result, on November 10, 1961, an official decree was issued to give the city a new name - Volgograd. districtIt is the administrative center of the Lower Volga industrial zone of the Volga economic region and the Volgograd region.
Glorious Past
Until 1589, on the site of the city there was a Tatar settlement “Meskhet”. After the conquest of the Astrakhan Khanate, it was decided to found the city of Tsaritsyn for connecting trade between Russia and the Caspian region, where salt became the main product.
The founding day of Volgograd is considered to be July 2, 1589. At that time, three fortresses were already based on the banks of the Volga to protect the waterway and caravans. Among them was the Tsaritsyn fortress, which controlled the eastern side of the Volga-Don crossing, where the shortest route between the Volga and Don passed.
Until 1800, the city remained a small border village with a garrison. The main population consisted of military personnel who served to protect trade routes and caravans. At that time, Tatar and Cossack raids were common in the city. He was often in enemy siege or peasant rebellion.
Since 1776, Tsaritsyn began to gradually grow. The new stage brought a noticeable increase in outbuildings and civilian population. The area around the city began to be successfully developed.
After the construction of the Volga-Don Railway in 1862, the city became the main transport hub of the region.
Since 1870, a boom in industrial growth began. Oil depots, metallurgical and weapons factories became the basis of Tsaritsyn's industry thanks to the transport hub.
In the period 1918-1920, several military operations were carried out in the city, in which the Red Army emerged victorious.
On April 10, 1925, Tsaritsyn was renamed Stalingrad, in honor of Stalin. It was with this new name that the glorious city became a hero of the Great Patriotic War, where the famous Battle of Stalingrad took place from 1942 to 1943. The city suffered greatly at that time and after the war all efforts were devoted to restoration.
On November 10, 1961, the city was renamed Volgograd due to the “de-Stalinization” of that period, and has this name to this day. After the war, the city continued to increase its industrial potential due to its location on the Volga River and transport routes.
Today the city has a rich history, stretching from Tsaritsyn to Volgograd.
Video on the topic
The Battle of Stalingrad became a turning point in the Great Patriotic War. After it, the advantage passed to the side of the Soviet army. Therefore, Stalingrad became one of the main symbols of the Great Victory of the Soviet people over Nazi Germany. But why was this hero city soon renamed? And what is Stalingrad called now?
Tsaritsyn, Stalingrad, Volgograd
In 1961, by Decree of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR, the city was renamed, and now Stalingrad is called Volgograd. Until 1925, this city was called Tsaritsyn. When Joseph Stalin actually came to power in the USSR, the personality cult of the new leader began, and some cities began to bear his name. So Tsaritsyn became Stalingrad. But after Stalin’s death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev became the new leader of the country and in 1956, at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party, he debunked Stalin’s cult of personality, pointing out all its negative consequences. Five years later, the massive dismantling of monuments to Stalin began, and the cities that bore his name began to return their former names. But the origin of the name Tsaritsyn did not fit into Soviet ideology somewhat; they began to choose a different name for the city and settled on Volgograd, since it stands on the great Russian Volga River.
Volgograd - on weekdays, Stalingrad - on holidays
True, in 2013, deputies of the Volgograd City Duma partially returned the old name to the city and decided to use the combination hero city of Stalingrad as a symbol of Volgograd on holidays, such as May 9, February 23, June 22 and other significant dates associated with the history of the city. This was done as a tribute to the veterans of the Great Patriotic War.
When did the city change its name and did the local council members really decide to rename it again? For years, debates have raged about whether cities should return their old names, which they received in Soviet times or before the revolution. Many cities in Russia have several names; a special place among them is occupied by the hero city, regional center and million-plus city Volgograd.How many times was Volgograd renamed?
Volgograd was renamed twice. This city was founded in 1589 and was first called Tsaritsyn because it was originally located on an island on the Tsarina River. Local peoples in Turkic called this river “Sary-su” - “yellow water”; the name of the city goes back to the Turkic “Sary-sin”, which means “yellow island”.
At first it was a small border military town, which often repelled raids by nomads and rebel troops. However, Tsaritsyn subsequently became an industrial center.
In 1925, Tsaritsyn was first renamed Stalingrad in honor of Stalin. During the Civil War, Stalin was chairman of the Military Council of the North Caucasus Military District. He led the defense of Tsaritsyn from the Don Army of Ataman Krasnov.
In 1961, the city was renamed for the second time. From Stalingrad it turned into Volgograd. This happened just during the debunking of the “cult of personality of Stalin”
Who and when wanted to return the old names to the city?
Disputes about renaming Volgograd back to Stalingrad or Tsaritsyn have been going on for a long time. This issue has been discussed several times in the media. Communists usually advocate returning the name Stalingrad to the city. In addition to the communists, for some reason residents of St. Petersburg collected signatures in support of this initiative, which surprised the Volgograd residents themselves. Another part of the residents periodically asks to return the pre-revolutionary name of Tsaritsyn to Volgograd.
However, many citizens do not support the initiative to rename the city. For 50 years they have become quite accustomed to the name Volgograd and would not want to change anything.
Have the authorities really decided that Volgograd will be called Stalingrad?
Yes, but, paradoxically, the city will be called Stalingrad for only a few days a year.
February 2 - the day of the defeat of the Nazi troops in the Battle of Stalingrad, May 9 - Victory Day, June 22 - the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, September 2 - the Day of the end of World War II, August 23 - the Day of Remembrance of the victims of the massive bombing of Stalingrad fascist German aviation and November 19 - the day the defeat of fascist troops at Stalingrad began.
The name “hero city of Stalingrad” will be used at citywide public events. The rest of the year the city will remain Volgograd.
Deputies of the Volgograd City Duma made this decision on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad.
According to deputies, the document on the use of the name “hero city of Stalingrad” on memorable days was adopted on the basis of numerous requests from veterans.
Last photo: Volgograd. Panorama of the Battle of Stalingrad. Fragment.
Stalingrad is a hero city located on the great Russian Volga River. For some, he is a symbol of the perseverance and dedication of the Russian people.
Some associate this name with the name of I.V. Stalin, a rather controversial figure in the history of the country. In this article we will tell you in detail what Stalingrad is now called and how to find it on the map.
Founding history
His story begins in 1589. The city occupied the island of Tsaritsyn, located at the confluence of the river of the same name into the Volga. Exactly Tsaritsa River this settlement owes its first name - Tsaritsyn. It has always had strategic importance in military conflicts and various unrest. At the time of its foundation, the fortress garrison fought off nomadic raids on river caravans in the area of the Volgodonsk Isthmus.
During the turbulent XVII-XVIII centuries. the city was sacked and burned several times. The Time of Troubles became for him the period of his first serious trials. The city, which supported the false rulers, was burned by government troops. It was rebuilt in 1615, not on the island, but on the banks of the Volga.
During numerous uprisings and peasant wars of this period, Tsaritsyn was at the epicenter of events. The last significant clash of this time was the defense of the city from the troops of Emelyan Pugachev. Tsaritsyn became the only settlement in the lower Volga that did not submit to Pugachev. For his brave actions, the commandant of the fortress was awarded the rank of general.
From the second half of the 18th century, due to significantly expanded borders, the city became a quiet and peaceful settlement.
The 19th century becomes a time of active expansion and development for Tsaritsyn. A school, a pharmacy and a coffee shop are opening. Industrial enterprises appear. In the second half of the century the city became a major railway junction. The convenience of the location and developed infrastructure make it possible to open large industrial enterprises in it: a metallurgical and weapons factory, kerosene production.
The period of quiet life and development was stopped by the tragic events of the early 20th century. During the Civil War Tsaritsyn became a Bolshevik stronghold in the Volga region. He withstood 3 assaults by the White Guards. In these events, J.V. Stalin, commander of the North Caucasus Military District at that time, played an important role.
As a result of the fourth attempt, the settlement came under the control of the white army for a short time. At the beginning of 1920, Tsaritsyn finally became subordinate to the Red Army. These events caused a lot of grief to the residents of the city and significantly weakened its economy.
Following these tragic events, famine came to the settlement, which claimed the lives of several million people. Foreign charitable organizations provided assistance to the townspeople, and a good harvest and the end of the Civil War in 1923 marked the beginning of a new rise for the brave city on the Volga.
In the Soviet state there could not be a city with a name reminiscent of the country's tsarist past. It was decided to rename it. in honor of a man who distinguished himself during the defense of the city from White Guard detachments. It is under this name that the settlement on the Volga will become a world famous place.
The years 20–30 became a period of active development of industry and the social sphere for Stalingrad. Existing enterprises were restored and new ones were built: tractor and hardware plants, a shipyard. Urban public transport was actively developing, housing construction was underway, education and medicine were developing. Stalingrad grew and improved.
Trial by war
Peacetime for both the city and the entire country ended in 1941. The enterprises of Stalingrad completely switched to the production of military products. Women and children stood at the machines. And in July 1942, the war came directly to the Volga. On July 17, the bloody and heroic Battle of Stalingrad began, which claimed the lives of more than a million people - soldiers, women, children, old people.
During the air raids, most of the city areas were destroyed. But the Stalingrad residents, living in dugouts and fleeing from airstrikes in the basements, continued to build fortifications and go to work at the machines. For 200 long days, Soviet troops and residents of Stalingrad held back the Nazi army. The perseverance, courage, heroism and dedication of the Soviet people made it possible not only to defend the city, but also to encircle (November 1942), and then defeat (February 1943) the army of General Paulus.
The significance of this victory cannot be overestimated. At the cost of enormous human sacrifice, the Soviet Union turned the tide of events in World War II. The Nazi plans were destroyed. Their allies changed their minds, and many of them began to look for ways out of hostilities.
And Stalingrad lay in ruins. About 35 thousand inhabitants remained alive, although almost half a million people lived here before the war. A huge number of dead bodies of people and animals on the streets threatened a new disaster - an epidemic. But the heroic city began to recover.
In the relatively surviving area - the village of Beketovka - city services were located, medical institutions were deployed, public transport began to operate, and the most surviving buildings were repaired. But the war was not over yet, and the main resources were used to restore the defense industry.
Most of the Stalingrad factories resumed work in 1943, and in 1944, already assembled tanks and tractors rolled off the assembly line.
The 50s became a period of another active construction in Stalingrad. The housing stock was actively restored and public buildings were built. New streets and squares appeared. And in 1952, the Volgodonsk Canal named after I.V. Stalin was opened. A lot of objects in the city were dedicated to the “Leader of the Peoples”. But this was the case until 1953.
The city after the debunking of the cult of personality
After Stalin’s death, N.S. Khrushchev, who replaced him, began “debunking the cult of personality.” Monuments to Stalin were demolished, the names of objects named in his honor were changed. This phenomenon could not ignore the glorious Volga city. In 1961, Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd.
Volgograd was still actively developing and growing. In 1967, the Mamayev Kurgan memorial complex was built, supplemented in 1985 with the “Battle of Stalingrad” panorama. In the 60-80s, new industrial enterprises, educational and cultural institutions opened. A transport network was actively built: the Astrakhan Bridge, Volgograd metro stations, highways connecting the city with neighboring settlements.
The post-Soviet life of Volgograd, like the whole country, began with a decline in all areas of industry and economy. Enterprises closed, residential and public construction stopped, and numerous scammers and dubious enterprises appeared.
With the beginning of the 2000s, life in Volgograd began to improve again. Frozen facilities were being completed, the transport network and public institutions were being developed. But even in this time of peace, Volgograd residents are tested for their fortitude and fortitude. The city has repeatedly become the target of terrorist attacks.
Modern disputes about the name of Volgograd
Now there is a debate about the need to return the city's historical name - Stalingrad. This idea has both supporters and opponents. This idea appeared not in Volgograd society, but in the circles of metropolitan politicians. About 30% of Volgograd residents support the initiative to return the name Stalingrad to the city. They justify their position with the following arguments:
- the renaming is a tribute to the heroism of the people in the Battle of Stalingrad;
- this will help raise the level of patriotism among young people in the first place;
- it is by this name that the settlement is known all over the world;
- Stalingrad and Stalin are not the same thing;
- Volgograd needs to return its historical name.
Opponents of the renaming idea point to the fact that the historical name of the city on the Volga is Tsaritsyn - the name given to it at its founding. It is also noted that the majority of the country’s residents still associate the name Stalingrad with the name of I.V. Stalin, whose role in the history of the country is ambiguous. Renaming will require huge funds, which local authorities do not have at their disposal.
There is a third point of view. Many residents don’t care what name they live in. Volgograd residents want solutions to their pressing economic problems.
Local authorities eventually agreed and officially assigned the name Stalingrad to the city during the days reminiscent of difficult trials and heroic events:
- February 2 - Military Glory Day;
- February 23 - Defender of the Fatherland Day;
- May 8 - Day of awarding the city the title of “hero city”;
- May 9 - Victory Day;
- June 22 - Day of Remembrance and Sorrow;
- August 23 - Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Bombing of Stalingrad;
- September 2 - Day of the end of the war;
- November 19 - Day of the beginning of the defeat of Nazi troops at Stalingrad;
- December 9 is Heroes Day.
It doesn’t matter what the brave city on the Volga was called: Tsaritsyn in the era of the monarchy, Stalingrad in the era of the emergence of Soviet power and the bloody World War, or Volgograd in modern times. The only important thing is that this city has always guarded the peace of the country and bravely resisted all troubles and challenges.
Video
From this video you will learn little-known historical facts about this famous city.
You can get acquainted with the history of Volgograd by watching this video.
This video will tell you about one of the most terrible and most famous periods in the life of Stalingrad.
You will learn about the world-famous Battle of Stalingrad from this video.
The second part of the video about the battles of Stalingrad.
This video talks about how Stalingrad was revived after the Great Patriotic War.
Volgograd or Stalingrad? The controversy continues to this day.
