Discover

(Redirected from Rostov-na-Donu)

'Rostov-on-Don' (, ''Rostov-na-Donu'' ) is the administrative center of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia, located on the Don River, just 46 km from the Sea of Azov. Its geographical location is
. Population: 1,012,300 (2003 est.); 1,068,267 (2002 Census).

Contents

History

Education

Sport

Sister cities

External links

History

The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azov. (See the article on Azov for detailed information on those settlements.)
Rostov-on-Don was in essence established in 1749, as a customs house was built on the Don, and soon a large fortress followed. It was named after Saint Dimitry of Rostov, a newly-glorified bishop from the old Northern town Rostov the Great. As Azov gradually declined, a settlement near the new fortress superseded it in importance as a chief commercial centre of the region. In 1796 this settlement received town rights and was renamed Rostov-on-Don, in order to distinguish it from its ancient namesake.

The Don River that the city is named for is a major shipping lane connecting southwestern Russia with regions to the north, and Rostov-on-Don is an important river port in both passenger-oriented and industrial shipping. With such a good geographical position, the city grew rapidly. As the most heavily industrialized city of South Russia, it was a bone of contention between the Whites and the Bolsheviks during the Civil War. By 1928, the regional government was moved from the old Cossack capital Novocherkassk to Rostov, which also engulfed the nearby Armenian town of Nor Nakhijevan.
In the Soviet years, the Bolsheviks demolished two of Rostov's principal landmarks - St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (1908) and St George Cathedral in Nakhichevan (1783-1807). Much of the city was reduced to rubble by the German forces who occupied it thrice - in 1941, 1942 and 1943. Nowadays, the most conspicuous feature of the downtown is the enormous Cathedral of Virgin's Nativity (1860-87), designed by Konstantin Thon.
Rostov-on-Don has experienced considerable economic growth in recent years, as the Russian economy recovers nationwide. Numerous start-up companies have established headquarters in the city, the median income is increasing, and the city is being transformed from a place thrown back in time by the collapse of communism into a modern, industrial and technology-rich hub.

Education

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

Sport

Two professional football clubs are based in Rostov-on-Don. FC Rostov play in the Russian Premier League and SKA are in the First Division. In the Russian Basketball Super League, Rostov is represented by Lokomotiv. Handball team Rostov-Don plays in the Russian Handball Championship.

Sister cities

The city is twinned with:

★ Glasgow, Scotland

★ Dortmund, Germany

★ Gera, Germany

★ Pleven, Bulgaria

★ Le Mans, France

★ Mobile, Alabama, United States

★ Yerevan, Armenia

★ Kajaani, Finland

★ Cheongju, South Korea

★ Volos, Greece

★ Antalya, Turkey

★ Toronto, Canada

External links

★ Official Rostov-on-Don Administration Site

★ Rostov-on-Don Entertainment Site

★ 1983 Rostov and surrounds Topographic map 1:100,000 made by Soviet Army HQ (Service use only)

★ Old views of Rostov-on-the-Don

★ History and Culture of Don Region

★ Churches of Don Region

★ Churches of Rostov-on-the-Don

★ Archeological museum-preserve Tanais (biggest in Russia) near Rostov-on-Don

★ News and events of Rostov-on-Don