Volgograd is known to be an industrial city that is located on the Volga River, on the northeast of both the cities of Sochi and Rostov-on-Don. Volgograd was formerly called by the names Tsaritsyn and Stalingrad and had gained popularity for being the place where the Battle of Stalingrad took place during the World War II. The city of Volgograd has recently become the site of frequent terrorist attacks. Many professional Olympic athletes are known to be the natives of this city.
History of Volgograd
Volgograd was founded during the 16th century and was called as Tsaritsyn which was named after the river Tsaritsa that flows into the River Volga. The population of the city of Tsaritsyn grew rapidly due to the development of the trade, the rail system and the river port during the 19th century.
Later in the 1920s the name Tsaritsyn was changed to Stalingrad, named in honor of Joseph Stalin. The city of Stalingrad was attacked by the German forces in April 1942 and the Battle of Stalingrad is known to be the most brutal one of the Second World War which had a lot of destruction and reported more casualties.
Stalingrad was then renamed as Volgograd with the de-Stalinization campaign of Khrushchev and in recognition of the Volga River along which the city is located.
While today the city of Volgograd has become a place well known for the terrorist attacks and notably for the suicide bombers attacks that have happened here. The first terrorist attack occurred in 2004, when a suicide bomber boarded a passenger plane which was made to crash. Other incidents of terrorism happened in October and December of 2013, when a railway station, bus stop and a trolleybus were targeted by the suicide bombers in a mission to kill at least dozens of people and injuring many more.
Sightseeing in Volgograd
The tourists visiting the city of Volgograd can see many ancient sites and monuments that commemorate the places and people related to the Battle of Stalingrad when the city was called as the “Hero City.”
The Mamaev Kurgan, which is the highest point in Volgograd, was an important site of military fighting. The hill was destroyed during the fight and is now found to be a huge memorial for the heroes that fought the battle of Stalingrad. One can see enormous statues of the heroes which depicts their story and their courage and sacrifice. Among the monuments, the most famous one is “The Motherland Calls” which is about 85 meters tall. The people of Russia would visit the graves and memorials of those who bravely fought and died for the country in the Battle of Stalingrad and decorate them with wreaths and flowers.
Another popular historic place to see in Volgograd is the Volga-Don Canal which connects the two rivers of Volga and Don. This canal project was the goal of the famous Peter the Great which was left incomplete till the middle of 20th century. Volgograd also has several churches that were built in the past century.
