Rostov-on-Don

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Central market near Nativity Cathedral.

Rostov-on-Don (Russian: Росто́в-на-Дону́ - Rostóv-na-Donú) is the capital of Rostov Oblast and the Southern administrative district of Russia, located at the Don River, just 46 km from the Sea of Azov. Its geographical location is Template:Coor dm, and the population is 1,012,300 (2003).

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 As Azov gradually declined, a settlement near the new fortress superceded it in importance as a chief commercial centre of the region.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 Nakhichevan-on-Don.

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Don river in Rostov.

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 1918, 1941 and 1942. 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.


The city is twinned with Glasgow, Dortmund, Pleven, and Le Mans.

External links

eo:Rostov-na-Donu fr:Rostov-sur-le-Don ja:ロストフ・ナ・ドヌ pl:Rostów nad Donem ru:Ростов-на-Дону sv:Rostov-na-Donu uk:Ростов-на-Дону

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