The ancient Russian city of Ryazan on the Oka River with its distinctive history and appearance is a large scientific and industrial center of central Russia. Over its long history, the settlement went through various stages, it embodied all the features of Russian life. The population of Ryazan, which is steadily increasing, can generally be regarded as a small model of Russia. This city combines unique and typical features and this is especially interesting.
Geographical position
In the center of the East European Plain, between the great Russian rivers Oka and Volga, there is the city of Ryazan, whose population we consider in the article. The area of the city is 224 square meters. km From Moscow, the settlement is separated by about 180 km. The city is located in the zone of deciduous and coniferous forests and steppes. About 36 hectares of urban areas are occupied by forests. Ryazan region is adjacent to such regions as Moscow, Tula, Vladimir, Lipetsk, Penza, Nizhny Novgorod and Tambov regions, as well as with Mordovia. At the same time, Ryazan occupies a very convenient location at the intersection of many transport routes, this has a positive effect on the development of the city. It is located in an area rich in water resources. In addition to the Oka, several rivers of different sizes still flow here, the largest of which is Trubezh. The relief of the city is mostly flat, with small differences in elevation.
Climate and ecology
The location of the city in the center of the mainland creates the conditions of a temperate continental climate. This means that the city has warm summers and not very harsh winters. The temperature difference between summer and winter reaches 30 degrees. The population of the city (Ryazan has a lot of inhabitants) is well adapted to such differences. The seasons in the region almost exactly coincide with the calendar seasons. Summer begins at the very end of May and ends at the beginning of September. The average temperature in the summer is +18 degrees, but the air in the daytime can warm up to 25 degrees. Average annual temperature indicators are in the region of plus 8-9 degrees. Winter begins in late November and ends in late March. On average, in January, the thermometer shows about minus 9 degrees.
The region has a lot of rainfall (540 mm), the rainiest are July and August, and the most snowfalls occur in January-February. Snow cover is set in the city at the end of November. In the year the sun shines in Ryazan for about 1900 hours.
Ecology in the city is a rather acute problem. Industrial enterprises, especially the chemical industry, pollute the air and water of the Oka. The abundance of transport also makes its contribution. Therefore, in some areas, such as Khimvolokno, Southern industrial, a large amount of harmful substances is found in the air. Therefore, the population of Ryazan prefers to live closer to forests, for example, in the Meshchersky forests in the north of the city.
History of the city
The oldest sites of people on the territory of modern Ryazan date back to the Paleolithic era, the oldest archaeological find on these lands is a silicon chopper, which is at least 80 thousand years old. Fertile soils, forests with berries, mushrooms and animals, ponds full of fish - all this made these places very comfortable for living.
Today, there is a debate among scientists about which population in Ryazan is considered indigenous: Finno-Ugric, Mordovian, Slavic or Meshchersky tribes? The role of each people in the development of this territory is still being clarified. But it is known that it was the Slavs in the 6-8th centuries who create several large settlements in these places. In the 7th century, the city of Pereyaslavl was located here, which actively participated in trade with many other lands. The city was initially located on the top of Kremlin Hill, but population growth led to the expansion of the settlement. For defense, residents dig around a deep moat.
By the 12th century, the Muromo-Ryazan principality was formed here. During the Mongol invasion, the city was destroyed almost to the foundation, and several centuries it took to restore its former power. By the 14th century, Pereyaslavl-Ryazan became a major craft and trade center of Kievan Rus. The city lay on the way from the north-east to the south of Russia and further, up to Venice.
In 1778, the city finally became known as Ryazan and headed the province. The residents of Ryazan actively participated in all the events of Russia: wars, uprisings, coups - nothing passed by. In the 50s of the 20th century there was a rapid growth of industrial enterprises and the defense complex. Ryazan is becoming a major center for the training of military personnel. Today, the city is one of the largest settlements in central Russia.
Administrative division
Officially, the population of Ryazan for 2014 lived in four urban districts: Moscow, Railway, Soviet and October. But in the view of the Ryazans themselves, the city is split into a much larger number of districts. So, in the west of the city there are such parts as Diaghilevo and the military town, the settlements of Moscow, Mervino, Kanishchevo. The Soviet district is located in the central part of the city, and residents call it that - the center. In the south is Gorroshcha, the villages of Yuzhny and Dashki. In the west is the village of Stroitel, this is the most unfavorable place for living in Ryazan.
Population dynamics
Control over the number of residents in Ryazan begins in 1811. Then in the city lived 7.8 thousand people. In the 19th century, fluctuations in the number of inhabitants were observed, this was due to various historical events (the war of 1812, peasant riots). By the beginning of the 20th century, there were 46 thousand people. From this time begins a steady population growth of the city. A slight decrease in numbers occurred during the years of the revolution, and later only an increase in the number of citizens was recorded. Even the Second World War did not lead to a decrease in the number of Ryazans. Only in the post-perestroika years was a negative trend observed. But later the situation is getting better. The population of Ryazan on January 1, 2014 is 530,341 people. There is an annual increase of 2 thousand inhabitants. At present, 534 762 people live in the city.
Demographic indicators
More than 5 thousand people die each year in the city than they are born. The positive dynamics of overall indicators provide migrants. It is thanks to them that the population is growing. Ryazan is located in the vicinity of the capital region, which allows people to go to work. Therefore, new residents constantly come to the city. The mortality rate and life expectancy here does not differ as a whole from the all-Russian indicators. And like many cities of the country, Ryazan is gradually “aging”, the number of elderly people is increasing.
Employment
The total population (Ryazan) is highly dependent on migrants, for whom this place is a convenient transit point from Central Asia to the capital regions. Good provision of the city with its own industrial and manufacturing enterprises and proximity to the Moscow region make it possible to keep unemployment here at a low level, on average 3.5%. The population of Ryazan demonstrates the so-called pendulum migration. Many residents are employed in the metropolitan area, but at the same time live here.
Economics and infrastructure
As in many cities of Russia, the population of Ryazan is experiencing economic difficulties. However, the city has a stable economy thanks to the work of engineering, oil refining, and food processing enterprises. A large contribution to the economy is made by several scientific and educational centers that positively affect the rejuvenation of the city's population. In Ryazan, tourism and service activities are actively developing. The main difficulties in the city are related to the condition of roads, obsolescence of public utilities, and the lack of new housing.