In this article you will find a complete list of cities in the Saratov region. In addition, you will learn from it why Balakovo is unique, why the bull is depicted on the coat of arms of Engels and because of which the inhabitants of Petrovsk want to join the neighboring Penza region.
List of cities in the Saratov region
In the southeast of the European part of Russia, the Saratov region is located . This region was officially established in 1936. Today, almost 2.5 million people live within it.
The territory of the region stretches from west to east for almost 600 kilometers. Volga divides it almost in half. The great Russian river here is full-flowing and very wide, so the region does not experience a shortage of water resources. In addition, more than forty deposits of gas, oil and oil shale have been explored here.
The list of cities in the Saratov region includes 18 settlements. We list these cities in decreasing order of population:
- Saratov.
- Engels.
- Balakovo.
- Balashov.
- Volsk.
- Pugachev.
- Rtishchevo.
- Marx.
- Petrovsk.
- Atkarsk.
- Krasnoarmeysk.
- Ershov.
- Kalininsk.
- Novouzensk.
- Red Kut.
- Arkadak.
- Khvalynsk.
- Shihan.
Saratov region is a region with a rich history, numerous natural, architectural and cultural monuments. This region is famous for its ancient beautiful estates, interesting museums, festivals and crafts. Apparently, it is no coincidence that 11 of the 18 cities of the Saratov region were included in the list of historical settlements of Russia. The list includes such cities of the region as Saratov, Engels, Balakovo, Petrovsk, Khvalynsk and others.
The capital of the region is the cultural and educational stronghold of the Volga region
Saratov is not just the administrative center of the region of the same name. This is the most important economic, cultural and educational center of the entire Volga region. There are 13 universities, 9 theaters, a conservatory, a philharmonic society and several dozens of different museums. Saratov is not a millionaire city, although it is one of the twenty largest cities in Russia by population.
Nikolai Semenov, the only Nobel Prize winner in chemistry in the USSR, was born and educated in Saratov . At the local industrial college, the famous cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin studied. Here is located the University. N. G. Chernyshevsky is one of the oldest in the country. It was founded back in 1909.
In addition to science, culture is also unusually developed in Saratov . It was here that in 1904 Russian Symbolists first announced their work. The city annually hosts a music, theater and film festival. The notorious Saratov Conservatory has released many talented personalities. Among them are opera singers Verin and Vrzhesinsky, composer Konstantin Listov, pianist Anatoly Katz, virtuoso musician Vladimir Sklyarenko.
The city of Engels in the Saratov region and its unusual history
Engels is the second most populated city in the region. Known since 1747. The city grew from a settlement of Chumaks. On his coat of arms you can see a huge bull carrying a bowl of salt on its back. Exactly the same monument can be seen today in this city.
From 1923 to 1941, the city of Engels in the Saratov region managed to visit the capital of the autonomous republic of the Volga Germans. The latter was abolished immediately after the start of World War II. Due to its territorial proximity, proposals were repeatedly made to unite Engels and Saratov into one settlement. But while Engels remains an independent city with a population of 225 thousand people.
Balakovo - the energy capital of the Volga region
The city of Balakovo in the Saratov region was founded in the second half of the 18th century by Old Believers who returned to the banks of the Volga by decree of Catherine II. Today it is the most important energy center of the country. This is one of two cities in Russia, which simultaneously operates a thermal, nuclear and hydroelectric power station.
Balakovo NPP is the most powerful in the country. Each year, it generates about 30 billion kW * hour of electricity (or 20% of Russia's nuclear energy). In addition, the Balakovo NPP was the first nuclear power plant in the country, re-commissioned after the collapse of the USSR. Today, four power units operate here, a training center operates, which trains not only Russian nuclear scientists, but also colleagues from Belarus, China, Iran and India.
The city of Petrovsk is depressed, but not broken
The city of Petrovsk, Saratov region, has its history since the end of the 17th century. In 1698, by personal decree of Peter the Great, a stone fortress was laid here to protect the southern borders of Russia from periodic raids of the Crimean Tatars. The ancient fortress, alas, has not survived to this day. But many other architectural monuments of Petrovsk were preserved, relating mainly to the second half of the XIX century.
Modern Petrovsk is a rather depressed city. A large military airfield located on its outskirts was abandoned in the 90s. At the Molot plant, which once served as a city-forming enterprise, today only 700 people work. From unemployment and hopelessness, local residents recently even asked the authorities to join their city in the neighboring Penza region!
But even despite all the economic difficulties, Petrovsk continues to live. Moreover, in recent years, its inhabitants have seriously taken up local architectural monuments. At their own expense, they completely restored two ancient churches - Holy Pokrovsky and Kazan.