Astrakhan, Russia

Description — Astrakhan, Russia

Astrakhan is a city in Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The oldest economic and cultural center of the Lower Volga and the Caspian littoral. It is often referred to as Russia’s southern outpost and the Caspian capital. It is included among the 115 cities of Russia recognized as historically valuable. It is a member of the Eurasian Regional Branch of the World Organization “United Cities and Local Governments”. It entered the “Anti-rating of the poorest cities in Russia” along with Tolyatti and Penza.

The city is located in the upper part of the Volga delta, on 11 islands of the Caspian lowlands. The distance to Moscow by road is 1411 km. The city is divided into 4 administrative districts: Kirovsky, Sovetsky, Leninsky and Trusovsky. Population - 530 863 people (2014). The city area is 208,7 km². Since ancient times, the city has been considered multicultural. Today in Astrakhan live representatives of more than 100 nationalities, 14 religious denominations, and 17 societies of national cultures operate.

Climate

The climate of Astrakhan is moderate, sharply continental, with large annual and summer day-to-day ranges in air temperature, low precipitation and high water evaporation. The city is characterized by easterly, south-easterly and north-easterly winds; from April to August dry winds (siroccos) are observed. This type of climate is explained by the city’s geographical position in the semi-desert zone.

On average, there are 213 sunny days in Astrakhan per year. Day length in Astrakhan changes from 8 hours 36 minutes on December 22 to 15 hours 48 minutes on June 22. The annual precipitation norm is 234 mm. By the amount of precipitation, Astrakhan is the driest largest city in Europe.

The highest temperature recorded in Astrakhan throughout the entire observation period was +41 °C, and the lowest was -33,8 °C.

Astrakhan, Russia
Astrakhan Kremlin
Dormition Cathedral
Kremlin Bell Tower
Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Convent-Monastery
St. Volodymyr Cathedral
Astrakhan Nature Reserve
Astrakhan Art Gallery
Astrakhan Local History Museum
Astrakhan Embankment
Swan House on Swan Lake
Monument to Peter I
St. John the Baptist Cathedral

Location on the map

Sights

Astrakhan Kremlin

Astrakhan Kremlin is a fortress in Astrakhan, built on the site where in 1558 Ivan the Terrible relocated the city he had captured. The construction of the Astrakhan Kremlin is connected with an important period in Russian history, when the further growth and strengthening of the Russian centralized state was hindered by a constant threat of attacks from the east.

Dormition Cathedral

Assumption Cathedral is the largest Orthodox church in Astrakhan. It is located within the Astrakhan Kremlin. Built in 1699-1710.

Kremlin Bell Tower

The Kremlin Bell Tower is rightfully considered one of the symbols of the city of Astrakhan. Its eighty-meter silhouette is visible to people in Astrakhan from virtually any point in the city.

Cathedral of the Monastery of the Trinity of the Life-Giving

Cathedral Monastery of the Trinity of the Life-Giving - a complete architectural complex: The Great and Small refectory chambers in the western part of the building, the northern part is represented by two churches, on three sides surrounded by single-storey galleries on a substructure. The wooden monastic cathedral was built here in 1576; in 1603 with the monastery’s funds, a stone church was erected. In the 18th century the Trinity Monastery was attached to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, until in 1765 it was transferred under the jurisdiction of the Office of Public Benevolence - in those years part of the monastery buildings was dismantled for the construction of a gymnasium; only the Trinity cathedral remained.

St. Prince Vladimir Cathedral

The appearance of this beautiful temple in honor of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles the Great Prince Vladimir in Russia’s Caspian capital is connected with a special date - the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’. Worshippers were amazed by the temple’s interior and exterior furnishings: the emphasized style of an ancient Byzantine church, carved wooden iconostases, and exquisite interior murals. In the revolutionary year of 1917, the temple was destroyed by fiery strikes. Its salvation from complete destruction came with the vision of the Virgin Mary on the temple’s dome, who walked along the rim for 3 days. In 1939, the temple was closed by the Soviet authorities, and several attempts were made to blow it up. But not only Orthodox Christians, but also Muslims formed a tight ring around the temple, thereby preventing the planned act.

What to see

Astrakhan Nature Reserve

The Astrakhan Reserve was established in 1919 by a decision of the Public Scientific Commission at Astrakhan University. The reserve is located in the lower reaches of the Volga River delta. The richest wildlife in the reserve is the bird fauna-about 280 species, including 72 rare species. During migration, some of the planet’s rarest birds stop here-white cranes, or Siberian cranes (sterrkh). These birds are listed in the International Red Data Book. At the first count in 1937, the reserve’s flora included 204 plant species; an inventory carried out in the 1960s already identified 278 species. The Astrakhan Reserve has helped preserve flamingos, the great white egret, the bustard, the bison, the kulan, the spotted deer, the goral, the beaver, the desman, the sealion, the fur seal (cat-like seal), and the otter.

Astrakhan Art Gallery

The Astrakhan State Art Gallery named after P.M. Dogadin includes works by famous Russian artists of the 18th-20th centuries. A unique feature is the collection of paintings from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Russian avant-garde art occupies a special place in the collection. The gallery has a large collection of Western European engravings from the 17th-19th centuries.

Astrakhan Regional Museum of Local Lore

Astrakhan Regional Museum of Local Lore is the oldest of Russia's regional museums. The local lore museum features exhibitions from three scientific departments: the History Department, the Nature Department, and the Collections Department. The museum-reserve's collection includes over 300,000 storage units and is distinguished by its great variety: unique natural science, archaeological, ethnographic, and numismatic collections, as well as many others.

Recommended excursions

Astraخان: City Sightseeing Tour

The route of the sightseeing tour in Astrakhan runs through the city’s historic center and includes visits to the most interesting attractions, incl. the Astrakhan Kremlin. The excursion is organized all year round. Price - from 333 rub./person.