Orenburg is a city on the
Ural RiverThe Ural , known as Yaik before 1775, is a river flowing through Russia and Kazakhstan. It arises in the southern Ural Mountains and ends at the Caspian Sea. Its total length is 1,511 mi...
and the administrative center of
Orenburg OblastOrenburg Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Orenburg.-Time zone:Orenburg Oblast is located in the Yekaterinburg Time Zone...
in the
Volga Federal DistrictVolga Federal District is one of the seven federal districts of Russia. It forms the southeastern part of European Russia. Its population was 31,154,744 in the 2002 census, living on an area of 1,038,000 km²...
of
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It lies 1,478 km southeast of
MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
, very close to the border with
KazakhstanKazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country situated in Eurasia that is ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also the world's largest landlocked country. Its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe...
. Population: 542,700 (2005 est.); 549,361 (
2002 CensusRussian Census of 2002 was the first census of the Russian Federation carried out on October 9 through October 16, 2002. It was carried out by the Russian Federal Service of State Statistics .-Resident population:...
). Highest point: 154.4 m. International dialing code: +7 (3532). Postal code: 460000. As of 2006, the mayor of the city is Yuri Meshcheryakov.
History
The
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
began plans for the construction of an eastern frontier fortress town in the southern Ural region to be named
Orenburg in 1734. The colonists originally founded a settlement in 1735 at the confluence of the
Ural RiverThe Ural , known as Yaik before 1775, is a river flowing through Russia and Kazakhstan. It arises in the southern Ural Mountains and ends at the Caspian Sea. Its total length is 1,511 mi...
with the
Or RiverOr is a river in Orenburg Oblast of Russia and Aktobe Province of Kazakhstan. It is a left tributary of the Ural River, and is 332 km long, with a drainage basin of 18 600 km². The river is formed by the confluence of the Shiyli and Terisbutak Rivers, which has their sources on the...
. The town's name meant "fortress near the Or," as
Burg is
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
for fortress. This settlement changed its name in 1739 to
OrskOrsk is a city in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, situated in the southern Urals. The city straddles the Ural River. Since this river is considered a boundary between Europe and Asia, Orsk can be said to lie in two continents. It is served by Orsk Airport. Population: 251,900 ; Orsk is the second...
. An attempt was made to found another Orenburg at a location called Krasnogor, or "Red Hill," in 1741, but this settlement failed. A third Orenburg was successfully established by
Ivan NeplyuyevIvan Ivanovich Neplyuyev was a Russian diplomat and administrator prominent in the service of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. His memoirs were published posthumously and his statue may be seen in Orenburg, the city he founded.Neplyuev was born into an impoverished noble family in Poddubye...
at its present location approximately 250 km down the Ural from Orsk in 1743.
This third Orenburg functioned as an important military outpost on the frontier with the nomadic
KazakhsThe Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia ....
. It became the center for the
Orenburg CossacksThe Orenburg Cossack Host , a part of the Cossack population in pre-revolutionary Russia, located in the Orenburg province ....
.
Orenburg played a major role in the rebellion of
PugachevEmel'ian Ivanovich Pugachev , was a pretender to the Russian throne who led a great Cossack insurrection during the reign of Catherine II...
(1773–1774). At the time, it was the capital of a vast district and the seat of the governor.
PugachevEmel'ian Ivanovich Pugachev , was a pretender to the Russian throne who led a great Cossack insurrection during the reign of Catherine II...
besieged the city and its fortress from nearby Berda from October 1773 - March 26, 1774. The defense was organized by lieutenant-general Reinsdorp. General Golytsin defeated
PugachevEmel'ian Ivanovich Pugachev , was a pretender to the Russian throne who led a great Cossack insurrection during the reign of Catherine II...
at Berda, and later again at Kargala (north of Orenburg). Most of the city was left in ruins, and thousands of inhabitants had died in the siege.
The famous Russian writer Alexander Pushkin visited Orenburg in 1833 during a research trip for his books "The History of Pugachev" and his famous novel "
The Captain's DaughterThe Captain's Daughter is a historical novel by the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin. It was first published in 1836 in the fourth issue of the literary journal Sovremennik. The novel is a romanticized account of Pugachev's Rebellion in 1773-1774.-Plot:Pyotr Andreyich Grinyov is the only surviving...
". He met his friend Vladimir Dahl here, who would later write the first serious dictionary of the Russian language.
Orenburg was the base for General
PerovskyCount Vasily Alekseevich Perovsky was a Russian general and statesman.After studying in Moscow University, he joined the emperor's retinue in 1811...
's expeditions against the
Khanate of KhivaThe Khanate of Khiva was the name of a Central Asian state that existed in the historical region of Khwarezm from 1511 to 1920, except for a period of Persian occupation by Nadir Shah between 1740–1746. It was ruled over by the Kungrads, a branch of the Astrakhans, themselves a Genghisid dynasty,...
in the 1830s through 1850s. After the incorporation of
Central AsiaAsia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to northern India in the south. It is also sometimes known as Middle Asia or Inner Asia, and is within the scope of the wider Eurasian continent.Various definitions of its...
into the
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, Orenburg became a trading station and, since the completion of the
Trans-Aral RailwayThe broad gauge Trans-Aral Railway was built in 1906 connecting Orenburg and Tashkent. For the first part of the 20th century it was the only railway-connection between European Russia and Central Asia....
, a prominent
railway junctionA junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , provided by...
on route to the
new Central Asian possessionsRussian Turkestan was the western part of Turkestan within the Russian Empire , comprising the oasis region to the south of the Kazakh steppes, but not the protectorates of the Emirate of Bukhara and the Khanate of Khiva.-History:Although Russia had been pushing south into the steppes from...
and to
SiberiaSiberia , is the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving as the massive central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, having served in the same capacity previously for the USSR from its beginning, and the Russian Empire beginning in the...
.
Orenburg functioned as the capital of the Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (in present-day
KazakhstanKazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country situated in Eurasia that is ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also the world's largest landlocked country. Its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe...
) within Russia from 1920–1925. When that republic was renamed Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1925, Orenburg joined Russia and Qyzylorda became the new capital. Alma-Ata became the capital in 1929 after the construction of the Turksib railway. Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was promoted to the union republic status as the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
Kazakh SSRThe Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Kazakh SSR for short, was one of republics that made up the Soviet Union. At 2,717,300 square kilometres in area, it was the second largest constituent republic in the USSR, after the Russian SFSR. Its capital was Alma-Ata...
in 1936. Orenburg remained in Russia.
From 1938 to 1957, the city bore the name
Chkalov (after the test pilot
Valery ChkalovValery Pavlovich Chkalov was a Russian aircraft test pilot and a Hero of the Soviet Union .- Achievements :Chkalov developed several new figures of aerobatics...
). The city's distance from the German invasion during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
led many Soviet enterprises to flee there, helping in the city's economic growth.
Economy
Orenburg is a home for several large companies or their subsidiaries:
Orenburggazpromhttp://www.gazprom.com/eng/articles/article28937.shtml, the subsidiary of
GazpromOAO Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Gazprom was created in 1989 when the Ministry of Gas Industry of the Soviet Union transformed itself into a corporation, keeping all its assets intact...
;
Orenburgnefthttp://www.tnk-bp.com/operations/enterprises/orenburgneft/, the subsidiary of
TNK-BPTNK-BP Ltd. is a major vertically integrated Russian oil company, registered in the British Virgin Islands in September 2003 as a result of the merger of British Petroleum's Russia and Ukraine oil and gas interests with assets of Alfa Group and Access/Renova Group - a group of stakeholders called...
oil company;
Orenburgenergy, one of the biggest energy generating companies in Russia.
Transportation
Orenburg has been a major railroad center ever since the Samara-Zlatoust (:ru:Самаро-Златоустовская железная дорога) and
Orenburg-TashkentThe broad gauge Trans-Aral Railway was built in 1906 connecting Orenburg and Tashkent. For the first part of the 20th century it was the only railway-connection between European Russia and Central Asia....
railroads were completed, respectively in 1876 and 1905.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9E07E1D7123AE733A25754C0A9679D946597D6CF
Orenburg's main airport is
Orenburg Tsentralny AirportTsentralny Airport is a civil airport located about 25 km east of Orenburg city.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:...
http://www.airoport.orenair.ru/index.php?eng=1, located about 25 km east of the city, and is the headquarters of Orenair
http://www.airoport.orenair.ru/index.php?eng=1.
Universities and Colleges
- Orenburg State University (http://www.osu.ru)
Established in 1955 as a Branch of Kuibyshev Polytechnical Institute (currently Samara State Technical University). It was transformed to the Orenburg Polytechnical Institute in 1971. In 1994 it was named as Orenburg State Technical University. Gained status of university in 1996. Currently, there are 18
FacultiesA faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
, 3 Research & Development institutes, 4 Regional Branches, technology incubator “OSU Technopark”, botanic garden, meteorological station, sport complex.
- Orenburg State Medical Academy
Established in 1944 as Chkalov State Medical Institute. It was renamed to Orenburg State Medical Institute in 1957 (at that time Orenburg city regained its original name after been named Chkalov from 1937 till 1957). Gained status of academy in 1994. Currently there are 8
FacultiesA faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
: Medicine, Pediatric, Stomatology (Dentistry), Pharmacy, Clinical Psychology, Nursing, Public Health (Медико-профилактический), Continuing Education.
- Orenburg State Pedagogical University (http://www.ospu.ru/)
Established in 1919 as Institute of Public Education. Renamed to Pedagogical Institute in 1930. Transformed to Pedagogical University in 1996. There are 10
FacultiesA faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
and 4 Research Institutes.
- Orenburg State Agrarian University (http://www.orensau.ru)
Established in 1930 as Orenburg Agricultural Institute. It was transformed to Orenburg State Agricultural Academy in 1992. Since 1995 named as Orenburg State Agrarian University. There are 8
FacultiesA faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
and 4 Institutes.
- Orenburg Branch of Moscow State Law Academy (http://www.oimsla.edu.ru)
- Orenburg Branch of Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas
- Orenburg Campus of Russian State University of Trade and Economics
- Orenburg State Institute of Management
Museums
- Orenburg Regional Museum of History and Natural Science
- Orenburg Regional Museum of Art
- Museum of Orenburg History
- Memorial Apartment of Yuri and Valentina Gagarin
- Memorial Apartment of Leopold and Mstislav Rostropovich
- Memorial Apartment of T.G. Shevchenko
- Orenburg City Memorial House
Theaters
Orenburg is a home to Municipal Chamber Choir and Orenburg State Academic Russian Folk Choir.
Sports
Lokomotiv plays in the highest division of the Russian Bandy League.
Tourism
Mountain and river tourism is developed in the region. There are a number of fast mountain rivers and rocks in pleated spurs of the southern edge of the Urals range, popular with tourists.
The city is famous for its down
Orenburg shawlThe Orenburg Shawl along with Tula Samovar, Matrioshka, Khohloma painting, Gzhel, Palekh and Vologda lace, Dymkovo toys, Rostov finift , Ural malachite is one of Russia’s symbols...
s. The thinnest lacy design, knitted by hand shawls and cobweb-like kerchiefs (pautinkas), is not only warm, but also is used for decorative purposes.
Architecture
A famous boulevard on the embankment of the
Ural RiverThe Ural , known as Yaik before 1775, is a river flowing through Russia and Kazakhstan. It arises in the southern Ural Mountains and ends at the Caspian Sea. Its total length is 1,511 mi...
is one of the most notable places in Orenburg.
Orenburg TV Tower is a guyed mast of unusual design. It is a 200 metres tall mast equipped with 6 crossbars running from the mast structure to the guys
http://victorcity.dxing.ru/Cities/orenburg.htm.
Notable Past Residents
- Ivan Andreyevich Krylov (1769-1844) Russia's best known fabulist.
- Vasily Alekseevich Perovsky
Count Vasily Alekseevich Perovsky was a Russian general and statesman.After studying in Moscow University, he joined the emperor's retinue in 1811...
(1794—1857) Prominent Russian statesman, Count, Governor of Orenburg Province from 1833-1842 and 1851-1857.
- Vladimir Dahl (1801-1872) One of the greatest Russian lexicographers. Member of Russian Academy of Science.
- Victor Dandevil (1826-1907) Russian General of French descent. Participant of Turkmenistan campaign under Governor Perovsky and Russian - Turkey war in 1877—1878.
- Yevgraf Fyodorov
Yevgraf Stepanovich Fyodorov, sometimes spelled Evgraf Stepanovich Fedorov , was a Russian mathematician, crystallographer, and mineralogist....
(1853-1919) Mathematician, crystallographer, and mineralogist. Known for his contribution to the Group theoryIn mathematics and abstract algebra, group theory studies the algebraic structures known as groups.The concept of a group is central to abstract algebra: other well-known algebraic structures, such as rings, fields, and vector spaces can all be seen as groups endowed with additional operations and...
. Member of Russian Academy of Science.
- Joseph Kessel
Joseph Kessel was a French journalist and novelist.He was born in Clara, Entre Ríos, Argentina, because of the constant journeys of his father, a Lithuanian doctor of Jewish origin. Joseph Kessel lived the first years of his childhood in Orenburg, Russia, before the family moved to France...
(1898–1979) French journalist and novelist.
- Musa Cälil
Musa Cälil was a Soviet Tatar poet and resistance fighter...
(1906-1944) Famous Tatar poet and member of anti-Nazi group. Author of The Moabit Notebooks.
- Alexander Schmorell
Alexander Schmorell was one of five Munich University students who formed a resistance group known as White Rose which was active against Germany's Nazi regime from June 1942 to February 1943.-Early life:Schmorell's father, a medical doctor, was a German born and raised in Russia...
(1917-1943) One of five Munich University students who formed anti-Nazi group known as White RoseThe White Rose was a non-violent/intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany, consisting of students from the University of Munich and their philosophy professor...
, Weiße Rose.
- Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich KBE , known to close friends as “Slava,” was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya...
(1927–2007) One of the greatest cellists of the 20th century.
- Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin , Hero of the Soviet Union, was a Soviet cosmonaut. On 12 April 1961, he became the first human in outer space and the first to orbit the Earth...
(1934–1968) Soviet Cosmonaut. The first human to orbit Earth.
Honours
The
asteroidthumb|260px|right|[[253 Mathilde]], a [[C-type asteroid]] measuring about across. Photograph taken in 1997 by the [[NEAR Shoemaker]] probe.Asteroids, sometimes called minor planets or planetoids, are small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun, especially in the inner Solar System; they are...
27709 Orenburg27709 Orenburg is a Main-belt Asteroid discovered on February 13, 1988 by E. W. Elst at the European Southern Observatory.- External links :*...
was named in the city's honour on 1 June 2007.
Sister cities
Orenburg has the following sister cities:
KhujandKhujand , also transliterated as Khudzhand, , formerly Khodjend or Khodzhent until 1936 and Leninabad until 1991, is the second-largest city of Tajikistan. It is situated on the Syr Darya River at the mouth of the Fergana Valley. The population of the city is 149,000 , down from 160,000 in 1989...
,
TajikistanTajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and People's Republic of China to the east...
.
LegnicaLegnica is a city on the Kaczawa river in south-western Poland. According to official figures for 2006, it has a total population of 105,485....
,
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
OrlandoOrlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan region...
, USA.
UfaUfa is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia Ufa is the one of the largest cities of Russia, administrative, political, economic, scientific and cultural center of the republic. Population: 1,021,500 ; 1,042,437...
,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
OralThe word oral may refer to:As an adjective:* the mouth.* speech communication as opposed to writing.* oral schools use oralism to teach the deaf....
,
KazakhstanKazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country situated in Eurasia that is ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also the world's largest landlocked country. Its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe...
.
External links