The green provincial town of central Russia did not escape the fate of many of the same small settlements. Large enterprises were closed, few new jobs were offered, young people were leaving for large cities, which is why the population of Balashov is gradually decreasing.
General information
The city is the administrative center of the eponymous municipal district of the Saratov region. The largest settlement in the western part of the region at a distance of 230 km from Saratov. The military town of Sunrise and the military airfield are nearby. The area of the city is 78.1 square meters. km The population of Balashov is 77 thousand, according to 2017.
Many large enterprises were closed after the difficult 90s. Currently, city-forming companies are:
- LLC "Baltex", produces mixed and synthetic fabrics,
- LLC "Balashov Sugar Refinery",
- MakProm LLC, modern production of pasta,
- OJSC "Balashovslyuda", production of electrical insulating and electric heating materials,
- Locomotive depot, repair and operation of trains.
The federal highway P22 "Caspian" Moscow - Saratov passes through the city. By bus you can get to Saratov, Moscow, Voronezh and other cities. The city railway junction includes three stations from which trains travel in the directions of Povorino - Penza and Tambov - Kamyshin and Povorino - Kharkov.
Geographic information
The westernmost city of the Saratov region, located on the banks of the Khoper River (a tributary of the Don) in the eastern part of the Oksko-Don plain. The river divides the urban territory into two parts of different sizes - the central district with urban buildings and the private sector.
The city of Balashov is located on a high plateau. There are several ravines between the city and the river; on the right bank of Khopra there are forests. The region is located in the temperate continental climate zone. The coldest month is January with an average temperature of minus 16.6 ° C, the warmest month is July - plus 27.4 ° C.
Before the revolution
The first settlement arose at the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th century, it was founded by the fugitive serf peasant Balash (Balashov). Old written sources say that the first population of Balashov consisted of runaway peasants and Cossacks.
There is another version that in the middle of the 18th century a farm of Vasily Balashevka was built on the shore of Khopra (according to another version of Balashka). Little by little, the settlement grew, the Archangel Church was built of wood. There were 300 peasants in the village at that time. In 1780, the village received the status of a county town by decree of the Russian Empress Catherine II.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the city of Balashov grew rapidly, along the river the forest was rafting, and flour, grain and other goods were transported by barges. A marina was built, fairs and bazaars were held. A vocational school was opened, then male and female gymnasiums, a parish school appeared. In 1856, the population of Balashov was 6, 600 people. By the end of the 19th century, the city had oil-smelting, brick-making, creamery, iron foundries and mechanical workshops.
According to the 1897 census, the population of Balashov was 10, 300 people. The number of residents grew due to peasants who took new jobs at industrial enterprises. By this time, the city had become a major railway junction, the station became the largest urban enterprise. The number of residents increased by 2.5 times. According to the latest pre-revolutionary data, the city had 26, 900 inhabitants.
