The city of Yaroslavl is rightfully considered one of the oldest in our country. Over a thousand years of its existence, he managed to survive the emergence and disintegration of many states, and also preserves many puzzles over the resolution of which some experts still puzzle. Therefore, to know the history of the city of Yaroslavl and interesting facts about it will certainly be useful to many.
Where it is located?
The city is located in the European part of Russia, 282 kilometers from Moscow - strictly to the north-east. It is crossed by the Volga River - it is in the city that the smaller river Kotorosl flows into it. The place of their meeting gave the name to the whole microdistrict - Strelka. The Volga (more precisely, the Gorky reservoir built on it) provides the city with water. On average, up to 1110 cubic meters of water is drawn per second.
Also, several other, smaller rivers and streams flow through the city. The largest is Nora. Like many other rivers in the European part of Russia, it has a steep west bank and a gentle eastern one.
The total area of the city exceeds 200 square kilometers, and the average height is about 100 meters above sea level.
Although Yaroslavl is located quite far from Moscow, it is located in the same time zone as the capital - the difference with Greenwich is +3 hours.
When was it founded?
Listing interesting facts about Yaroslavl for the 3rd grade, many mention that it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. This is true - it was laid more than a thousand years ago, in 1010. It was built, as the name implies, by Prince Yaroslav the Wise.
The first buildings appeared in the place now called Strelka microdistrict - at the meeting place of the Volga and Kotorosli. This is a beautiful place, from a strategic point of view, a place - on three sides the city was protected by natural barriers.
Short story
During the first two centuries, the city was rather a border settlement, not claiming a higher status. Only in 1210 the first stone buildings appeared here. Prince Konstantin - the son of Vsevolod the Big Nest - built here a cathedral, two churches and the Grigorievsky shutter. It is the latter that is considered the first educational institution in the north-eastern part of Russia. It housed a rich library, a scriptorium (an institution where more ancient manuscripts corresponded), taught Greek and other foreign languages, and chroniclers diligently performed their work. The Grigoryevsky shutter lasted until about the middle of the seventeenth century, after which its significance decreased and it was abolished.
The city was ravaged by the Tatar-Mongol invasion - still find ancient graves and even cellars stuffed with the remains of children, women and old people who died in those terrible times.
But in the Time of Troubles (late sixteenth - early seventeenth centuries) Yaroslavl played an important role in the history of the state. For some time, he even became the capital of Russia, albeit unofficial - they gathered a militia to liberate Moscow, minted coins.
After the Time of Troubles, the city flourished. Trade was simply excellent - local merchants covered the land from Arkhangelsk in the north to Bukhara in the south. As a result, Yaroslavl became the second largest city, second only to Moscow.
In Soviet times, the city also did not lose its significance - it remained a major center of industry and culture. Shortly before the war, it was decided to completely reform the city. Many new parks appeared, microdistricts appeared one after another, and industrial zones were moved out of the city borders - to the north and south.
In late autumn 1941, the Wehrmacht troops did not reach the borders of the region only 50 kilometers. Almost every day the city was bombed. In four years, more than half a million natives of the region went to the front, where about 200 thousand people died or went missing.
Culture in the city
Of course, if you list the most interesting facts about Yaroslavl, then you should start with culture.
For example, not everyone knows that nightingales are censored here every year. Work in 2010 showed that more than 900 pairs of these amazing birds live in the city.
About five centuries ago, near the Tolgsky monastery, a unique park was planted, planted with Siberian cedar. He survived the most terrible times for the city, successfully existing today.
It is Yaroslavl that can be seen by looking at a bill in denominations of 1, 000 Russian rubles.
The first theater in the Russian Empire appeared in Yaroslavl and exists to this day. The Volkov Drama Theater was founded in 1750. It got its name thanks to Fedor Volkov - the director, actor and founder.
The city has become a platform for filming many Soviet and Russian films. Such films as “Big Break”, “Kin-dza-dza”, “Afonya”, “Doctor Zhivago”, “Yesenin”, “Scavenger”, “Palmist”, “Boomer 2” and many others were shot here. In honor of the hero of the film "Afonya" loved by many Soviet viewers, even a monument was erected.
Since 1982, every year a popular festival has been held here, called the "Jazz over the Volga". For 36 years, performers and lovers of this popular musical genre have been gathering here. The festival itself can safely be called the oldest event of this magnitude, associated with jazz, in our country and throughout the post-Soviet space.
About 140 buildings in the historic city center received the status of architectural monuments. Therefore, Yaroslavl is listed in the list of World Heritage Sites, compiled by UNESCO.
If you visit the city of Coimbra, located in Portugal, you can find Yaroslavl street, named specifically in honor of this glorious city.
When reading the second part of the famous novel "Robinson Crusoe", written by the English writer Daniel Defoe, an attentive reader could notice the mention of Yaroslavl.
Urban industry
Also, listing interesting facts about the city of Yaroslavl, it is worth noting industry - it was ahead of time in many ways.
For example, it was in Yaroslavl that the first truck, diesel engine and trolleybus were produced in our country.
Yaroslavl also became one of the first cities in Russia where a tram line appeared - for the first time trams were launched back in 1900.
Local scientists were not only one of the first in the world to synthesize synthetic rubber in 1920, but also launched its production on an industrial scale.
In this beautiful city, Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova, the first female astronaut, was born.
