Meet, Rostov!

(written by A. Sayapin)

Rostov-on-Don                      

Rostov-on-Don is a regional capital, situated on the high, right bank of the river Don. Founded in the 18th century the city has a great history, which dates back to earlier period of time.

After the 14th century various people inhabited the steppe of the Don region. They were not satisfied with the social order of that time and didn’t recognize the power of the landowners. They were runaway serfs. Time passed … these people turned into a united community and were called Cossacks. Their life was full of adventures. They struggled with all the neighbouring nations. They didn’t even build houses because when the enemies came to the settlements, they burnt everything. Some Cossacks were rich, as they brought various treasures from abroad. The Cossacks had an extraordinarily rich culture representing a harmonious combination of Russian and other cultures (Asian, Turkish, Ukrainian, etc.). The Cossacks were known for their pride, braveness and honour. They were patriots, and always defended the Russian borders.

In the 18th century at the place where the Temernik River flows into the Don, a Russian settlement was founded and no human soul could be found for many miles around. The settlement was called Bogatiy Kolodets because of a rich spring of fresh water there and, in 1749 a custom-house was built at this place. As the legend says Peter the Great drank water out of it and said it was grand and delicious. Twelve years later a fortress named after St. Dmitry Rostovsky was built there. Due to its favourable geographical position the custom-house played an important role in the history of Russia.  It defended the Southern border and at the same time it helped to promote trade in this region.

The settlement grew rapidly and turned into a town. In 1811 its coat-of-arms - a tower against a blue background – was confirmed, that expressed the importance of the town defending the Russian border. Being the centre of trade, Rostov continued to prosper and in 1905 it annexed an Armenian town, Nakhichevan. Nowadays among its citizens there are a lot of Armenians. But Rostov-on-Don has always been a multi-national city.

In 1772 the Russian Army liberated the Crimean Armenians from the Yoke of Tatar and Turkish feudalists. The Armenians were offered to move to Russia. In 1779 12 thousand Armenians settled in the Don region near the St. Dmitry’s fortress. The grateful Armenians constructed a monument to Catherine II. In 1806 Emperor Alexander added “on Don” to the city’s name to distinguish it from another ancient Russian town Rostov, which is not far from Moscow.

 During the years of World War II Rostov was twice occupied by the Nazis. They destroyed more than 12,000 homes, hospitals and plants, killing many innocent people. But in a short time the Rostovites restored their beautiful city.

Due to its good geographical location, the city has become a big industrial center of many plants and factories. One can find the helicopter and brewery plants, a shoe factory, a dairy plant and many other industrial enterprises here. Rostov is a large industrial city, but it has something to offer the tourists, too: the great wheat fields of the surrounding countryside, the fish specialties in its restaurants, and the produce of its champagne factory are all enjoyable. The race course is worth visiting.

The city’s museums display interesting exhibits and collections. The museum of Fine Arts in Pushkin Street has splendid canvases by the well-known painters Vereshchagin, Aivasovsky, Shishkin, Levitan, Perov, Repin and others. It is open to all who wish to get acquainted with Russian masters. The traditions of the Cossacks are faithfully preserved in the Museum of Local History.

Rostov is a large centre of science and culture in the North Caucasus. There are many educational establishments here: Southern Federal University, Rostov State Medical and University, Don State Technical University, Rostov State Transport University and some others. There are a great number of research institutes and colleges.

Rostov-on-Don has many theatres, cinemas, stadiums and hotels. The famous theatres are the Gorky Theatre of Drama, the Theatre of Young Spectators, the Musical Theatre and the Puppet Show Theatre. The Rostov circus is famous throughout the world.

Rostov is a major transportation hub in the south of Russia. It is called the “Gateway to the Caucasus”. Rostov-on-Don is a railway junction and a major river port. The Volga-Don canal made Rostov a port with the access to five seas.

Nowadays Rostov-on-Don is a beautiful and lively city. Its streets are always full of people. The Rostovites are fond of their famous Quiet Don. On the rapidly expanding in size left bank of the river there are many summer houses, recreation camps, cafes, restaurants and one of the finest beaches in the south.

And of course we shouldn’t forget about the World Cup 21st for that my city is a host one. So due to the expecting football fans and guests Rostov has got an originally designed building of one-of-a-kind modern stadium Rostov Arena  situated on the left bank of the Don River.  The shape of its roof imitates the meanderings of this great river. Moreover there appeared lots of statues, small park sculptures (installations), flowerbeds in the shape of a ball in and around Rostov. Football is played in the Olympics and more over than in 140 countries. And I’m very proud of my native city making a new stage in its history.