Volga region composition of the region. Volga region Central Volga region

Probably many have repeatedly heard such a name as the Volga region. Not at all surprising, since this geographical area has large territory and occupies an important place in the life of the entire country. Large cities of the Volga region are also leaders in many indicators. Industry and economy in this area are well developed. The article will talk in detail about the largest settlements of the Volga region, their location, economy and other important points.

Volga region: general information

First you need to get to know the area itself better. If we define the Volga region, we can say that it includes the territories adjacent to the Volga River. They have long been inhabited because the river was considered an important transport and trade route. Most of the Volga region consists of flat terrain. Lowlands and small hilly areas are common here. The climate of these places is temperate continental, and in some places continental. The weather conditions here are not too harsh, but winters can be quite cold. Summers in this area are warm, average temperature in July it is usually at the level of +22-25 ˚ WITH.

The large cities of the Volga region are of particular interest. Now this area is densely populated. Industry, agriculture, and the transport system are actively developing here. The peculiarity of the location of large cities in the Volga region is largely due to their advantageous position in terms of economics and geography. For a long time settlements mainly appeared near major trade routes (in in this case- next to the Volga).

The most important cities in this area

So, we got to know the Volga region itself a little. Now it’s worth talking about its settlements. The largest cities in the Volga region are Kazan, Samara and Volgograd. They have a population of more than 1 million people. These cities became real industrial centers, in this moment they continue to actively develop. You should not neglect other large cities of the Volga region. Among them, it is necessary to mention Saratov, Ulyanovsk, Penza, Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod.

Many are also interested in the question of what is the largest city in the Volga region. At the moment, such a populated area is Kazan. Now it’s worth taking a closer look at the most important cities in this area.

Kazan

So, you need to learn more about this wonderful city. It is located in the Republic of Tatarstan and is its center. Interestingly, there is a fairly large port here, with constant cargo turnover. The city is known throughout the country and occupies an important place in the fields of economics, science, politics, and culture.

Kazan is a very ancient city. Its foundation, according to some sources, dates back to 1005. Thus, it becomes clear that the city has a truly ancient history. Initially, a fortress was formed here. However, already in the 13th century, Kazan began to actively develop and grow. Gradually it turned into important center as part of the Golden Horde. And already in the 15th century it became the central city to which even Moscow paid tribute. However, Ivan the Terrible took this city, all resistance was suppressed. Thus, Kazan became part of the Russian state.

Now Kazan is a city with a population of over a million; in 2016 its population was 1,216,965 people. It is also a major industrial center. Mechanical engineering, light industry, as well as chemical and petrochemical production are widely developed here.

Samara

Many people are interested in what settlement is in second place in size. We have already found out that the largest city in the Volga region is Kazan. The next settlement is Samara. It also occupies an important place in the Volga economic space. As of 2016, the city's population is about 1,170,910 people.

At first there was a fortress here. It was founded in 1586. The main purpose of such a construction was to control movements along the Volga and prevent raids by nomads and other enemies along the waterways. Samara has a rich history. For example, in the 17th-18th centuries the city became the center of a peasant uprising. At one time it was even captured by troops subordinate to Stepan Razin. In the middle of the 19th century, the Samara province was created. Thus, this settlement also became its center. At that time, the population in these places increased markedly.

For a long time, since 1935, the city bore a different name - Kuibyshev. However, in 1991 it was decided to return it to its former name. Of particular interest is the fact that the longest embankment in our country is located here. Another record - the city has the most tall building stations throughout Europe.

As for the economic component of the city, it is mostly represented by various industries. Mechanical engineering and metalworking are the most developed industries here. There are also many food industry enterprises located in the city.

Volgograd

Another large city in the Volga region is Volgograd. This settlement also plays an important role in the economic, cultural, scientific and other spheres of the entire region. The population of the city in 2016 was 1,016,137 people. This indicator indicates that this is truly a large settlement.

The history of these places is rich in various events. It appeared, like many other cities of the Volga region, next to the trade route that ran along the Volga. These lands were under the rule of the Golden Horde for a long time. However, from the beginning of the 15th century it split into several separate khanates. Gradually, the Principality of Moscow was able to defeat them. The first mention of the city (then called Tsaritsyn) dates back to 1579. The city survived a large number of defeats and was restored each time. For example, in 1607, when power was recognized in Tsaritsyn, the city was taken by storm on the orders of Vasily Shuisky. also in mid-17th century centuries, peasant uprisings took place here.

From the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century, the city actively developed in the industrial sphere and gradually became the center of the entire region. Nowadays, defense production, mechanical engineering and metallurgy are most developed here.

Saratov

A city like Saratov is definitely worth noting. It is also a major economic component of the Volga region. Its population as of 2016 is 843,460 people. It is interesting that this settlement is one of the 20 largest cities in the country, but is not a million-plus city.

Dating back to 1590. Then a fortress was founded here. Previously, settlements of the Golden Horde were located here. Already in the 18th century, the city became a major center where trade was organized. At the beginning of the 20th century, Saratov became the largest city in terms of population.

Thus, not only the largest city of the Volga region was considered, but also other large-scale settlements. We got acquainted with their history and various interesting facts about them.

Area - 536 thousand km2.
Composition: 6 regions - Astrakhan, Volgograd, Penza, Samara, Saratov, Ulyanovsk and 2 republics - Tataria and Kalmykia.

Natural conditions are favorable: (right bank, more elevated), soft, large massif. But an uneven supply of moisture is characteristic - there are droughts and hot winds along the lower Volga.

The Volga region ranks second after oil and gas production; large oil refineries and a large number of industrial complexes are concentrated in the region. Powerful petrochemical hubs in Samara, Kazan, Saratov, Syzran produce a variety of chemical products (plastics, polyethylene, fibers, rubber, tires, etc.). The Volga region also specializes in diversified industries, primarily transport. The region is called the automobile “shop” of the country: Togliatti produces Zhiguli cars, Ulyanovsk produces UAZ all-terrain vehicles, Naberezhnye Chelny produces heavy-duty KAMAZ vehicles. The Volga region produces ships, airplanes, tractors, trolleybuses, and machine tool and instrument making is also developed. Large centers are Samara, Saratov, Volgograd. It is important energy complex, including cascades of hydroelectric power stations on the Volga and Kama; Thermal power plants using their own and imported fuel and nuclear power plants (Balakovskaya and Dmitrovradskaya).

The Volga region is the most important region in Russia. The northern part of the region is a supplier of durum wheat, sunflower, corn, beets, and meat. In the south, rice, vegetables, and melons are grown. The Volga River is the most important fishing area.

The excessive concentration of petrochemical production and other industrial enterprises and the overregulation of the Volga have created an extremely difficult environmental situation in the Volga region.

Volga region economic region occupies a territory located along the Volga coast. The advantage of its location is associated with access to the Caspian Sea. Thanks to the Volga and the Volga-Baltic route, a water route appears here, allowing you to get to Baltic Sea. The presence of the Volga-Don Canal creates the opportunity to access the Azov and Black Sea. The region passes through latitudinal railway lines, which make it possible to deliver people and goods to the regions of the Center, Ukraine, as well as to the Urals and Siberia.

Considering that the Volga region occupies a favorable geographical position, this has a positive effect on the development of its economic complex. The key role here is given to such sectors of market specialization as the oil and coal, as well as the gas and chemical industries. The Volga region has great importance in providing the country with products such as synthetic rubber, synthetic resins, plastics and fibers.

The Volga economic region in its structure is represented by such entities as Ulyanovsk, Saratov, Samara, Volgograd, Astrakhan, and Penza regions. It also includes two republics - Tatarstan and Kalmykia - Khalmg Tangch.

Volga economic region: characteristics

A special feature of this area is its fairly diverse natural resource potential. In the north, the Volga region is represented by forests, but if you move in the southeast direction, you can find yourself in the semi-desert subzone. The main area of ​​the region is occupied by steppes. Most of its territory falls on the Volga valley, which in the southern part gives way to the Caspian lowland. An important role here is played by the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, which was formed from river sediments and has good conditions for agriculture.

The territorial structure of the region's economy, as well as the characteristics of settlement, are largely related to the presence of the Volga, which acts as a key transport artery and settlement axis. The overwhelming number of large cities located in the region are river ports.

Population of the Volga economic region

Having an average population density of 31.5 people. per 1 km2, the Volga region has a number of areas characterized by the highest level of population. We are talking about regions located in the Volga valley - Samara, Ulyanovsk regions and Tatarstan. The opposite situation is observed in the Republic of Kalmykia, where the population density does not exceed 4 people. per 1 km2.

A peculiarity of the population of this area is the rather diverse national composition. Within it, the largest share falls on Russians, in addition to whom there are quite a lot of representatives of Tatars and Kalmyks. Along with them, among the inhabitants there are Bashkirs, Chuvashs and Kazakhs. Of particular relevance in Lately the problem of reviving the autonomy of the Volga Germans, who against their will had to leave the Volga region and go to the eastern regions.

Territorial organization of the economy

If we consider the territorial structure of the Volga region, then it includes three subdistricts, which are distinguished special development economy and specialization:

1. Middle Volga region,
2. Privolzhsky subdistrict,
3. Lower Volga region.

The Middle Volga region includes Tatarstan and the Samara region. This region is a leader in the Volga region in terms of development of such areas as the oil, oil refining and mechanical engineering industries. Within this territory there are many largest cities, among which are the millionaire cities - Samara and Kazan.

The composition of the Volga subdistrict is represented by such regions as Penza and Ulyanovsk regions. The highest level of development here has been achieved in such areas as mechanical engineering, light, food industry and agriculture. Among the cities, it is especially worth highlighting Ulyanovsk and Penza.

Among the most developed areas of the Lower Volga region, it is especially worth highlighting mechanical engineering, chemical and food industries. At the same time, the area is distinguished by a high level of development Agriculture. This primarily concerns grain farming, beef cattle breeding and sheep breeding. Good results are also achieved in the production of rice, vegetable and melon crops, as well as fishing. Most of the enterprises are concentrated in Volgograd, which had to be restored after the end of the Great Patriotic War.

"Test: Volga region The Volga region includes the following subjects: 2 republics and 6 regions 12 regions 1 region 2 territories and 7 republics 2 ..."

Test: Volga region

The Volga region includes the following entities:

2 republics and 6 regions

12 regions

1 region 2 territories and 7 republics

2 republics and three regions

Determine the subject of the Russian Federation that is not part of the Volga region:

Republic of Bashkortostan

Samara Region

Penza region

Republic of Tatarstan

Identify the cities of the Volga region whose population exceeded 1 million people:

Astrakhan, Kazan, Elista

Volgograd, Kazan, Samara

Samara, Astrakhan, Elista

Penza, Ulyanovsk, Saratov

Which statement about the climate of the Volga region is not true:

Droughts and hot winds often occur in the south of the Volga region

In the Volga region, max.

8. Volga economic region

t(s) +44 degrees

The moisture coefficient of the Volga region varies from excessive in the north (Republic of Tatarstan) to insufficient in the south (Astrakhan region and the Republic of Kalmykia)

The Volga economic region is strongly elongated from north to south, therefore it is located in two climatic zones - temperate and subtropical

Lives in the Volga region:

22 million people

17 million people

55 million people

19 million people

Which statement about the population of the Volga region is true:

In the Volga region there are high rates of natural and mechanical population growth

The Volga region is home to adherents of all three world religions. Most of the population of the Republic of Kalmykia are Buddhists, the Republic of Tatarstan are Muslims, and in 6 regions they are Christians

The highest population density of the Volga region is observed in the south of the region - the territory of the Astrakhan region and the Republic of Kalmykia

The Volga region has excellent conditions for the development of agriculture, so the level of urbanization is low - 56%

The leading branch of specialization of the Volga region is:

Mechanical engineering

Agriculture

Chemical industry

The main problem of the Volga region is:

The problem of labor shortage

Volga pollution problem

The problem of interethnic conflicts

The problem of natural resource depletion

Which statements about the specialization of the Volga region are true:

The Volga region is called the automobile workshop of Russia, where 80% of passenger cars and 20% of trucks are produced.

The Volga region is different high development fuel industry, where more than 50% of Russian oil is produced.

The most powerful nuclear power plant in Russia, the Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant, is located in the Volga region.

The Volga region has a high concentration of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises.

Numerous hydroelectric power stations have been built on the Volga, including the most powerful in Russia – the Volzhskaya Hydroelectric Power Station.

The Volga region has a high concentration of automobile manufacturing enterprises. Establish correspondence: plant - center

Naberezhnye Chelny

Tolyatti

Ulyanovsk

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Economic and geographical characteristics of the Volga economic region of Russia.

The Volga economic region includes: the Republic of Kalmykia - the capital of Khalmg Tangch (Elista), the Republic of Tatarstan - the capital of Kazan, Astrakhan, Volgograd, Penza, Samara, Saratov, Ulyanovsk regions. The total area of ​​the district occupies 536.4 thousand km2.

The Volga economic region is located along the Volga - from its confluence with the river. Kamoy to the shore of the Caspian Sea (length from north to south is 1500 km) and occupies slightly more than 3.2% of the territory where 11.5% of the Russian population lives. The area is located within the average and lower parts The Volga-Kama river basin, in the relief of which the high right bank of the Volga (Volga Upland, in the south turning into the Ergeni ridge) and the flat left bank stand out. The territory of the Lower Volga region is occupied by the Caspian Lowland, which drops below ocean level in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain and the Volga delta to a level of 27 m at the edge of the Caspian Sea.

The economic and geographical position of the Volga region is extremely favorable. In the west, the region borders on the highly developed Volga-Vyatka, Central Black Earth and North Caucasus economic regions, in the east - on the Urals and Kazakhstan. A dense network of railway and road transport routes contributes to the establishment of wide inter-district production networks in the Volga region, which is more open to the west and east (towards the main direction of the country's economic relations). Therefore, the overwhelming majority of cargo transportation goes through this territory.

The Volga-Kama river route gives access to the Caspian, Azov, Black, Baltic, White Sea. The presence of rich oil and gas deposits and the use of pipelines passing through this area confirm the advantageous economic and geographical position of the area.

The Volga region is crossed by latitudinal railways, providing connections with the regions of the Center, Ukraine, the Urals and Siberia. The main industries of the Volga region's market specialization are the oil and oil refining industries, gas and chemical industries. Electric power industry is developed in the region. At the same time, the Volga region is the main region for catching valuable sturgeon fish, one of the most important regions for growing grain crops, sunflowers, mustard, melons and vegetables, and a major supplier of wool and meat.

The Volga region is located on the East European Plain. Its natural conditions are very diverse and generally favorable for National economy. Convenient geographical location, fairly high population, rich minerals and water resources contribute to high growth rates industrial production and agriculture. Fertile soils in most of the region. The abundance of heat and sun makes it possible to grow here almost all temperate zone crops, such as winter and spring wheat, sunflowers, beets, melons and rice.

Povolzhsky economic region

Fertile conditions contributed to the development of pasture farming here. The unique natural conditions in the Volga region also influenced the location of the productive forces of the region. Until now, the Right Bank region is better developed and economically more developed compared to the Volga region. The right bank was populated earlier and more densely, larger cities arose here, and a transport network was formed.

The composition of the vegetation of the Volga region is determined by the position of its territory in the forest-steppe, steppe, and semi-desert zones. In the past, the northern part of the forest-steppe zone was covered by dense broad-leaved forests with a predominance of oak and linden. In the southern forest-steppe, forest areas alternated with spaces of meadow steppes. The semi-desert zone is characterized by steppe vegetation with a predominance of wormwood.

The water resources of the Volga region are very large, but extremely unevenly distributed across its territory. Most of water resources confined to the Volga and Kama. After regulation of their flow, the rivers turned into a chain of lake-type reservoirs. IN natural form The Volga has survived only in the area from the dam of the Volgograd hydroelectric complex to the Caspian Sea, but its water content here has decreased significantly.

The regulation of the Volga and Kama flows significantly changed the use of these rivers. In an average year in terms of water availability, hydroelectric facilities provide the production of over 30 billion kWh of electrical energy.

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The company "OIL OF THE VOLGA REGION" was registered on August 19, 2002, the registrar is the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Taxes of Russia for the KIROVSKY district of Saratov. Full name: LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY "OIL OF THE VOLGA REGION". The company is located at: 410005, SARATOV, st. VOLSKAYA, 91, floor 8. The main activity is: "Extraction of crude oil and petroleum (associated) gas." The legal entity is also registered in such OKVED categories as: “Retail trade in motor fuel”, “Extraction of crude oil and petroleum (associated) gas; extraction of fractions from petroleum (associated) gas”, “Production industrial gases". The main industry of the company: "Search and exploration of oil and gas fields using geophysical methods." The position of the head of the company is general director.

Volga region

Organizational and legal form (OPF) - limited liability companies. Type of ownership - joint private and foreign ownership.

Adjacent to the middle and lower reaches of the Volga and economically gravitating towards it. Within the Volga region there are a relatively elevated right bank with the Volga Upland and a left bank - the so-called. Trans-Volga region. In natural terms, the Volga region also sometimes includes areas located in the upper reaches of the Volga.

The Volga region was once part of the Volga Bulgaria, the Polovtsian Steppe, the Golden Horde and Rus'.

The following regions of the Volga region are distinguished:

• Upper Volga (from the source to the mouth of the Oka)- Tver, Moscow, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo and Nizhny Novgorod regions;
• Middle Volga (from the right tributary of the Sura to southern edge of Samara Luka [ ]) - Chuvashia, Republic of Mari El, Tatarstan, Ulyanovsk and Samara regions;
• Lower Volga (from the confluence of the Kama [ ] to the Caspian Sea)- Republic of Tatarstan, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd regions, Republic of Kalmykia and Astrakhan region.

After the construction of the Kuibyshev reservoir, the border between the middle and lower Volga is usually considered to be the Zhigulevskaya hydroelectric station above Samara.

The relief is flat, dominated by lowlands and hilly plains. The climate is temperate continental and continental. Summer is warm, with an average monthly air temperature in July of +22° - +25°C; winter is quite cold, the average monthly air temperature in January and February is −10° - −15°С. The average annual precipitation in the north is 500-600 mm, in the south 200-300 mm. Natural areas: mixed forest (Tatarstan), forest-steppe (Tatarstan (partially), Samara, Penza, Ulyanovsk, Saratov regions), steppe (Saratov (partially) and Volgograd regions), semi-deserts (Kalmykia, Astrakhan region). The southern part of the territory is characterized by dust storms and hot winds during the warm half of the year (from April to October).

Volga Federal District

Includes regions of the Middle Volga region, a number of regions of Central Russia (Mordovia, Penza region) and the Urals (Perm region, Bashkortostan). Center - Nizhny Novgorod. The territory of the district is 6.08% of the territory Russian Federation. The population of the Volga Federal District as of January 1, 2008 is 30 million 241 thousand 583 people. (21.4% of the Russian population). The majority of the population consists of city dwellers. For example, in Samara region this figure is more than 80%, which is generally slightly higher than the national figure (approximately 73%).

Volgo-Vyatka economic region

Association of Volga Region Cities

On October 27, 1998, the first General Meeting of the leaders of the seven largest cities of the Volga region - Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Penza, Samara, Saratov, Ulyanovsk, Cheboksary was held in the city of Samara, at which an agreement was signed on the establishment of the Association of Cities of the Volga Region. This event gave birth to a qualitatively new structure of interaction municipalities- Association of Volga Region Cities (AGP). In February 2000, Yoshkar-Ola joined the Association, on November 1, 2002, Astrakhan and Saransk joined its ranks, in 2005 - the hero city of Volgograd, in 2009 - Kirov. Currently, the AGP includes 25 cities, the largest of them:

In 2015, the Association included: Izhevsk, Perm, Ufa, Orenburg, Togliatti, Arzamas, Balakovo, Dimitrovgrad, Novokuibyshevsk, Novocheboksarsk, Sarapul, Sterlitamak and Syzran. More than thirteen million people live in the cities of the Association.

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Notes

An excerpt characterizing the Volga region

“You will be forced to dance, as you danced under Suvorov (on vous fera danser [you will be forced to dance]), said Dolokhov.
– Qu"est ce qu"il chante? [What is he singing there?] - said one Frenchman.
– De l "histoire ancienne, [ Ancient history,] - said the other, guessing that it was about previous wars. – L"Empereur va lui faire voir a votre Souvara, comme aux autres... [The Emperor will show your Suvara, like others...]
“Bonaparte...” Dolokhov began, but the Frenchman interrupted him.
- No Bonaparte. There is an emperor! Sacre nom... [Damn it...] - he shouted angrily.
- Damn your emperor!
And Dolokhov swore in Russian, rudely, like a soldier, and, raising his gun, walked away.
“Let’s go, Ivan Lukich,” he said to the company commander.
“That’s how it is in French,” the soldiers in the chain spoke. - How about you, Sidorov!
Sidorov winked and, turning to the French, began to babble incomprehensible words often, often:
“Kari, mala, tafa, safi, muter, caska,” he babbled, trying to give expressive intonations to his voice.
- Go Go go! ha ha, ha, ha! Wow! Wow! - there was a roar of such healthy and cheerful laughter among the soldiers, which involuntarily communicated through the chain to the French, that after this it seemed necessary to unload the guns, detonate the charges and everyone should quickly go home.
But the guns remained loaded, the loopholes in the houses and fortifications looked forward just as menacingly, and just as before, the guns turned towards each other, removed from the limbers, remained.

Having traveled around the entire line of troops from the right to the left flank, Prince Andrei climbed to the battery from which, according to the headquarters officer, the entire field was visible. Here he dismounted from his horse and stopped at the outermost of the four cannons that had been removed from the limbers. In front of the guns walked the sentry artilleryman, who was stretched out in front of the officer, but at a sign made to him, he resumed his uniform, boring walk. Behind the guns there were limbers, and further back there was a hitching post and artillery fires. To the left, not far from the outermost gun, there was a new wicker hut, from which animated officer voices could be heard.
Indeed, from the battery there was a view of almost the entire location of the Russian troops and most of the enemy. Directly opposite the battery, on the horizon of the opposite hillock, the village of Shengraben was visible; to the left and to the right one could discern in three places, among the smoke of their fires, masses of French troops, of which, obviously, most of them were in the village itself and behind the mountain. To the left of the village, in the smoke, there seemed to be something similar to a battery, but it was impossible to get a good look at it with the naked eye. Our right flank was located on a rather steep hill, which dominated the French position. Our infantry was positioned along it, and the dragoons were visible at the very edge. In the center, where the Tushin battery was located, from which Prince Andrei viewed the position, there was the most gentle and straight descent and ascent to the stream that separated us from Shengraben. To the left, our troops adjoined the forest, where the fires of our infantry, chopping wood, were smoking. The French line was wider than ours, and it was clear that the French could easily get around us on both sides. Behind our position there was a steep and deep ravine, along which it was difficult for artillery and cavalry to retreat. Prince Andrei, leaning on the cannon and taking out his wallet, drew for himself a plan for the disposition of the troops. He wrote notes in pencil in two places, intending to communicate them to Bagration. He intended, firstly, to concentrate all the artillery in the center and, secondly, to transfer the cavalry back to the other side of the ravine. Prince Andrei, constantly being with the commander-in-chief, monitoring the movements of the masses and general orders and constantly studying historical descriptions battles, and in this upcoming matter he involuntarily thought about the future course of military operations only in general terms. He imagined only the following kind of major accidents: “If the enemy launches an attack on the right flank,” he said to himself, “the Kiev Grenadier and Podolsk Jaeger will have to hold their position until the reserves of the center approach them. In this case, the dragoons can hit the flank and overthrow them. In the event of an attack on the center, we place a central battery on this hill and, under its cover, pull together the left flank and retreat to the ravine in echelons,” he reasoned with himself...
All the time that he was on the battery at the gun, he, as often happens, without ceasing, heard the sounds of the voices of the officers speaking in the booth, but did not understand a single word of what they were saying. Suddenly the sound of voices from the booth struck him with such a sincere tone that he involuntarily began to listen.
“No, my dear,” said a pleasant voice that seemed familiar to Prince Andrei, “I say that if it were possible to know what will happen after death, then none of us would be afraid of death.” So, my dear.
Another, younger voice interrupted him:
- Yes, be afraid, don’t be afraid, it doesn’t matter - you won’t escape.
- And you’re still afraid! Oh you, learned people, said a third courageous voice, interrupting both. “You artillerymen are very learned because you can take everything with you, including vodka and snacks.
And the owner of the courageous voice, apparently an infantry officer, laughed.
“But you’re still afraid,” continued the first familiar voice. – You’re afraid of the unknown, that’s what. Whatever you say, the soul will go to heaven... after all, we know that there is no heaven, but only one sphere.
Again the courageous voice interrupted the artilleryman.
“Well, treat me to your herbalist, Tushin,” he said.
“Ah, this is the same captain who stood at the sutler’s without boots,” thought Prince Andrei, recognizing with pleasure the pleasant, philosophizing voice.
“You can have some herbal,” said Tushin, “but still.” future life comprehend...
He didn't finish. At this time a whistle was heard in the air; closer, closer, faster and louder, louder and faster, and the cannonball, as if not having finished everything it needed to say, exploding spray with superhuman force, plopped into the ground not far from the booth. The earth seemed to gasp from a terrible blow.

We attributed Kalmykia to completely non-Volga Kalmykia. From the former Volga-Vyatka region, the Volga region included the Kirov region and all 3 republics (Mordovian, Chuvash, Mari). Thus, the Volga region that we further characterize includes all regions located on the Volga (south of Nizhny Novgorod), the Kirov region occupies the Vyatka basin (a tributary of the Kama) and does not extend to the Volga, but has many similarities with the neighboring republics of Mordovia.

Our discussions about what the Volga region is and what its borders are help us to feel the complexity of such work as territorial zoning. In this case, the region that we are studying would be easiest to identify with “unlimited” zoning, that is, one when the core of the region is clearly identified, but its boundaries are unclear. In the case of the Volga region, we have a clear core, the main axis of the region - the Volga River. Undoubtedly, the Volga region is those territories whose centers are strung on the Volga below Cheboksary: ​​Kazan, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd, Astrakhan. These 6 regions are the core of the Volga region, and the rest are its periphery, transitional territories to other regions.

To better understand the essence of the “Volga core,” let’s first consider its periphery.

Kirov region

The Kirov region is a transition zone between the Volga region and the Urals. What it has in common with the North is its location in the forest zone, the development of logging and woodworking, and various crafts. With the Urals - the development in the past of ferrous metallurgy using local ores and charcoal, and now - rolling production and metalworking. With the Volga region - the development of the chemical industry (including the military - fuel production and others) and features historical development(evacuation of military factories during the Great Patriotic War). A common feature with both the Volga region and the Urals is the predominance of the military-industrial complex in the structure of mechanical engineering (weapons production in the city of Vyatskie Polyany, in Kirov - aviation equipment and instruments).

Mordovia

Mordovia belongs to natural conditions to the black earth strip and is similar to the Central Black Sea Region, but its settlement by Russians took place under different conditions: Russian villages appeared among the Mordovian ones. As a result, of the 1 million population of Mordovia, Mordovians make up only 1/3, and 2/3 are Russians. This is how the Mordovians were described at the beginning of the 20th century:

The region in which the Mordovian tribe lived from time immemorial compares favorably with the marshy areas on the left bank of the Volga, occupied by other Finnish tribes, in its comparative high position(Volga Upland) and rich chernozem soil. Previously, they were almost completely covered with dense deciduous forests, teeming with various forest animals: wild boars, goats, moose, foxes and beavers. Now only small islands remain of these forests. The inhabitants of this rich region differ from their fellow tribesmen who settled in the swamps and forests north of the Volga in their taller stature, massive, strong physique, fair skin and considerable strength, not inferior to the strength of the Russian population. Despite their clumsiness, they show self-confidence and self-confidence in their speech and movements. Mordva has already become very Russified and in some places has completely merged with the Russian population. In general, the Mordovians live richer than their neighbors - Russians, Tatars and Chuvashs - are more secure in land, and are distinguished by greater diligence and thrift.

The industry of Mordovia developed almost exclusively in its capital - Saransk (where 1/3 of the republic's population is concentrated - 320 thousand people) and is represented mainly by the electrical industry (electric lamps, cables, electric rectifiers, and so on), instrument making and the production of medicines.

Distribution area of ​​the Mordovians - from Ryazan region to Bashkiria: only 1/3 of all Mordovians live outside the territory of the Mordovian Republic, and the rest live mainly in adjacent regions (Ulyanovsk, Samara, Penza) and in Bashkiria.

So, in terms of the natural prerequisites for development and the nature of agriculture, Mordovia is similar to the Central Chernobyl Region, and in terms of the nature of industry (labor-intensive mechanical engineering), the history of settlement and modern problems- to the neighboring Chuvash and Mari republics.

Chuvashia

Chuvashia is the only republic of the Ural-Volga region where the indigenous population absolutely predominates (out of 1.3 million inhabitants, almost 70% are Chuvash, 1/4 are Russian). Chuvashia is one of densely populated areas European Russia, much less urbanized (like Mordovia) than its neighbors, with a high natural increase and a high proportion of children in the population that remained until recently.

The specialization of agriculture is almost the same as in the Central Chernobyl Region; the abundance of labor resources in rural areas makes it possible to grow such a labor-intensive crop as hops; sugar beet crops are expanding.

The industry of Chuvashia is mechanical engineering (electrical engineering, production of industrial tractors), chemical industry (including military), textile and food industries. The largest city of Cheboksary (420 thousand inhabitants), together with the city of Novocheboksary (120 thousand inhabitants) that arose 20 kilometers away with the construction of the Cheboksary hydroelectric power station on the Volga, concentrate more than 1/3 of all residents of the republic and most of its industry.

Unlike the peoples of the Finnish language group, easy to assimilate (especially the Mordovians), the Chuvash, like others Turkic peoples, ethnically much more stable (but among the Tatars and Bashkirs this could be explained by religious differences from the Russians, and the Chuvash are Orthodox, so, apparently, the issue is not a difference in religions).

Of the 1.8 million Chuvash, about half live on the territory of Chuvashia itself, the rest, mainly in adjacent regions.

Mari Republic

The Mari Republic (Mari El), according to natural and cultural characteristics, is sharply divided into 2 parts - on the right high (mountain) bank of the Volga and on the left lowland, forested one. The “mountain” Mari live on the right bank, and the “meadow” Mari live on the left bank (very close to each other in language and culture). Economically, the right bank is very similar to Chuvashia, and the left bank is similar to the Kirov region and the Nizhny Novgorod Trans-Volga region: it is covered with forests (about half of the territory), agricultural land makes up less than 1/3; logging, wood processing and the pulp and paper industry are developed.

The capital, Yoshkar-Ola, with a population of 250 thousand inhabitants (1/3 of the population of the republic) concentrates almost all mechanical engineering, mainly military (radio factories, instrument making), as well as electrical engineering. Thus, in this republic, labor-intensive mechanical engineering is concentrated in the capital.

Of the 750 thousand inhabitants of the republic, Mari make up 43%, Russians - 48%. Of the total number of Mari (670 thousand people), only about half live in the Mari Republic, the rest are scattered in many other regions of the Ural-Volga region.

We see that all 3 republics we examined have a lot in common. In economic terms, there is a concentration of labor-intensive mechanical engineering in their capitals (concentrating 1/3 of all residents). From the point of view of ethnogeography, it means that they concentrate within their borders from 1/3 to 1/2 of their ethnic group, and the rest of it is scattered. All these peoples were converted to Orthodoxy by Russian missionaries, even the Turkic-speaking Chuvash. The proportion of Russians is large everywhere - 2/3 in Mordovia, 1/3 in Mari El, 1/4 in Chuvashia. Chuvashia is distinguished by a much larger proportion of the indigenous population and its resistance to assimilation.

Let us now move on to consider the Volga region itself - its core, stretching along the Volga from Kazan to Astrakhan.

The natural conditions of such a large region, stretching from north to south for more than a thousand kilometers, are very diverse. Tataria is located mainly in the zone of mixed forests (mostly deforested; agricultural lands occupy about 2/3 of the territory); The Ulyanovsk and Samara regions are in the forest-steppe zone (where there is also little left of forests), the Saratov and Volgograd regions are in the steppe zone, and the Astrakhan region is half in the semi-desert zone. (Usually Tataria, Ulyanovsk and Samara regions are called the Middle Volga region, and Saratov, Volgograd and Astrakhan regions are called the Lower Volga region.)

The right bank of the Volga along its entire length is usually high, the left bank is low. The Volga Upland stretches along the right bank for a long distance (from Cheboksary to Volgograd). The main reserves of minerals were found in sedimentary rocks on the left bank, these are primarily oil and gas fields: the southeast of Tataria (Almetyevsk region) and the west of the Samara region. The Saratov and Volgograd regions are also promising for gas production, where geological exploration work is currently being actively carried out. Among other mineral resources, lakes Baskunchak and Elton (“All-Russian salt shaker”) deserve mention.

The climate of the region is sharply continental. Average January temperatures vary from -14° in Kazan to -6° in Astrakhan, and July temperatures at the same points are +20° and +25° (the latter figure is the highest for European Russia). Precipitation brought by western winds falls on the western slopes of the Volga Upland (up to 500 mm per year), and on the low-lying left bank (where it heats up moving away from the saturation point) - much less, in Tataria about 400 millimeters, and in the Saratov Trans-Volga region and further south - less than 300 millimeters. Thus, the dryness of the climate increases from the northwest to the southeast, and the specialization of agriculture changes accordingly. In the Middle Volga region, especially on the right bank, it is similar to the Central Chernobyl Region: grain farming, meat and dairy farming and pig farming, sugar beet and hemp crops. On the right bank in the Saratov and Volgograd regions, sugar beets and pig farming almost disappear, and sunflower and mustard appear. In the Saratov Trans-Volga region there are grain crops, beef cattle breeding and sheep breeding, and even further south - sheep breeding on dry-steppe and semi-desert pastures with grain crops only on irrigated lands.

The Volga region is characterized by anticyclonic weather, which causes droughts in summer. They are especially dangerous if accompanied by hot and dusty southeasterly winds or dust storms; in these cases, the grain plants can either die completely or the grain in them dries out.

Over the past 70 years, droughts in the Volga region were twice accompanied by terrible famine - in 1921 and 1933-1934, and each time the damage from the disaster was aggravated by social factors: in the first case, the supply of food was complicated by the devastation in transport (but also by the Bolsheviks’ refusal to cooperate with other parties even in such a matter as helping the hungry), and in the second, the famine was greatly intensified by the fact that all grain reserves from the peasants were taken away “for state needs” (including for export, to pay for purchased industrial equipment).

The following stages can be distinguished in the economic development of the Volga region (We distinguish these stages from the point of view of the Russian state; apparently, from the point of view of the history of Tatarstan or Chuvashia, the stages may be different):

1. Before the annexation of the Kazan (1552) and Astrakhan (1556) khanates to Russia, the Volga was used Russian state only as a transit transport artery for not very intensive trade - first with the Golden Horde, then with these khanates.

2. After the annexation of these khanates to Russia, Astrakhan becomes the main southern port of Russia, the “gateway to the East” - a kind of southern analogue of Arkhangelsk. At the end of the 16th century between Kazan and Astrakhan approximately equal distances The guard cities of Samara, Saratov (its name is of Turkic origin: Sarytau is “yellow mountain”), Tsaritsyn (now Volgograd) arise from each other (about 450 km). The Right Bank begins to be populated by landowner peasants.

3) In the 19th - early 20th centuries, the Volga region became a large area for the production of commercial grain and the flour-milling industry. The colonization of the Trans-Volga region begins - no longer by landowners, but by peasants, especially after the abolition of serfdom. (True, even before this, in the 1760s, several tens of thousands of German colonists were resettled in the Volga region; the centers of their territories were Pokrovskaya Sloboda - present-day Engels, opposite Saratov, and Ekaterinenstadt - present-day Marx). The transport significance of the Volga (which becomes the “main street of Russia”) is increasing; not only grain is transported along it, but also oil cargo (coming from Baku), timber is floated to the southern regions, including the mines of Donbass (and the most powerful ones arise in Tsaritsyn sawmills in Russia).

4) The policy of industrialization during the pre-war five-year plans (for example, the construction of a tractor plant in Volgograd) and especially the evacuation of defense enterprises in 1941-1942 dramatically changed the national economic profile of the Volga region, turning it from agricultural to industrial and from “flour-grinding” to machine-building. Since then, the Volga region has become a deeply militarized region. The military industry is located mainly in large cities - Kazan, Ulyanovsk Samara, Saratov, Volgograd.

5) In the post-war period, especially in the 1950-1960s, the construction of large Volga hydroelectric power stations was completed: Volgograd, Saratov (with a dam near Balakovo) and Samara (with a dam near Tolyatti), as well as Nizhnekamsk (near the city of Naberezhnye Chelny); The Volga region became the main area of ​​oil production, oil refining and petrochemicals for two decades. This further complicated the structure of the region's economy, made it even more industrial, including due to the flooding of floodplain lands, where more than half of the Russian hay was harvested in the famous Volga flood meadows, many vegetables and fruits and much more were collected. In the total area of ​​the Volga region, those flooded by reservoirs occupy a small share, but these lands were much more valuable than the watershed territories, and their loss sharply worsened the food supply of the Volga cities.

This loss was partially compensated by irrigating the dry steppes of the Trans-Volga region (especially in the Saratov region), however, due to poor quality reclamation work and non-compliance with irrigation technology, many irrigated lands became salinized. This is one of the most striking examples of extreme disinterest in work, when it is done not for oneself, but for someone (“for uncle”): none of the builders and operators were vitally interested in ensuring that reclamation systems were built and operated with high quality, with compliance with all rules: the personal well-being of workers did not depend on this in any way.

Currently, the main industries of the Volga region are mechanical engineering and petrochemistry. Mechanical engineering is represented mainly by military-industrial complex enterprises, but also produces civilian products: cars (Togliatti, Ulyanovsk, Naberezhnye Chelny), airplanes (Saratov, Ulyanovsk), tractors (Volgograd), machine tools, instruments and much more. Oil production is declining, but oil refining and petrochemical industries are switching to Siberian oil; The Volga region is the largest producer of plastics, chemical fibers, synthetic rubber and tires, mineral fertilizers and so on.

In the Volga region they are very acute ecological problems. The creation of Volga reservoirs disrupted self-purification processes river waters(in “stagnant” reservoirs these processes proceed much more slowly). At the same time, the development of petrochemicals on the banks of the Volga, coupled with a chronic lack of wastewater treatment facilities (or lack thereof), sharply increased wastewater discharges into the Volga and its tributaries. As a result, in its lower reaches the Volga water is extremely polluted and sometimes unsuitable even for irrigation. Correcting this situation requires concerted action throughout the entire Volga basin - that is, in most of European Russia. The Volga cities are also extremely polluted.

National composition

The ethnic composition of the Volga region residents is quite diverse. In addition to the Russians, who make up 3/4 of its inhabitants, many other peoples live here.

The Tatars are the largest ethnic group in Russia after the Russians (5.5 million people); of these, about 1.7 million live in Tatarstan (accounting for 48% of the republic's population), 1.1 million live in Bashkiria, and the rest are scattered throughout almost all regions of Russia, mainly the Volga region.

The very name “Tatars” first appeared among the Mongolian tribes who roamed south of Lake Baikal back in the 6th-9th centuries. In Russia it became known from the 13th century, from the time of the Mongol-Tatar invasion. Later, Tatars in Rus' began to be called all the peoples living within the Golden Horde. These peoples included: the Volga Bulgars (or Bulgarians) - a Turkic-speaking people who came to the Volga region in the 7th-8th centuries, assimilated local Finno-Ugric tribes and created their own state in the 10th century - Volga-Kama Bulgaria, whose inhabitants were engaged in agriculture and trade and craft (and other groups of Bulgarians went in the 7th century to the Balkan Peninsula and there, mixed with Slavic tribes and having adopted their language, he formed the Bulgarian-Slavic state - the predecessor - in 680; present-day Bulgaria).

During their stay as part of the Golden Horde, the Volga Bulgars adopted much of the culture of the settlers (“Mongol-Tatars”), with whom they were also united by religious community (Islam). In general, the population of the Golden Horde became more homogeneous. After the collapse of the Golden Horde during the existence of separate khanates (Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian), separate groups of Tatars were formed - Kazan, Astrakhan Siberian, Mishars and others. Some of the Tatars converted to Orthodoxy - these are the “Kryashens” Tatars (from a distorted word for “baptism”) Having become part of the Russian state, the Tatars, together with the Russians, took part in settling the territory of the Russian Empire, and now they can be found in every corner of Russia.

This is how ethnographers described the Tatars at the beginning of our century: By occupation, the Tatars are farmers, but the lack of land often forces them to look for other earnings. Thousands of Tatars work as porters on the Volga, are hired as janitors or coachmen in cities, or serve as laborers in landlord economies. With their strength, endurance, conscientiousness and execution of the task undertaken, they have earned a reputation as the best workers in the Volga region. The energy and practical intelligence of the Tatars made them excellent traders, who captured into their own hands a significant part of not only small but also large-scale trade in the Volga region.

Although less than 1/3 of all Tatars in Russia live within the Tatar Republic, Kazan is cultural center for the majority of Tatars, no matter where they live. Recently, for example, in Kazan, teacher training has begun for Tatar schools opening in areas of compact Tatar residence in other republics and regions of Russia.

Kazakhs (with a total number of more than 200 thousand people) live mainly in the Astrakhan region (as well as in the Volgograd and Saratov regions). Between the Volga and the Urals, the Kazakhs appeared in the very early XIX century (“Bukreevskaya Horde”), when the Kalmyks migrated from here. They are mainly engaged in pasture sheep breeding.

The Germans, who settled in the Volga region at the end of the 18th century and created a prosperous agricultural region (on the territory of which, after the revolution, the Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created), in 1941, after the outbreak of the war, were evicted to the eastern regions (Siberia and Kazakhstan) under the pretext that they can help the troops fascist Germany. Unlike other peoples, after Stalin's deportation returned home in 1956-1957, the Germans were prohibited from returning to the Volga region, and to this day most of them live in the south Western Siberia and in Northern Kazakhstan. In the late 1980s the ban on return was lifted, but local authorities The Saratov and Volgograd regions were very disapproving of this, and German autonomy on the Volga was never recreated. The result was increased emigration Russian Germans to Germany, thanks to which, apparently, there will soon be practically no Germans left in Russia.

After the collapse of the USSR, the situation in the Volga region in some ways begins to resemble a picture of the 17th century: Astrakhan again becomes the southern gateway of Russia (and the Caspian military flotilla has already been relocated there from Baku). However, now the role of the Volga region in the economy is immeasurably higher - but the region is also “burdened” with the most pressing problems, primarily the state of the environment (the Volga has practically become a sewage collector) and the conversion of defense enterprises.