Volgograd

Volgograd, founded in 1589, has changed its name several times throughout its history. In 1925 a politically dissonant name of the town, Tsaritsyn, was replaced by the more up-dated and Soviet one — Stalingrad. As a result of the dethronement of Stalin personality's cult, in 1961 Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd — «a town on the Volga River». But it was under the name of Stalingrad that the city went down in world history as a hero city. During World War II the city turned into the stage of pitched battles that in many aspects determined the victory over the Fascist invaders. By 1945 Stalingrad had been practically leveled and it was among the first Russian towns reconstructed in the first post-war years. Nowadays nothing reminds that this beautiful modern city once was a land of ruins. And only several museums and monuments commemorate the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for peace.