Volgograd (Tsaritsyn, Stalingrad) is a regional center, a port on the Volga River and an important railway junction; it stretches 70km along the right bank of the Volga at its lower reaches. The climate is sharply continental with a mean January temperature of 5C below zero and a July temperature of +24 C.
Volgograd was founded in 1589 as the Tsaritsyn forte outpost set to guard the Volga trade route form nomad attacks. In the 17th and 18th centuries it frequently became the center of popular uprisings against the tsarist autocracy. By the mid 10th century Tsaritsyn had become a fairly important economic centre of the Lower Volga region with developed iron and steel industry.
The first Soviet tractor was built here in 1930, and the city rapidly became as major industrial centre Today Volgograd is a city of large-scale industries

It has over 130 factories, mills, plants and works producing building materials, tractors, boring machinery, tankers, oil products, steel, rolled metal, river vessels, medical equipment and other goods that are widely used in the domestic economy and exported to dozens of foreign states. Nowadays Volgorad has six higher educational establishments, more than 140 general schools and four theatres, Volgograd is a part of many routes for foreign tourists. Visitors can fly form Moscow in 1 hour 30 minutes flying time, distance of 930 km.