Taganrog

Contested by various factions during World War I and the Russian Civil War, the city served as the temporary Soviet Ukrainian capital in 1918.

• En Name — Taganrog • Ru Name — Таганрог • Anthem — Anthem of Taganrog • Holiday — September 12 • Federal Subject — Rostov Oblast • Adm Inhabloc Jur — Taganrog Urban Okrug • Adm Ctr Of1 — Taganrog Urban Okrug • Inhabloc Cat — City • Urban Okrug Jur — Taganrog Urban Okrug • Mun Admctr Of1 — Taganrog Urban Okrug • Leader Title — Head • Leader Name — Mikhail Solonitsin • Representative Body — City Duma • Area Km2 — 80 • Pop 2010census — 257681 • Pop 2010census Rank — 72nd • Pop Latest — 251100 • Pop Latest Date — January 2016 • Established Date — September 12, 1698 • Current Cat Date — 1775 • Postal Codes — 347900, 347902, 347904, 347905, 347909, 347910, 347913, 347916, 347919, 347922–347924, 347927, 347928, 347930–347932, 347935, 347936, 347939, 347942, 347943, 347949, 347990 • Dialing Codes — 8634 • Website — tagancity.ru

The history of the city goes back to the late Bronze Age–early Iron Age. Later, it became the earliest Greek settlement in the northeastern Black Sea region and was probably mentioned by the Greek historian Herodotus as emporion Kremnoi (Κρήμνοι, meaning cliffs). It had contacts as well to the other Greek colonies around the Black Sea as well as to the indigenous communities of the hinterland. In the 13th century, Pisan merchants founded a colony, Portus Pisanus, which was however short-lived. Taganrog was founded by Peter the Great on 12 September 1698. In 1712, it passed to the Ottoman Empire and the fort was destroyed. In 1769, it was recaptured by Russia. The first Russian Navy base, it hosted the Azov Flotilla of Catherine the Great (1770–1783), which subsequently became the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Taganrog was granted city status in 1775. From 1775 it was administratively located in the Azov Governorate, and then from 1784 in the Yekaterinoslav Governorate. • Illustration — Bombardment of Taganrog in 1855 By the end of the 18th century, Taganrog had lost its importance as a military base after Crimea and the entire Sea of Azov were absorbed into the Russian Empire. In 1802, Tsar Alexander I granted the city special status, which lasted until 1887. In 1825, the Alexander I Palace in Taganrog was used as his summer residence, and he died there in November 1825. Also in Taganrog is the House of Teacher, a mansion where numerous artists have performed. Although it was besieged by Anglo-French fleet in 1855 during the Crimean War, Taganrog became important as a commercial port, used for the import of grain by the end of the 19th century until the early 20th century. Industrialization increased in the city when Belgian and German investors founded a boiler factory, an iron and steel foundry, a leather factory, and an oil press factory. By 1911, fifteen foreign consulates had opened in the city. • Illustration — Plaque commemorating the foundation of the Communist Party of Ukraine in 1918 in the former Bristol Hotel During World War I, Taganrog served as the temporary capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Republic in March–April 1918. Afterwards it was occupied by the troops of the German Army from May to August 1918. In 1919, General Anton Denikin established his headquarters at the Avgerino mansion in the city while commanding White Russian troops fighting in South Russia during the Russian Civil War. When the White Russians were defeated and Bolshevik power was established in the city on 25 December 1919, Denikin's remaining troops and the British Consulate were evacuated by HMS Montrose. Full power was granted to the executive committee of The City Soviet Workers' council on 17 December 1920, and Taganrog joined the Ukrainian SSR as the administrative center of Taganrog Okrug. It was transferred to the Russian SFSR along with Shakhty Okrug on 1 October 1924. During World War II, Taganrog was occupied by Nazi Germany from 1941 to 1943 during Operation Barbarossa, when two SS divisions entered the city on 17 October 1941, followed by the Wehrmacht. The city suffered extensive damage. Under German occupation the local government system was replaced by a German-style Bürgermeisteramt (Mayor's Office), which governed the city until it was liberated by the Red Army on 30 August 1943.

Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as Taganrog Urban Okrug—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, this administrative unit also has urban okrug status.

Taganrog is the leading industrial center of Rostov Oblast. Local industry is represented by aerospace, machine-building, automobile, military, iron and steel industry, engineering, metal traders and processors, timber, woodwork, pulp and paper, food, light, chemical and construction materials. The city is one of the major ports of the Sea of Azov. The biggest company currently operating in Taganrog is Taganrog Iron & Steel Factory, (publicly traded company Tagmet), which manufactures steel, steel pipe, for oil and gas industry and consumer goods. The other major employer is Taganrog Auto Factory (TagAZ Ltd.), which originated from Taganrog Combine Harvester Factory. The plant manufactures automobiles licensed by Hyundai. The production line includes Hyundai Accent compact sedan, mid-size Hyundai Sonata, sport utility vehicle Santa Fe, and Hyundai Porter pickup truck. Taganrog is also home to the aircraft design bureau Beriev. The area around Taganrog has a large industrial potential, a diversified agricultural industry, production plants, and a modern infrastructure. The location of Taganrog on the intersection of traffic routes and the seaport facilitate access to the emerging CIS markets. Taganrog's main trading partners are the CIS countries, South Korea, Turkey, Italy, Greece, and Egypt.

The Taganrog air base is 6 km northwest of the city and hosts the Taganrog Aviation Museum. The city also hosts the Taganrog military museum.

• Illustration — Taganrog College of Technologies • Taganrog College of Technologies • Taganrog State Pedagogical Institute • Taganrog College of Management and Economy

The climate of Taganrog is temperate (Köppen climate classification Cfa/Dfa). Taganrog experiences moderately cold (mild by Russian standards) winters and hot summers.

Alferaki Palace, Bishop's House, also known as Kirsanov's house, Chapel of Our Lady of Kazan, Taganrog, Shtalberg House, Telegraph House and the House of Subsovich, House of Deminoj-Cachoni, House of Voroshilkin, Stepan Akimov House, House of Sirotinykh, House of Lukin, House of Lobanov, House of Averino, Mansion of Handrin, House of Rabinovich are located in Taganrog.

• Illustration — Birth house of Faina Ranevskaya Numerous Russian and international aristocrats, politicians, artists, and scientists were born and/or have lived in Taganrog. Taganrog is the native city of • Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) • Faina Ranevskaya (1896–1984) • Sophia Parnok (1885–1933) • Alexandre Koyré (1892–1964) • Isaac Yakovlevich Pavlovsky (1853–1924) • Witold Rowicki (1914–1989) • Georgy Sedov (1877–1914) • Dmitri Sinodi-Popov (1855–1910) • Natalya Agapyeva (1883–1956) It is also associated with: • Peter I of Russia • Alexander I of Russia • Cornelius Cruys • Giuseppe Garibaldi • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky • Adolph Brodsky • Konstantin Paustovsky • Nestor Kukolnik • Achilles Alferaki • Ioannis Varvakis • Vasily Zolotarev • Sergei Bondarchuk • William Frederick Yeames • Illustration — Alexander I Statue in Taganrog • Illustration — Garibaldi Monument in Taganrog • Illustration — Chekhov Monument in Taganrog • Illustration — Monument "Artyomka"

Taganrog is twinned with: • Antratsyt, Ukraine (2012) • Badenweiler, Germany (2002) • Cherven Bryag, Bulgaria (1963) • Jining, China (2009) • Khartsyzk, Ukraine (2009) • Lüdenscheid, Germany (1991) • Odesa, Ukraine