Ryazan city overview
Ryazan is a city in Russia, an administrative center of Ryazan (Ryazanskaya) oblast (province). The city is located on the right bank of the river Oka (2 km from the river) where the river Trubezh flows into Oka. Ryazan is a large port on Oka river located 196 km from Moscow. The city is the railway juncture to Moscow, Ruzayevka, Ryazhsk.
Ryazan city has the population of about 510,000 (2009) on the territory of 224 sq. km.
Ryazan city phone code is +7 4912; postal codes are 390000-390048.
Ryazan city history
Originally Ryazan was the name of Ryazan principality capital located 50 km to the south-east of current Ryazan city (current site of old settlement Ryazan Staraya). In 1208 the city was robbed and burnt by Vladimir prince Vsevolod Bolshoye Gnezdo, and all the citizens were held in servitude.
After Vsevolod’s death his son Yury II Vsevolodovich let them free. Ryazan never revived and was occupied by Tatar-Mongols in 1237. The Horde let the prince Kozma Igorevich rule the city and he continued its restoration. In the mid 14th century the center of principality was transferred to Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky.
In 1778 Ryazan vice-gerency was formed, later it became gubernia and Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky received the name Ryazan and a coat-of-arms depicting a fighter with a sword in his hand. The trade was well developed in the city. In early 18th century the merchants of Ryazan owned about 20% of Moscow bread-making and trading market. By the end of the century about 10,000 people lived in the city. In 1786 a school was opened in Ryazan, a year later - theater of opera and drama being one of the oldest in Russia.
During The Patriotic War of 1812 a lot of people from occupied Russian territories found Ryazan as their home. In 1837 a big fire destroyed a lot of wooden houses. New buildings of brick were constructed, including artillery barracks (current hospital building on Pervomaysky prospect), in 1850-1854s - a building of Nobility Assembly with the coats of arms on Astrahanskaya street. By 1860 the population of Ryazan was 21,600.
In 1890 the railway station building was constructed. Ryazan became a large railway station, about 20,000 tons of various cargo was dispatched from it. At that time there were over 15 small plants including iron foundry and brickworks. By 1897 the population was 46,000 and the city was located on the land area of 12 square km.
In 1913 Ryazan power station was put into operation. A year later a telephone connection with Moscow appeared. The economic dislocation caused by revolution and Civil War ruined the city’s economy. In early 1918 the industrial output was only 20% of that of pre-war level.
In 1929-1930s Ryazan is a part of Moskovskaya oblast, since 1937 - a center of Ryazanskaya oblast. After the World War II the city started rapid developing. Various plants were put into operation - of calculating devices and tool-making as well as Universities of Agriculture and Medicine.
In 1995 Ryazan city celebrated its 900th anniversary.
Ryazan city facts
Main industries of Ryazan city economics are processing plants, plant of oil products manufacturing, of power and electronic engineering. Main city transportations are buses, trolley-buses, minivans.
To the south-west of Ryazan Kremlin two main squares of the city are located: Sobornaya (former Sovetskaya) and Lenin Square.
Main streets are: Sobornaya overlooking the Sobornaya square, Moskovskaya (current Pervomaysky prospect) leading to Assumption church of the Kremlin and Astrahanskaya (current Lenin street), which crosses Ryazan from south-east to north-west.
The houses were built of classic style, e.g. a gymnasium (current Polytechnical Institute; 1808-1815), former Nobility Assembly (central part - early 19th century), a hospital (1816), a market (first half of 19th century).
In Soviet time Ryazan was reconstructed and well organized. In 1950-1970s S.Yesenin Concert Hall was constructed, a post-office, a train station “Ryazan-2”, a circus.
