Voronezh oblast overview
Voronezh oblast (also spelled Voronezhskaya) is federal subject of Russian Federation, part of Central Federal District. The administrative center and capital city is Voronezh.
Voronezh oblast population is 2,268,000 (2009); land area - 52,200 sq. km.
Voronezh oblast facts
The climate of Voronezh oblast is of moderate continental type with the average temperature within a year from 5 degs C above zero in the north of the oblast to 6,5 degs C above zero in the south. The average temperature in January is 9 degs C below zero, in July - 20 degs C above zero.
Largest cities and towns of the region are Voronezh (920,000), Borisoglebsk (67,000), Rossosh (62,000), Lisky (55,000). About 63% of Voronezh oblast population is urban.
Don is the main river of Voronezh oblast. The most important resource of Voronezh oblast is its black soil (chernozyom) occupying the main part of the territory of the region. Mineral and raw resources of the oblast are presented by deposits of non-ore raw, mainly sands, clay, chalk, granite and cement, especially in western and southern districts of the region. Voronezh oblast has almost unlimited deposits of chalk.
Voronezh oblast views
Voronezh oblast nature
Author: Stepygin Evgeny
Voronezh oblast view
Author: Constantin Silkin
Voronezh region view
Author: Galina Linn
Voronezh oblast history
In 7th-3rd centuries B.C. Scythian tribes inhabited the Lower Don steppes. They occupied the southern part of present day Voronezh oblast. In 4th century the Huns went across Don steppes from east to west. In 7th century the steppe part of Voronezhskaya area became a part of Khazar kaganate. In 8th century Slavic population came to Voronezh and middle Don. In 8th century Pechenegs, and in mid-11th century Polovets came there. The territory of the region was a part of Ryazan and Chernigov principalities.
In the 16th century after Great Ryazan principality joined the Russian state (around 1521) and the threat of Crimean khans’ attacks weakened the town of Voronezh was founded (1585). Mass inhabitance of the northern part of the region began. The assimilation of the south was possible after Azov expeditions in 1695-1696. In 1708-1725 the territory of Voronezh region was a part of Azovskaya gubernia, in 1725-1928 - of Voronezhskaya gubernia, in 1928-1934 - of Central Chernozyomnaya oblast.
From 1929 the process of peasants collectivization took place which entailed starvation of 1932-1933 (about 100,000 people died on the territory of Voronezh region). Voronezhskaya oblast was formed in 1934. In 1964-1972 Novovoronezhskaya nuclear power station was constructed.
Voronezh oblast economics
Voronezhskaya oblast is industrial and agricultural. Machine-building, power engineering, chemical industry and agricultural raw processing industries prevail in the oblast. They produce 4/5 of all the output. Food industry (27%) is the leading one, machine-building and metal-working is the second one (23%), and the third one is power engineering (18%).
The territory of Voronezh oblast is crossed by: federal highway E115 - M4 “Moscow - Rostov-on-Don”; federal highway E119 - M6 “Moscow - Astrakhan”; highway E38 - A144 “Kursk - Saratov”. The rivers Don and Khopyor are the main waterways of the oblast.
Voronezh oblast is a large supplier of agricultural product: it produces crops (mainly wheat), sugar-beet, sunflower and vegetables. On the whole the agriculture is specialized in sugar-beet, sunflower and crops, cattle-, pig- and sheep-breeding.
The region has nuclear power station on its territory - Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Station.
Voronezh oblast attractions
Voronezh region has a considerable tourist potential which is not fully activated. Beside pine-tree groves in the lowland of the river Voronezh known for their favorable influence on human being, more famous is historical and cultural monument – Divnogorye, which so far is popular among local tourists.
It is a unique Orthodox church, gouged by Russian monks within a huge chalk mountain on the banks of the river Tikhaya Sosna in Liskinsky district. Besides, there are a lot of summer and winter tourist camps, sanatoriums and reserves, monasteries, churches, cultural and historical monuments on the territory of Voronezh oblast of Russia.