Orenburg
483162
225134559
2008-07-12T01:43:13Z
208.252.179.23
{{Unreferenced|date=September 2006}}
{{Coord|51|47|N|55|06|E|display=title}}
[[Image:Coat of Arms of Orenburg.png|thumb|140px|Coat of arms of Orenburg]]
'''Orenburg''' ({{lang-ru|Оренбу́рг}}) is a [[types of inhabited localities in Russia|city]] on the [[Ural River]] and the administrative center of [[Orenburg Oblast]] in the [[Volga Federal District]] of [[Russia]]. It lies 1,478 km southeast of [[Moscow]], very close to the border with [[Kazakhstan]]. Population: 542,700 (2005 est.);{{fact|date=December 2007}} 549,361 ([[Russian Census (2002)|2002 Census]]). Highest point: 154.4 m. International dialing code: +7 (3532). Postal code: 460000. As of 2006, the mayor of the city is [[Yuri Meshcheryakov]].
==History==
[[Image:Orenburg Ural bridge frontview.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Bridge across the Ural]]
The [[Russian Empire]] began plans for the construction of an eastern frontier fortress town in the southern Ural region to be named ''Orenburg'' in 1734. The colonists originally founded a settlement in 1735 at the confluence of the [[Ural River]] with the [[Or River]]. The town's name meant "fortress near the Or," as ''Burg'' is [[German language|German]] for fortress. This settlement changed its name in 1739 to [[Orsk]]. An attempt was made to found another Orenburg at a location called [[Krasnogor]], or "Red Hill," in 1741, but this settlement failed. A third Orenburg was successfully established by [[Ivan Neplyuyev]] at its present location approximately 250 km down the Ural from Orsk in 1743.
This third Orenburg functioned as an important military outpost on the frontier with the nomadic [[Kazakhs]]. It became the center for the [[Orenburg Cossacks]].
Orenburg played a major role in the rebellion of [[Yemelyan Pugachev|Pugachev]] (1773–1774). At the time, it was the capital of a vast district and the seat of the governor. [[Yemelyan Pugachev|Pugachev]] besieged the city and its fortress from nearby [[Berda]] from October 1773 - [[March 26]], [[1774]]. The defense was organized by lieutenant-general [[Reinsdorp]]. General [[Golytsin]] defeated [[Yemelyan Pugachev|Pugachev]] at Berda, and later again at Kargala (north of Orenburg). Most of the city was left in ruins, and thousands of inhabitants had died in the siege.
The famous Russian writer [[Alexander Pushkin]] visited Orenburg in 1833 during a research trip for his books "[[The History of Pugachev]]" and his famous novel "[[The Captain's Daughter]]". He met his friend [[Vladimir Dahl]] here, who would later write the first serious dictionary of the Russian language.
Orenburg was the base for General [[Vasily Alekseevich Perovsky|Perovsky]]'s expeditions against the [[Khanate of Khiva]] in the 1830s through 1850s. After the incorporation of [[Central Asia]] into the [[Russian Empire]], Orenburg became a trading station and, since the completion of the [[Trans-Aral Railway]], a prominent [[junction (rail)|railway junction]] on route to the [[Russian Turkestan|new Central Asian possessions]] and to [[Siberia]].
Orenburg functioned as the capital of the [[Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]] (in present-day [[Kazakhstan]]) within Russia from 1920–1925. When that republic was renamed [[Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]] in 1925, Orenburg joined Russia and Qyzylorda became the new capital. Alma-Ata became the capital in 1929 after the construction of Turksib. Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was promoted to the union republic status as the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic [[Kazakh SSR]] in 1936. Orenburg remained in Russia.
From 1938 to 1957, the city bore the name '''Chkalov''' ({{lang|ru|Чка́лов}}) (after the test pilot [[Valery Chkalov]]). The city's distance from the German invasion during [[World War II]] led many [[Soviet]] enterprises to flee there, helping in the city's economic growth.
[[Image:Map orenburg.jpg|thumb|Map of Orenburg]]
==Economy==
''Orenburgenergy'' company is one of the biggest energy generating companies in Russia{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. Other biggest local businesses are "Orenburggazprom", natural gas company (http://www.gazprom.ru/articles/oren_00.shtml) and “Orenburgneft’”, oil company (http://www.orenburgneft.ru/). Orenburg is served by [[Orenburg Tsentralny Airport]] and is home to [[Orenburg (air base)|Orenburg air base]].
==Education==
Higher education institutions include [[Orenburg State University]], [[Orenburg State Medical Academy]], Orenburg State Pedagogical University (http://www.ospu.ru/), Orenburg State Agricultural University, Orenburg branch of the [[Moscow State Law Academy]] (http://www.oimsla.edu.ru), the [[Orenburg Institute of Economics & Culture]], and the Orenburg State University of Management.
==Culture==
Orenburg Drama Theater, Musical Theater, Tatar Drama Theater, and Puppet Show Theater ''Pierrot'' are located in Orenburg. Orenburg is also home to Orenburg Academic Russian Folk Chorus.
==Tourism==
Mountain and river tourism is developed in the region. There are a number of fast mountain rivers and rocks in pleated spurs of the southern edge of the Urals range, popular with tourists.
The city is famous for its down [[Orenburg shawl]]s. The thinnest lacy design, knitted by hand shawls and cobweb-like kerchiefs (pautinkas), is not only warm, but also is used for decorative purposes.
[[Image:Trainstation orenburg.jpg|thumb|Orenburg Railway Station]]
==Architecture==
A famous boulevard on the embankment of the [[Ural River]] is one of the most notable places in Orenburg.
Orenburg TV Tower is a guyed mast of unusual design. It is a 200 metres tall mast equipped with 6 crossbars running from the mast structure to the guys [http://victorcity.dxing.ru/Cities/orenburg.htm].
[[Image:Orenburg boulevard.jpg|thumb|Boulevard on the bank of the Ural river]]
==Famous people==
*[[Yuri Gagarin]]
*[[Mstislav Rostropovich]]
*[[Alexander Medvedev]], Founder and CEO of the Drill Tube Industries
*[[Joseph Kessel]]
==Honours==
The [[asteroid]] [[27709 Orenburg]] was named in the city's honour on [[1 June]] [[2007]].{{MPCit_JPL|27709}}
==External links==
*{{en icon}} [http://www.orenburg.ru/city/history_eng.html City History of Orenburg]
*{{ru icon}} [http://www.oren-burg.ru Orenburg information portal]
*{{ru icon}} [http://www.orenburg.biz Business in Orenburg]
*{{ru icon}} [http://www.nomer.org/orenburg/ Orenburg telephone directory]
{{Cities and towns in Orenburg Oblast}}
[[Category:Cities and towns in Orenburg Oblast]]
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