Tula, Russia

Tula (English)
Тула (Russian)
—  Inhabited locality  —
Tula LeninSquare.JPG
Lenin Square in Tula
Map of Russia - Tula Oblast (2008-03).svg
Location of Tula Oblast in Russia
Tula is located in Tula Oblast
Tula
Coordinates:
Coat of Arms of Tula.png
 Flag of Tula.png
Administrative status
Country Russia
Federal subject Tula Oblast
Administrative center of Tula Oblast
Municipal status
Urban okrug Tula Urban Okrug
Mayor Alisa Tolkachyova[1]
Representative body City Duma[2]
Statistics
Area 145 km2 (56 sq mi)
Population (2002 Census) 481,216 inhabitants[3]
- Rank 36th
- Density 3,319 /km2 (8,600 /sq mi)[4]
Time zone MSK/MSD (UTC+3/+4)
Founded 1146[5]
Postal code(s) 300000–300999[6]
Dialing code(s) +7 4872[7]
Official website

Tula (Russian: Ту́ла) is an industrial city and the administrative center of Tula Oblast, Russia. It is located 193 kilometers (120 mi) south of Moscow, on the Upa River. Population: 481,216 (2002 Census).[3]

Contents

History

The city has existed since at least the 14th century. Some historians believe that Tula should be identified with Taidula, an obscure locality mentioned in a chronicle under the year 1146.

In the Middle Ages, Tula was a minor fortress at the border of the Principality of Ryazan. As soon as it passed to Muscovy, a brick citadel, or kremlin, was constructed in 1530. It was a key fortress of the Great Abatis Belt and successfully resisted a siege by the Tatars in 1552. In 1607, Ivan Bolotnikov and his supporters seized the citadel and withstood a 4-months siege by the tsar's army. In the 18th century some parts of the kremlin walls were demolished. Despite its archaic appearance, the 5-domed Assumption Cathedral in the kremlin was built as late as 1764.

In 1712, Tula was visited by Peter the Great, who commissioned the Demidov blacksmiths to build the first armament factory in Russia. Several decades later, Tula was turned by the Demidovs into the greatest ironworking centre of Eastern Europe. The oldest museum in the city, showcasing the history of weapons, was inaugurated by the Demidovs in 1724, and Nicholas-Zaretsky Church in the city houses their family vault. The first factory to produce samovars industrially was also established there in the course of the 18th century. After the Demidovs moved the centre of their manufacture to the Urals, the city continued as a center of heavy industry, particularly in the manufacture of war matériel.

During the Great Patriotic War (World War II) of 1941 to 1945, the city was important in the production of armaments (Rifle wise: Tula produced more SVT-40 rifles than Mosin-Nagant M91/30, M38, and M44 rifles). Tula became the target of a German offensive to break Soviet resistance in the Moscow area between October 24 and December 5, 1941. The heavily fortified city held out, however, and Guderian's Second Panzer Army was stopped near Tula. The city secured the southern flank during the Soviet defence of Moscow and the subsequent counter-offensive. Tula was awarded the title Hero City in 1976. It is home to Klokovo air base.

Culture

A musical instrument, the Tula accordion, is named for the city, which is a center of manufacture for such instruments sold throughout Russia and the world. Tula is also renowned for traditional Russian pryaniki (gingerbread), cookies made with honey and spices (see Tula gingerbread). In the West, Tula is perhaps best-known as the center of samovar production: the Russian equivalent of "coals to Newcastle" is "You don't take a samovar to Tula".

The most popular tourist attraction in Tula Oblast is Yasnaya Polyana, the home and burial place of the writer Leo Tolstoy. It is situated fourteen kilometers south-west of the city. It was here that Tolstoy wrote his celebrated novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina.

Education

Tula is home to:

Transport

Tula is a major railway junction with trains to Moscow, Orel, Kursk and Kaluga. The Moscow to Simpheropol M2 motorway runs past the city. City transport is presented by trams, trolleybuses, buses and marshrutkas.

Tram routes:

Canceled routes:

Trolleybus routes:

Canceled routes:

Bus routes:

Canceled routes:

Sport

In Russian fist fighting the region with the most famous fighters historically is Tula.[8][9]

The city Football club, FC Arsenal Tula plays in the Russian Amateur League

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Tula is twinned with:[10]

Gallery

Nikitskaya tower

Spasskаyа Tower

Tower of Odoyevsky gate

Tower of Ivanovskys gate

Uspenskiy Cathedral

Church of Flor and Laurus

Blagovestchenskaya Church

Church of Prince Volodymyr

Preobrazhenskaya Church

Monument of Levsha

Palace of Pioneers

Tula samovar Museum

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Комсомольская правда: Михаил Иванцов будет сити-менеджером Тулы до 2014 года
  2. ↑ Official cite of Tula City Duma
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service) (2004-05-21). "Численность населения России, субъектов Российской Федерации в составе федеральных округов, районов, городских поселений, сельских населённых пунктов – районных центров и сельских населённых пунктов с населением 3 тысячи и более человек (Population of Russia, its federal districts, federal subjects, districts, urban localities, rural localities—administrative centers, and rural localities with population of over 3,000)" (in Russian). Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года (All-Russia Population Census of 2002). Federal State Statistics Service. http://perepis2002.ru/ct/html/TOM_01_04_1.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-19. 
  4. ↑ The value of density was calculated automatically by dividing the 2002 Census population by the area specified in the infobox. Please note that this value may not be accurate as the area specified in the infobox does not necessarily correspond to the area of the entity proper or is reported for the same year as the Census (2002).
  5. ↑ История Тулы на сайте Древо
  6. ↑ Почтовые индексы России
  7. ↑ Деловой город: Телефонный код Тулы
  8. ↑ "Тульские бойцы и ныне славятся, но каждое место имело своих удальцов." (Tula's fighters were always glorious, but every place had its heroes)
  9. ↑ "Лучшими бойцами один на один считались тульские" (The best fighters in one on one were considered Tula's fighters)
  10. ↑ "Црпй "Рскю" / Бяецн Рпх Онапюрхлю Рскш Нярюкняэ Б Лхпе". Tula.rfn.ru. 2005-04-29. http://tula.rfn.ru/rnews.html?id=2673&cid=9. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 

External links

Cities and towns in Tula Oblast
Administrative center: Tula
Coat of arms of Tula Oblast
Aleksin · Belyov · Bogoroditsk · Bolokhovo · Chekalin · Donskoy · Kimovsk · Kireyevsk · Lipki · Novomoskovsk · Plavsk · Shchyokino · Sokolniki · Sovetsk · Suvorov · Uzlovaya · Venyov · Yasnogorsk · Yefremov
 Flag of Tula Oblast
Hero Cities of the former Soviet Union

Leningrad · Odessa · Sevastopol · Stalingrad · Kiev · Brest Fortress · Moscow · Kerch · Novorossiysk · Minsk · Tula · Murmansk · Smolensk