Astrakhan.

History

Astrakhan's predecessor was the Golden Horde town of Hajji Tarkhan, destroyed by Timur in 1395. From 1459 to 1556 it was the capital of the Astrakhan Khanate, until Ivan the Terrible took it in 1556. In 1558 the city moved to its present site and work on the kremlin began; in 1569 it held out against an Ottoman siege. Since 1717 Astrakhan has been a provincial capital.

Culture & traditions

The kremlin was built from the 1580s to the 1620s, and its two cathedrals were consecrated in 1700 and 1710. The city is home to Russians, Kazakhs and Astrakhan Tatars, and its skyline shows it: alongside Orthodox cathedrals stand the White Mosque of 1777, the early-20th-century Baku Mosque and a Catholic church. Astrakhan is linked with the poet Velimir Khlebnikov, the painter Boris Kustodiev and Ilya Ulyanov, Lenin's father.

Sport

Astrakhan is the home town of Rinat Dasayev, one of the best-known Soviet football goalkeepers.

Food & drink

For almost four centuries Astrakhan has been the main centre of fish processing, and the Volga delta is rich in sturgeon. The region is famous for vobla, sturgeon and caviar, as well as watermelons and tomatoes. Local markets are the best place to try them.

Practical information

Narimanovo Airport was rebuilt and opened an international terminal in 2011. Trains link Astrakhan with Moscow and Volgograd. The city lies 28 metres below sea level, and its climate is semi-arid, averaging about −4 °C in January and +26 °C in July; it is one of the driest cities in Europe. Spring and early autumn are the most comfortable times to visit.

What to see

• Astrakhan Kremlin — a late 16th to early 17th-century fortress with two cathedrals
• White Mosque — a mosque built in 1777
• Baku Mosque — an early 20th-century landmark
• Volga Delta — home to sturgeon and unusual plants
• Market fish stalls — vobla, sturgeon and caviar from the delta