Voronezh.

History

The Voronezh fortress was founded in 1586 under Tsar Feodor I to guard the southern frontier and trade routes; its building was led by the first voivode, Semyon Saburov. In the late 17th century Peter the Great set up a shipyard here to build the flotilla for the Azov campaigns: some 215 vessels were launched in 1696–1711, among them Goto Predestinatsia, Russia's first ship of the line. In the 19th century the city grew as a centre of trade and industry, and in 1868 a railway linked it to Moscow. During the Second World War part of Voronezh was occupied, and the city lost about 92% of its housing.

Culture & traditions

The city has seven theatres, including the Koltsov Academic Drama Theatre, the Chamber Theatre and the Opera and Ballet Theatre, and about a dozen museums, from the regional history museum to the Kramskoy Art Museum. Every year since 2011 it has hosted the International Platonov Arts Festival. Voronezh is linked to the poets Alexei Koltsov and Ivan Nikitin and the writers Ivan Bunin and Andrei Platonov, while Osip Mandelstam lived here in the 1930s. A new Annunciation Cathedral was built in 2009 to replace the one that had been lost.

Sport

The city's main football club is Fakel, founded in 1947. The largest arena is the Central Stadium, which seats more than 32,000. Voronezh also has the women's football club Energiya (since 1989), the ice hockey club Buran (since 1977) and the volleyball club VC Voronezh. Another major venue is the Olimpik sports complex.

Food & drink

In the 19th century Voronezh had flour mills, tallow works and tanneries, and trade flourished. The city also takes pride in the Voronezh white-throated pigeon breed — not a dish, but part of local identity.

Practical information

Voronezh International Airport is near the village of Chertovitsy, about 5 km beyond the city limits. The city is on the South Eastern Railway, with Voronezh-1 as its main station and trains to Moscow, Sochi and elsewhere. It runs on Moscow time. The climate is humid continental, with winters averaging about −6 °C and summers about +20 °C; May to September is the most comfortable time to visit.

What to see

• Goto Predestinatsia — a replica of Russia's first ship of the line
• Kramskoy Art Museum — a fine arts museum named after the painter
• Opera and Ballet Theatre — Voronezh's major musical stage
• Koltsov Drama Theatre — the city's academic drama stage
• Annunciation Cathedral — built in 2009 to replace a lost church
• Platonov Festival — an annual international arts festival