Stavropol (, ), known as Voroshilovsk from 1935 until 1943, is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and the

administrative centre An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgi ...

of Stavropol Krai, in southern

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 547,820, making it one of Russia's fastest growing cities.

Etymology

The name ''Stavropol'' () is a Russian rendering of the Greek name, ( 'City of the Cross'). According to legend, soldiers found a stone cross there while building the fortress in the city's future location. It is not related to Byzantine Stauroupolis (ancient Aphrodisias) in

Asia Minor Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

, nor to the city of Stavropol-on-Volga (now called Tolyatti).

History

It was founded on October 22, 1777Charter of Stavropol, Article 2 following the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774 as a military encampment, and was granted city status in 1785. Prince

Grigory Potemkin Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (A number of dates as late as 1742 have been found on record; the veracity of any one is unlikely to be proved. This is his "official" birth-date as given on his tombstone.) was a Russian mi ...

, who founded Stavropol as one of ten fortresses built between

Azov Azov (, ), previously known as Azak ( Turki/ Kypchak: ), is a town in Rostov Oblast, Russia, situated on the Don River just from the Sea of Azov, which derives its name from the town. The population is History Early settlements in the vici ...

and

Mozdok Mozdok (; , ''Mæzdæg'') is a town and the administrative center of Mozdoksky District in North Ossetia–Alania, Russia, located on the left shore of the Terek River, north of the republic's capital Vladikavkaz. As of the 2010 Census, its p ...

at the request of

Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...

, played a leading role in the creation of the city.

Don Cossacks Don Cossacks (, ) or Donians (, ), are Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don River (Russia), Don. Historically, they lived within the former Don Cossack Host (, ), which was either an independent or an autonomous democratic rep ...

, particularly those from the Khopersky Regiment, settled the area in and around the cities of Stavropol and

Georgiyevsk Georgiyevsk () () is a historical city of Russia, historical types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Stavropol Krai, Russia, located in the North Caucasus on foothills, submontane tableland on the right bank of the Podkumok River (a tri ...

with a mission to defend borders of the Empire. Alexander I in 1809 invited several

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

n families to settle by the fortress, in order to encourage trade in the region. Stavropol's strategic location aided the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

's conquest of the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

. By the early 19th century the city grew into a busy trade center of the

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

. In 1843, an

Episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...

of the

Russian Orthodox Church The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

was established in Stavropol and in 1847 the city became the seat of

Stavropol Governorate Stavropol Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR. It roughly corresponded to most of present-day Stavropol Krai. It was created in 1847 and disbanded in 1924. Demographics ...

. During the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

the city changed hands several times and finally was captured by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

from the

Volunteer Army The Volunteer Army (; ), abbreviated to (), also known as the Southern White Army was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from 1917 to 1920. The Volunteer Army fought against Bolsheviks and the Makhnovists on the ...

of general

Anton Denikin Anton Ivanovich Denikin (, ; – 7 August 1947) was a Russian military leader who served as the Supreme Ruler of Russia, acting supreme ruler of the Russian State and the commander-in-chief of the White movement–aligned armed forces of Sout ...

on February 29, 1920. The city was renamed ''Voroshilovsk'' on May 5, 1935, after

Kliment Voroshilov Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov ( ; ), popularly known as Klim Voroshilov (; 4 February 1881 – 2 December 1969), was a prominent Soviet Military of the Soviet Union, military officer and politician during the Stalinism, Stalin era (1924–195 ...

, but the original name was restored by decree on January 12, 1943.Decree of January 12, 1943

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

took a heavy toll on the city and between August 3, 1942 and January 21, 1943 Stavropol was occupied by the

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

and its airport was used as a base for the ''

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

'' (German air force) to bomb Soviet oil supplies in

Grozny Grozny (, ; ) is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2021 Russian census, 2021 census, it had a population of 328,533 — up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Russian Census, 2002 ce ...

. The Germans operated a subcamp of the Dulag 102

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as Prisoner of war, prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, inte ...

in the city. The city was liberated by the Soviet Army in January 1943. Since 1946,

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

has been extracted near the city; later on, a pipeline to supply

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

was built.

Administrative and municipal status

The is composed of three districts: * * * Stavropol is the

administrative center An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

of the

krai A krai or kray (; , , ''kraya'') is one of the types of federal subjects of modern Russia, and was a type of geographical administrative division in the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR. Etymologically, the word is related to the verb "" ...

.Law #9-kz Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with one

rural locality In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically describ ...

(the ''

khutor A khutor ( ; rus, хутор, p=ˈxutər) or khutir (, ) is a type of rural locality in some countries of Eastern Europe; in the past the term mostly referred to a single- homestead settlement.Grushevy), incorporated as the city of krai significance of Stavropol—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

.Resolution #63-p As a municipal division, the city of krai significance of Stavropol is incorporated as Stavropol Urban Okrug.Law #88-kz

Economy

Stavropol's economy focuses on the production of automobiles, furniture, and construction equipment and materials. The city relies on air transport through Shpakovskoye airport as well as rail and highway connections to other Russian cities.

Demographics

Stavropol's 2021 population is now estimated at 453,387. In 1950, the population of Stavropol was 108,353. Stavropol has grown by 3,293 since 2015, which represents a 0.73% annual change.

Facilities

Stavropol has a theater and an

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

team called

FC Dynamo Stavropol PFC Dynamo Stavropol () is an association football club from Stavropol, south Russia, best known for winning the 1949 RSFSR championship in one of the 9 zones. In recent years it played mostly in Russian Second League, the third league in the na ...

. The main educational institutions of the town include

North-Caucasus Federal University North-Caucasus Federal University (), abbreviated as NCFU () is a public university in Stavropol Krai, Russia with campuses in Stavropol, Pyatigorsk and Nevinnomyssk. It was established in 2012 as a flagship university of the newly created Nor ...

Stavropol State Agrarian University Stavropol State Agrarian University, , is a state institution of higher education in Stavropol, Northern Caucasus. The previous title of the university is Stavropol State Agricultural Academy. History 1930 – as a result of Moscow Zootechnic I ...

, and Stavropol State Medical University. The area of Russia in which Stavropol resides is very mountainous, placing the city in the midst of the northern

mountain range. The city has one of the biggest city parks in Russia, 'Victory Park' covering up to 200 hectares. The city, like many other Russian cities has its own

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...

, which covers up to 18 hectares, including 16 hectares of natural woods.

Climate

Stavropol experiences a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(''Dfa''), using the 0°C (32°F) isotherm, with short but cold winters (though mild for Russia) and hot summers.

Precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

is rather low, with a annual average. Stavropol is not protected by the mountains in the winter months, so it can frequently get very cold. The lowest temperature recorded in Stavropol was on 8 February 2012, while the highest was on 8 August 2006.

Notable people

Well-known Russians who have visited or resided in Stavropol include: Generals

Alexander Suvorov Count Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov-Rymniksky, Prince of Italy () was a Russian general and military theorist in the service of the Russian Empire. Born in Moscow, he studied military history as a young boy and joined the Imperial Russian ...

(1730–1800), Alexey Yermolov (1777–1861), and

Nikolay Raevsky Nikolay Nikolayevich Raevsky or Rayevsky (; — ) was a Russian general and statesman who achieved fame for his feats of arms during the Napoleonic Wars. His family left a lasting legacy in Russian society and culture. Early life Nikolay Rae ...

(1771—1829); the poets

Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin () was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era.Basker, Michael. Pushkin and Romanticism. In Ferber, Michael, ed., ''A Companion to European Romanticism''. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005. He is consid ...

(1799–1837) and

Mikhail Lermontov Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov ( , ; rus, Михаи́л Ю́рьевич Ле́рмонтов, , mʲɪxɐˈil ˈjʉrʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈlʲerməntəf, links=yes; – ) was a Russian Romanticism, Romantic writer, poet and painter, sometimes called ...

(1814–1841), who were in political disfavor, the surgeon

Nikolay Pirogov Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov (Russian: Николай Иванович Пирогов; – ) was a Russian scientist, medical doctor, pedagogue, public figure, and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1847), one of the most wi ...

(1810—1881),

Alexander Griboyedov Alexander Sergeyevich Griboyedov (; 15 January 179511 February 1829) was a Russian diplomat, playwright, poet, and composer. His one notable work is the 1823 verse comedy '' Woe from Wit''. He was Russia's ambassador to Qajar Persia, where he and ...

(1795–1829), Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910), and the national poet of Ossetia, Kosta Khetagurov. The first and only executive president of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–2022), was born in Stavropol Krai and spent several years working in the city of Stavropol as the head of the

's administration. Gorbachev's chief mentor, long-time friend, and predecessor Yuri Andropov (1914–1984) was also born in Stavropol Krai. Actor Lev Gorn (born 1971) star of ''The Americans'', and Serge de Sazo (1915–2012) Russian born French photographer, were born in Stavropol. An abbess of the Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite, Serafima Meletieva was born in 1886 at Stavropol. Piotr Mikhailovich Skarżyński (1744-1805), A Russian Major General. He served in the cavalry units of the Russian army and he commanded the Buzhan Cossacks during the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1791, he showed heroism during the assault on Ochakov and the defense of the Kinburn fortress. He was awarded the Order of St. George. He owned an estate in Stavropol where he made wine. Major General Pavel Klimenko was born in Stavropol, he was killed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in November 2024. Yevgeni Sergeyevich Dukhnov (born September 1986) former professional football player

Twin towns – sister cities

Stavropol is Sister city, twinned with: * Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines, United States (suspended) * Béziers, France * Pazardzhik, Bulgaria * Yerevan, Armenia * Zhenjiang, China * Changzhou, China

References

Notes

Sources

* * * * *

External links

Official website of Stavropol
*
Pictures of Stavropol
{{Authority control Stavropol, Stavropol Governorate Populated places established in 1777