Saratov is one of the great Russian cities along the River Volga. The city’s modern history is believed to have started around 1590 as one of several fortified settlements along the Volga to strengthen this part of the Russian Empire and ensure important river transport. The city grew from the 18th century with e.g. immigration from Germany, and the so-called Volga Germans left their mark on the city’s architecture and culture over the years. Throughout the 1800s, Saratov became an important port city for transport along the Volga and inland Russia, and its good location was strengthened when the railway reached the city in 1870. 

During World War I, Saratov was the destination for some of the wartime deportations, while the was an important industrial city that was part of the supply chain for the Soviet battle with Germany in Stalingrad 1942-1943. The German Luftwaffe also carried out bombardments of, among other things, Saratov’s refineries and oil depots during the war, and later in the century, Saratov was a closed city due to a large military production in the city.

Today, Saratov is an interesting city with a beautiful location along the Volga and opposite the city of Engels, the second largest in Saratov Oblast. You can start a stroll in the city at the square Teatralnaya Ploshad/Театральная площадь, where there are several sights. In the center stands a statue of Lenin, and behind him is an institute with an impressive artwork on the gable of Soviet citizens, scientists and progress. To the west is the Saratov Regional Scientific Library, and to the south you can see the large theater building that gave the square its name, the Saratov Academic Ballet and Opera Theater/Саратовский академический театр оперы и балета. In front of the theater there is a green area, and to the east of it you can visit the Saratov Art Museum/Саратовский художественный музей.

To the east of the art museum is Saratov’s Town Hall, housed in a beautiful building from 1867 that was originally built as a residence. From here you can go south, where Saratov streets are located. In the area you can see the beautiful church, Khram Ikony Bozhiey Materi/Храм Иконы Божией Матери or Church of the Icon of the Mother of God. The church was built 1903-1906 and is known for its many colorful domes. Close to this you can see another significant building. It is the Saratov State Conservatory/Саратовская государственная консерватиров, built with towers and bay windows in 1912. Originally, the striking building housed a music school, which developed into the current conservatory.

With Saratov’s location along Europe’s largest river, it is obvious to also take a walk along the promenades along the Volga. They are located along the older part of the city, and in the same area you can visit the Regional Museum of Saratov Oblast/Саратовский областной музей краеведения, where you can learn more about the city and the region. Along the Volga you can also enjoy the summer on one of the city’s sandy beaches, and from here you can clearly see how wide the Volga is in this place. The distance can also be experienced on a trip along Saratovskiy Most/Саратовский мост, which opened in 1965 as the longest bridge in the Soviet Union. The length of the bridge is 2,800 meters and it connects Saratov with the city of Engels.

In the area north of the bridge over the Volga, there is a large park area in the hilly terrain of the Sokolovaja hill, where you can take a nice walk in the green with several views of the city and the Volga. You can go to the viewpoint Dalnjaja/Дальняя, where there is a pavilion. You can also see the military museum Saratovskiy gosudarstvennyy muzey boyevoy i trudovoy slavy/Саратовский государственный музей боевой и трудовой slavy, which has a large display of airplanes and helicopters in its outdoor area. On the hill you can also visit the Victory Park, Park Pobedy/Парк победы, which is dedicated to the Soviet victory over Germany in World War II. The central element of the park is the 40-meter-high monument Zhuravli/Журавли, which means Cranes. The monument stands as a memorial to those who fell during the war.