Administrative center : the city of Astrakhan, founded in 1558.
Region formed : December 27, 1943.
Geographical position The
Astrakhan region is located in the southeast of the East European Plain within the Caspian Lowland, in temperate latitudes, in the zone of deserts and semi-deserts. The region stretches in a narrow strip on both sides of the Volga-Akhtubinskaya floodplain at a distance of more than 400 km. In the east, the Republic of Kazakhstan adjoins the Astrakhan region, and the sea borders with several states: Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. On the other sides, the region borders on the Volgograd region and the Republic of Kalmykia.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Astrakhan Region
The area of the Astrakhan region is 49,024 sq km, the population is 1 million people (2016).
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Astrakhan Region
Astrakhan itself is famous for its Kremlin - a unique architectural ensemble of the 16th century, whose walls and towers were built of the Golden Horde stone. The Astrakhan State United Historical and Archival - former provincial - museum (founded in 1837), with excursions "Old Astrakhan" and "The Great Silk Road" may also be of interest; Astrakhan State Art Gallery. P.M. Dogadin, a unique museum of the history of the development of medicine and a memorial house-museum of the Ulyanovs.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Astrakhan Region
The house-museum of B.M. Kustodiev - the artist spent his childhood in Astrakhan, and many of the images captured by him in his canvases "come" from these places. There is also the house-museum of V. Khlebnikov, which has not only the Khlebnikov family library and family documents, but also household items and personal belongings. The museum library contains the most valuable books and magazines on Khlebnikov's subjects.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Astrakhan Region
According to some historians, Itil, the capital of the Khazar Kaganate of the 8th-10th centuries, was located near modern Astrakhan. However, it was not possible to accurately identify the location of the city, and the official history of Astrakhan dates back to the Tatar settlement of the 13th century mentioned in the chronicles. Nevertheless, archaeological excavations have been carried out in the region for many years, and on the territory of the Kamyzyaksky district of the region (Samosdelka village) an ancient city of the 9th century with a large number of surviving household items has been found and excavated. Most of the local tourist routes go through it.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Astrakhan Region
The region is rich not only in its traditions and cultural heritage, but also in a large number of reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and hunting farms. Here you can find a huge number of bird species listed in the Red Book - this is the curly pelican, and the great egret, and the mute swan, and the white-tailed eagle and many others. Among the thirty state natural monuments, the Tinaki Ilmen Lake, rich in curative mud, stands out, where a balneological resort famous throughout Russia has been created.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Astrakhan Region
Of particular importance is the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, which turns into a vast delta, whose waters serve as spawning grounds for many commercial fish. The best time to fully enjoy spearfishing or waterfowl hunting is from mid-summer to mid-autumn. You can also take a river cruise on a motor ship along the main rivers of the region - the Volga and Akhtuba, and from the beginning of July to mid-September you can take an excursion to the unique lotus fields in the Volga delta.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Astrakhan Region
As far as fishing is concerned, the Volga is a real fish "deposit". Bream, pike perch, perch, pike, catfish, rudd and, of course, the beloved vobla - the underwater world of the main Russian river is striking in its diversity. There is no off-season in the Volga delta - fishing is good at any time of the year, and the Caspian itself is rich in valuable sturgeon species: sterlet, beluga, stellate sturgeon and Russian sturgeon.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Astrakhan Region
At the service of vacationers - a large number of recreation centers, health resorts, excursion programs and special fishing or hunting tours. Almost all the bases have all the conditions for family recreation: well-equipped beaches, picnic verandas and numerous cafes await visitors. Little tourists have not been forgotten either: playgrounds are open for them, so little ones will not be bored while the heads of families are hunting for their catch.For more information about the region, see the Internet resources of the state authorities of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation.