In the Lower Volga region and the Caspian region, this city is considered one of the oldest and most historically valuable in terms of architecture, the presence of attractions and cultural monuments. The history of Astrakhan, the southern outpost of Russia, began, according to many scientists, in the XIII century, long before the first Russian people appeared here, the emergence of the settlement is associated with the Golden Horde.
Astrakhan - the beginning
The first mention of a settlement located on the territory of modern Astrakhan dates back to 1254. Guillaume de Rubruck, passing through the Volga delta, mentions the winter headquarters of one of the representatives of the Golden Horde, but does not give the name of the village.
Hadji-Tarkhan, this is the first toponym of Astrakhan, found in documents dating back to 1333, now an Arab traveler describes his impressions. At the place that he indicated, not far from the modern city, archaeologists dug up a settlement.
During the period of the highest development of the Golden Horde, the city flourished, since it served as a large trade center, was located on the caravan route between the East and the West, and there were waterways that brought merchants from Europe.
Astrakhan Khanate
The city, located at the crossroads of trade routes, inevitably became the dream of the powerful. In 1395, the great Timur captured Khadzhi-Tarkhan and burned it. But the city was revived and even became the capital of the Astrakhan Khanate, this happened in 1459. Again he becomes a stumbling block between the Nogai Horde, Turkey, the Crimean Khanate. A peace treaty concluded with Russia in 1533 helps the Astrakhan khans resist attempts to seize the capital. True, in the 16th century everything changed, long-term military actions began between representatives of the Astrakhan authorities and their Russian "friends" for this "key point on the Volga road."
Russian Astrakhan
The process of Russian colonization, if we talk about the history of Astrakhan briefly, began especially actively in the 18th century, when the Astrakhan province was created by the decree of Peter I, respectively, the settlement became the capital of a new administrative-territorial entity.
Now, Astrakhan had to correspond to the status of a provincial city, in connection with which the authorities significantly intensified, crafts developed, urban quarters grew, the city took on an already familiar architectural look.
In 1918, Astrakhan became Soviet, the Red troops nevertheless defeated the Cossacks opposed to the Bolsheviks, carried out several important operations to destroy the White Guards. During the Patriotic War, the Germans came very close, but the city remained unconquered.
