In 1844, the city, which is the capital of Dagestan, was born as a Russian military fortification. The history of Makhachkala remembers the period when the city, or rather, the settlement had the name Petrovskoe, and the number of inhabitants was less than a hundred. Today it is one of the most beautiful cities in the Caucasus with a population of about 700 thousand people, and if you include the Makhachkala agglomeration, then almost a million.
Foundation of the settlement
Historians claim that in the 10th century there was an aul of Tarki on the territory of modern Makhachkala. It was located in the so-called Dagestan corridor, which many people, including Persians, Arabs and Huns, dreamed of possessing. Since the 5th century, Tarki has been a famous trade center, it was through it that caravans from Derbent, the most ancient city in the world, went.
The new settlement appeared thanks to the Russians. A beautiful legend about the choice of a place for the city says that Peter I, together with his army, camped here in 1722, during the famous Persian campaign.
Thirteen years later, Petrovskoye received the status of a city. The name was also transformed - from the fortification of Petrovsky to the city of Petrovsk, moreover a port city on the Caspian Sea. The history of Makhachkala is inextricably linked with the sea, today waves are depicted on all heraldic symbols of the Dagestan capital.
City and names
The affair was not limited to the renaming of Petrovsky into Petrovsk, the history of Makhachkala can be briefly presented through further renaming: from November 1918 the name Shamil-Kala was introduced; from May 1921 - the name of Makhachkala and the status of the capital of Dagestan.
The second half of the 19th century was a period of prosperity for Makhachkala. A port appeared here, an artificial harbor was specially built. In addition to shipping, rail transport is also developing. Railway lines connect the city with Baku and Vladikavkaz, which contributes to an increase in cargo turnover, respectively, to the economic development of the region.
At the same time, large industrial enterprises began to appear on the territory of Makhachkala, including tobacco factories and a brewery. The population is increasing due to the arriving workers and specialists. The largest enterprise known as "Caspian Manufactory" is under construction (completion of construction in 1900).
During the years of Soviet power, the beautiful Makhachkala lived with the same joys and problems as other cities and regions of the USSR. From the positive aspects - the intensification of construction, the development of the economy, science, national culture, from the negative - the destruction of religious buildings, terrible Stalinist repressions.
