The foundation of this beautiful city on the Volga was associated with the need to build fortresses on the borders of the empire, the main goal was to defend the borders from intruders. The history of Togliatti began in 1737, at the origins of the foundation was Vasily Tatishchev, a famous political figure of the 18th century.
It all started with the construction of the Stavropol fortress, then the city that grew around got the same name. In 1964, the toponym was changed, now it is the city of Togliatti, which remembers its history, but is directed to the future.
History of the city in the 18th - 19th centuries
In the spring of 1738, the construction of the fortress began, it was assumed that Kalmyks who had converted to Christianity would be resettled here. But it was difficult for nomadic peoples to change their way of life and become sedentary, because most of the population of the fortress was Russian-speaking.
The city developed gradually, imperceptibly, but by the end of the century it became one of the largest in the Volga region and even bypassed its eternal competitor - Samara. In 1780, Stavropol became a district city with all the necessary attributes in the form of a district court, treasury, and city administration.
In the 19th century, the city continued to develop, city blocks were being built, new institutions appeared. The city was in the center of attention of the authorities, in 1824 Emperor Alexander I became an important guest of Stavropol, in 1833 - Alexander Pushkin, the genius of Russian literature.
City in the twentieth century
The new century began quite peacefully for Stavropol, there were several factories, mills, a hospital, and educational institutions in the city. In general, this is one of the small county towns, it has lost its significance, and even the number of inhabitants has decreased. This is how the history of Togliatti could have sounded briefly, if not for the events that followed, which radically changed the country and turned the lives of its citizens.
Before the Great Patriotic War, there is a quiet life, Stavropol sometimes becomes a district city, then again loses this status. In 1924 it was renamed into a village, the main reason was the outflow of residents, in 1946 they returned the status of a city of regional subordination, and in 1951 - a city of regional significance.
Important events awaited Stavropol in the 1950s, the chronology can be noted as follows:
- 1950 - a decision was made to build a hydroelectric power station on the Volga, the city fell into a flooded zone;
- from 1953 to 1955 - Stavropol has been moved to a new location;
- 1957 - completion of the construction of the Volzhskaya HPP, named after V. I. Lenin.
This important object changed the life of the city, the number of residents began to grow, new industrial enterprises appeared, including the famous VAZ. Now Togliatti plays an important role in the life of the Russian Federation.
