Akhtubinsk: areas, recreation, excursions, museums and churches, cuisine and restaurants, shopping and shops, attractions of Akhtubinsk.
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The sunny city of Akhtubinsk attracts with its kindly hot weather in the summer, giving juicy watermelons and melons. And also the largest salty and healing lake in all of Russia called Baskunchak. The clay deposits that form on the coast can quickly and, most importantly, pleasantly cure various kinds of ailments.
The city is literally created for fishing lovers who come here almost all year round. For tourists - all conditions for accommodation at a tourist center or in a tent camp.
About the history of the city
The city of Akhtubinsk was formed in 1959, uniting the settlement of Vladimirovka with the neighboring villages of Petropavlovka and Akhtuba, as well as with a new military town for pilots and military training ground employees.
Sloboda Vladimirovka traces its history back to 1768. In addition to agriculture and cattle breeding, an important occupation of its inhabitants was the transportation of salt from Lake Baskunchak. River ships approached the Mamai pier on the Akhtuba River, loaded with salt and went out to the Volga along the channels. And then they went somewhere: down the Volga - to Astrakhan, to fisheries, or up - to Tsaritsyn, Saratov and other Volga cities. Salt is needed everywhere and always.
The village of Petropavlovka dates back to 1867. It arose near the same pier for loading salt, which was located about 3 km southwest of the Vladimirovka settlement. Those who worked on this pier settled immediately. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Church of Peter and Paul was built in the village near the pier, from which it began to be called that in 1910. Vladimirovka, by the way, also received its name from its temple of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God.
Vladimirovka. Vintage photo.
Since 1883, salt was no longer transported on carts, but by rail: a special branch line was laid from Lake Baskunchak to the Mamai pier. The Akhtuba railway station was put into operation, where a depot was built for the maintenance and repair of steam locomotives and carriages. In 1910, ship repair workshops opened in Petropavlovka, which became the basis of the future ship repair plant. In 1912, the railway bridge across Akhtuba was commissioned.
In 1920-1930, processing plants were built in Vladimirovka: a canning plant, a butter factory, a meat processing plant, as well as new clubs, schools, and workshops.
In 1947, the Chkalov Air Force Research Institute, a large aviation testing complex, was located on the territory adjacent to Vladimirovka. From that time on, a new history of these places began, the result of which was the founding of the city of Akhtubinsk in 1959.
In subsequent years, there was a systematic development of the ship repair and construction plant, processing industry, and railway transport; active construction of housing stock, social, cultural and medical institutions was launched.
The population of Akhtubinsk in 1987 reached 53 thousand people, but then began to decline steadily.
About the emergence of the city
The city was founded in 1959 by uniting the settlements of Petropavlovka and Vladimirovka. It should be noted that the very first mentions of the second village date back to 1768. In those days, salt mining began on the salt lakes of the region.
The attractions of Akhtubinsk are not only the preserved ancient buildings and bronze monuments, but above all the unique nature of the surrounding area of Lake Baskunchak.
Where is Akhtubinsk? What region does such a unique historical area belong to? This can be learned from a brief historical overview.
State Flight Test Center named after Chkalov
GLITs is the main institution of the Russian Air Force and Armed Forces, in which all samples of military aircraft and their weapons undergo comprehensive testing before being put into service. Not a single type of aircraft, helicopter or airborne weapon enters service without testing at GLITs. After 1991, with the expansion of trade in Russian combat aircraft in the markets of developing countries, the center tests all export modifications of aircraft and helicopters developed under contracts with foreign customers.
2 things to do in Akhtubinsk
- Catching crayfish is a favorite pastime of the locals. The season opens in August. Near the Akhtuba River, natives wander with nets, cans and buckets. Here you can organize a world championship in crayfish fishing. The caught specimens are sent to the market, and then into boiling salted water with dill.
- Catching bream - coming to Akhtubinsk for fishing is a nice thing! The local river is famous for bream, pike perch, roach, and asp. The lucky ones can catch a sturgeon. But according to the law, this fish must be released.
Before fishing, you should familiarize yourself with the rules so as not to waste time sorting out relations with fisheries authorities.
Places for walking and cultural recreation
Since the time of the settlement of Vladimirovka, many ancient buildings have been preserved in Akhtubinsk. The most interesting architectural monuments of the 19th-20th centuries are the former merchant houses.
In particular, the houses of the family of the wealthy fishing merchant Lopatin, one of the local bigwigs. Since he himself came from simple peasants, the merchant helped the poor and was highly respected. That's why no one touched him after the revolution. However, the Soviet government took the house from the fishing merchant, placing various of its bureaucratic institutions in it.
House of Officers in Akhtubinsk
A large family of Yevtushenko merchants also lived in Vladimirovka. One of the houses of this merchant family, built in 1907, still houses the Akhtubinsky Regional Museum of History and Local Lore.
In a brick building on the street. Lenina, 90, built around 1900, lived the Starikov family. On the ground floor they had a bakery, and on the second they rented out rooms. During the years of Soviet power, this house housed the headquarters for dispossession of kulaks, the police, a clinic, the district education department, the department of irrigation systems, a workshop for repairing household appliances and other organizations.
Cuisine and restaurants
In a new city, you always want to visit cafes and restaurants, try local cuisine, or just have a good time and eat delicious food. The best place for relaxation, as well as lunch and dinner, is the Storm nightclub.
Local residents recommend the Labyrinth restaurant - it is located in the very center of the city on the way to the descent of the river near the bridge. The food there is very tasty and surprisingly inexpensive. A wide variety of European dishes, pleasant atmosphere and excellent service will help you have a great time.
Prices in Akhtubinsk are low; you can afford to have dinner at a restaurant or pop into the nearest cafe during walks and excursions around the city. Mostly Russian and European cuisines are served, but you can also visit restaurants serving Japanese and Asian cuisine.
City Park of Culture and Leisure named after Chkalov
This is one of the best places for walks and family recreation for citizens and guests of the city. All conditions have been created for him here: modern children's playgrounds, green areas, alleys and flower beds. There is a monument to Valery Chkalov in the park, and there are various decorative sculptures. There is also an original stage in the shape of an open shell - for performances at city events and folk festivals.
City Park of Culture and Leisure named after Chkalov
Location: st. Vasily Ivanov.
Reserve "Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky"
Where Akhtubinsk is located, there is a unique protected area (in the Melioratorov microdistrict). On its territory there are amazing natural objects: caves, karst sinkholes, a salt lake. Baskunchak. Here you can find the rarest species of plants and 22 species of birds included in the Red Book of Russia.
The purest air of the reserve contains phytoncides and bromine. There are also healing muds on the shore of the lake. Their composition is similar to the mud of the Dead Sea. Many tourists come to these places every year to spend time relaxing on the picturesque banks of Akhtuba and Volga.
Fountain "Star of Victory" on Lenin Square
The picturesque “Star of Victory” fountain, which has the appropriate shape, was opened in Akhtubinsk in honor of the 65th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany. During the summer, at night, the water of the fountain is illuminated with multi-colored lights.
Fountain "Star of Victory".
Location: pl. Lenin.
Museum of History and Local Lore
The Akhtubinsky Regional Museum of History and Local Lore was founded in 1995, on the 50th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. It is located in a building built at the beginning of the twentieth century - the former home of the merchant Yevtushenko. Shubina Street, on which the museum is located, was called Yarmarochnaya Street before the revolution. Local and visiting traders gathered at the local bazaar, and livestock was offered for sale: cows, sheep, camels. There were horse races and farcical traveling artists performed.
Museum of History and Local Lore
The cultural institution has collected extensive information about the history of the region, its culture, flora and fauna - everything that has been accumulated over many centuries.
The museum has two main exhibition halls: “Hall of Military Glory” and “Hall of Local History”. Visual historical information about the formation and development of the Vladimirovka settlement and nearby villages is presented, and a permanent exhibition “Peasant and Merchant Hut” has been created. The museum collection contains more than six thousand exhibits: natural science, archaeological, numismatic, ethnographic, and household items. Both permanent and temporary exhibitions are organized, fully reflecting the entire history of the city. There are many personal belongings, letters and various documents of people who played a significant role in the history of the city.
Museum of History and Local Lore
A separate topic is the exhibition dedicated to the State Flight Test Center named after Valery Chkalov. In addition, there is a sightseeing tourist route that allows you to take a closer look at the sights of Akhtubinsk and listen to many interesting stories.
Address: st. Pavel Shubin, 131.
Memorial complex "Wing of Icarus"
The monument to test pilots “past, present and future” was built in the 1970s from stainless steel, according to the design of sculptor Viktor Fetisov. The main monument is complemented by marble steles with the names of test pilots who died at the local test site. Lines from “Requiem” by the poet Robert Rozhdestvensky are also carved on the steles. And on the pedestal of the monument itself there is an inscription: “To the testers who did not return from the flight.” The place on the bank of the Akhtuba River where the monument is erected is rightfully considered the most picturesque in the city. Nearby there is a park with two alleys and flower beds.
Memorial complex "Wing of Icarus"
Location: st. Gregory Bakhchivandzhi.
Brief chronology of historical events
The first mention of the settlement, which was previously located on the site of modern Akhtubinsk, is dated 1793:
- 1819 The Church of the Archangel Michael was built.
- 1882 The Akhtuba railway station on the branch leading from the lake was opened. Baskunchak to the Mamai pier.
- 1912 A bridge was built across the river. Akhtuba.
- Period 1920-1930s. Schools, clubs, workshops, a creamery, a cannery and a meat processing plant were built in the settlement.
- 1959 The settlement was given the status of a city and given the name Akhtubinsk.
- 1960s. A cinema, an Officers' House, a stadium, a military hospital and a memorial complex were erected.
- 1970s. New modern apartment buildings, schools, kindergartens and a hospital were built.
- 1990s. Decline in industrial production due to the economic crisis in the country.
Where Akhtubinsk is located, Samara time is in effect (the difference with Moscow is +1 hour).
Monument “We won!”
This monument is a monument to the soldiers of the 902nd Infantry Regiment of the 284th Infantry Division formed in Astrakhan, who used camels from Lake Baskunchak as draft force. It is known that one team definitely reached Berlin from the local steppes: the camels Mashka and Mishka, who served in the combat crew of the gun commander, senior sergeant Grigory Nesterov.
Monument “We won!”
The monument is a sculptural composition of three figures: a fighter and two camels, as well as a 76-mm ZIS-3 cannon, installed on a platform the size of three perimeter steps. A fighter sits on an ammunition box. One camel lies with its head turned towards him. The other is standing, stepping on the fascist swastika with an eagle.
Location: st. Stalingradskaya.
Monument to the MiG-23 aircraft
This plane is installed at the entrance to the city of Akhtubinsk. It was tested here from 1971 to 1974. It was on this plane, which became a monument, that the famous pilot, son of an outstanding Soviet party leader, Stepan Anastasovich Mikoyan completed his test flights in Akhtubinsk.
Monument to the MiG-23 aircraft
Location: st. Tsiolkovsky.
Monument to the Su-22 aircraft
The Su-22 (modification of the Su-17) was the first Soviet aircraft with a variable geometry wing. For three decades it was in service with our Air Force and was exported to other countries: Syria, Libya, Vietnam, North Korea, Angola, Peru, Yemen and others. Tests of this aircraft in Akhtubinsk were carried out in the mid-70s. The monument was erected in 1983.
Monument to the Su-22 aircraft
Location: st. Stalingradskaya / st. Vasily Ivanov.
Monument to the Tu-16 aircraft
The monument to the Tu-16 aircraft is located not far from the checkpoint of the State Flight Test Center. It was installed for the organization's 75th anniversary in 1995. This example became the very last flying Tu-16 in Russia. In addition to the USSR Air Force, the Tu-16 was also used in the armies of Iraq, Indonesia, Syria, Egypt, China and other countries.
Monument to the Tu-16 aircraft
Location: Aviator highway.
Monument to Valery Chkalov
The monument to the legendary pilot Valery Pavlovich Chkalov was erected in 2010 in the city park bearing his name. Chkalov served at the Air Force Research Institute, an institution that became the basis of the State Flight Test Center. The sculptors depicted him in the uniform of a polar pilot.
Monument to Valery Chkalov
Location: City Park of Culture and Recreation.
Where is Akhtubinsk?
The city is located in the semi-desert zone of the north-eastern part of the Astrakhan region, on the left banks of three branches of the Volga: Kalmynka, Akhtuba and Vladimirovka.
Akhtubinsk is the administrative center of the Akhtubinsky district. Communication with the regional center (Astrakhan) is carried out by road, rail, water and air transport. In the north, the district borders with the Volgograd region, on the western, southwestern and southern sides - with the Chernoyarsky, Enotaevsky and Kharablinsky districts, respectively. In the east, the region borders on Kazakhstan.
The territory is represented by a monotonous, flat plain with some saucer-shaped depressions. Along the valleys of the Akhtuba and Volga rivers there are deep, short ravines.
From the regional center (Astrakhan) the distance is 292 kilometers. The total area of the territory occupied by this settlement is 17 square meters. km. The city-forming institution is the State Flight Test Center named after. V. P. Chkalova. Today, the city administration and GLITs are taking active steps to assign this settlement the status of a science city.
Monument to Valentina Zaikina
The monument to the Soviet partisan Valya Zaikina, who died heroically during the Great Patriotic War, was erected in 1967 on Victory Square. Valentina was born in 1923 in the village of Vladimirovka. In 1942, she and her friends went fishing in Astrakhan, where she completed courses at a special school for saboteurs and, as a nurse, became part of reconnaissance and sabotage group No. 66 “Maxim,” which was thrown behind enemy lines in November 1942. On the night of December 2-3, 1942, near the Kurenoy crossing, the group attacked a fascist train. In that battle, the girl died, along with all her comrades. For a long time, the Maxim group was considered missing. Her tragic fate became known from the diary of SS officer Peter Neumann, who was traveling in that train as part of the Nordland regiment.
Monument to Valentina Zaikina
Location: Victory Square.
Monument to V.I. Lenin
After Akhtubinsk was given the status of a city, two plaster sculptures of the leader Lenin were installed in its very center. One is in the park of the newly built Officers' House. Here, many ceremonial events took place, the Octobrists were accepted into pioneers and solemnly swore an oath. Another, slightly larger one, is on Lenin Square, opposite the Palace of Culture. Immediately behind Ilyich there was a fountain with a pool.
Monument to V.I. Lenin
Over time, these plaster statues fell into disrepair and were dismantled. They were replaced by a metal monument made for the stage of the XXVII Congress of the CPSU, but ultimately sent to Akhtubinsk. Since 1986, this monument has stood, changing color - from white to black or brown, depending on the paint with which it was renovated.
Location: Lenin Square.
How to get there
There are different ways to get to Akhtubinsk. For example, between Astrakhan and this city, a distance of 293 km can be covered by car, the travel time is no more than 4 hours. By bus it takes a little longer, but they run every day at the same time. You can also get there from Astrakhan by direct train, the travel time is 6 hours, the cost is from 490 RUB. Prices on the page are for April 2021.
You can get from Volgograd to Akhtubinsk by car in about three hours, or by train - from 400 RUB. Nearby small towns like Volzhsky and Dubovka are connected to Akhtubinsk by railway and highway.
Search for flights to Akhtubinsk at minimal prices
Sculptural composition “Storks” on an ancient water pump
A metal sculpture group depicting storks in a nest was installed in Akhtubinsk in 2011. An old water tower was used as a “pedestal”. The monument symbolizes a peaceful, comfortable life in the city and hopes for correcting its protracted “demographic peak.” The figures and nest are equipped with LED lighting. In 2021, the sculptural group was reconstructed and repainted.
Sculptural composition “Storks” on an ancient water pump
Location: city park named after Chkalov.
Temple of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God
Written historical sources say that at least in 1793 there was a church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in the settlement of Vladimirovka. It stood on the territory of the current city park. In the settlement this church was called Baklanskaya.
It was a tall and spacious temple, built of red brick. Its wooden floors were covered with thick and wide homespun runners. Inside there were a lot of different icons, in ancient ones with rich frames.
Temple of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God
At the dawn of Soviet power, in the year of militant communism, the temple was destroyed. It was revived in the early 2000s.
Address: st. Volgogradskaya, 111a.
LiveInternetLiveInternet
Yulia and I spent all the May holidays in her small homeland, in the city of Akhtubinsk, Astrakhan region. The tour turned out to be more patriotic than photo hunting. Absolutely everything around was connected with the Victory of the Soviet country in 1945 in the Great Patriotic War over the forces of evil of Nazi Germany. Among all the collected photographic material, the following topics for posts stand out perfectly: - sights of the city of Akhtubinsk; — Volgograd main station, renovated after the terrorist attack; — sights of the city of Volgograd; — Panorama Museum “Battle of Stalingrad”; — Victory Parade in Akhtubinsk; — memorial complex “Mamaev Kurgan”; — Volgograd high-speed tram. The Astrakhan region is a cozy steppe region with beautiful nature. Quiet, calm, river, lilacs are in full bloom in early May. Rumor has it that you can catch a lot of fish, and that Muscovites, avid fishermen, often go there “hunting with fishing rods.” In particular, they go to Akhtubinsk, where I have now managed to visit. So, let's start in order. There are not many attractions in the town of Akhtubinsk. True, I’m not sure I saw everything. At the time of my stay in the city, I was convinced that there was nothing more to see besides what was demonstrated, although something remained behind a veil of mystery for me. For example, the Petropavlovka district or the mysterious Seven Winds district, where Sergei Shoigu himself recently came to commission new houses for military personnel. And my doubts about the sights were not empty. When compiling this post, I used Wikimapia and was convinced that I had not seen everything. However, in return, Yulia and I found something that the compilers of the people’s map-encyclopedia said nothing about. More about Akhtubinsk in the comments to the photographs.
Monument “Astrakhan - Berlin” (popularly known as “camels”, according to Wikimapia - “We won”)
Monument to MiG-23
Monument to MiG-23 (HDR)
Monument to MiG-23
Old water tower with the composition "Storks" at the top
Composition “Storks” (here you can see how old the water tower is)
Gates of the military and city clinics from Tsiolkovsky Street
Once again "Storks"
Lenin Square
"Camels"
The inscription on the memorial plaque: “Dedicated to the 902nd Berlin Infantry Regiment of the Order of Kutuzov”
IN AND. Lenin
Memorial plaque: “Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, founder of the Soviet state”
Lenin Square (panoramic)
House of Officers
Advertising for the concert of Lyubov Uspenskaya in the House of Officers
Abandoned house on Stalingradskaya
Fragment of the wall of the Volga stadium
Bus stop near the Volga stadium
The building of the GLITs sports complex
Monument to Su-17
Southern end of Stalingradskaya Street
Lilac color
Cinema "October"
Memorial complex to the fallen test pilots "Wing of Icarus"
Monument to N.I. Stogov
“You went into the sky, melting into the distant cloudy darkness. The memory of you remains"
“We remember everyone by name, we remember with our grief. It’s not the dead who need this.”
“The memory of you remains in our hearts on earth. We remember everyone by name"
“We remember with our grief. It's not the dead who need this. We need this alive"
Monument "Wing of Icarus". Photo 1
Monument "Wing of Icarus". Photo 2
Fence of the memorial complex made of oxygen cylinders
Monument "Wing of Icarus". Photo 3
Beavers. An excellent checkpoint for urban orienteering in Akhtubinsk
Shopping complex "Julia"
Monument to soldiers-liberators in Vladimirovka
“Akhtuba residents who died in battles for their homeland”
Obelisk to partisan Valya Zaikina
Memorial plaque of the obelisk of Valya Zaikina
Obelisk to the Vladimirovites who died in the Second World War. Photo 1
Obelisk to the Vladimirovites who died in the Second World War. Photo 2
Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God
Creative Center for Children's Creativity. Photo 1
Creative Center for Children's Creativity. Photo 2
Creative Center for Children's Creativity. Photo 3
Creative Center for Children's Creativity. Photo 4
Creative Center for Children's Creativity. Photo 5
Technocratic sculptures near the new children's playground in the city park of culture and recreation. Photo 1
Technocratic sculptures near the new children's playground in the city park of culture and recreation. Photo 2
Technocratic sculptures near the new children's playground in the city park of culture and recreation. Photo 3
Monument to V.P. Chkalov. Photo 1
Monument to V.P. Chkalov. Photo 2
Pigeons on an element of the monument to Chkalov
Children's store "Elephant"
PAZ-572. Photo 1
PAZ-572. Photo 2
PAZ-572. Photo 3
