Rostov-on-don - ростов-на дону

The city was founded in 1749. It is the largest city in Russia’s South as well as an important industrial center. For short the city is called Rostov. Not to be confused with the ancient town of Rostov which makes part of the Golden Ring and is located about 200 km north-east of Moscow.

The 1856 Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral built in the neo-Byzantine style.

The city straddles the Don River. The river embankment makes a perfect promenade.

A statue of Mikhail Sholokhov the author of And Quiet Flows the Don novel that describes events of the 1918-1920 Civil War which followed the 1917 Russian Revolution.

A statue of the famous Russian writer Maxim Gorky.

The Zmievskaya Balka Memorial. Here in August 1942 Germans killed 27,000 people. Mostly Jews.

Rostov oblast - Ростовская область

taganrog - таганрог

Theatre lovers may want to visit Taganrog the birthplace of the world-famous playwright Anton Chekhov.

A war memorial on the way from Rostov to Taganrog. The memorial commemorates Azeri divisions which fought here against allied Hitler troops.

the don cossacks

starocherkasskaya - старочеркасская

The town was founded in 1570 and was the Don Cossack capital until the early 19th century. Every last Sunday from May through September the village hosts Cossack fairs with horse riding, singing, dancing, etc.

Cossack babushkas.

The 1719 Resurrection Cathedral.

The сathedral contains a magnificent golden iconostasis.

Next to the Resurrection Cathedral stands a bust of Mathew Platov the Commander-in-Chief (Ataman in Cossack terminology) of the Cossack troops during Napoleonic wars . He was born here in 1753.

Military trophies taken during Cossack raids on Turks in 1640s.

The 1750 Church of Our Lady of the Don where ataman Platov was baptized.

The ataman's house.

Easter in Starocherkasskaya. Traditionally, Cossacks are very religious.

Streetscapes.

Cossack kids are playing beating each other with soft clubs.

A minute of mourning.

Jack Goldstein (Colombia) and John Burke (USA) enjoy their visit to cossacks.

Miniatures of Cossack life.

And quiet flows the Don.

novocherkassk - новочеркасск

In 1805 ataman Platov moved the capital to Novocherkassk. The main square is taken by the Ascension Cathedral.

A statue of Yermak another famous Cossack ataman who annexed Western Siberia for the Russian state from Siberian Tatars. When travelling in Siberia you will find many mentions of him.

The Reconciliation and Concord Monument unveiled in 2005 to mark the 200th anniversary of Novocherkassk. In the course of the 1918-1920 Civil War the Cossacks took different sides, i.e. for and against the revolution and fiercely fought each other.

volgodonsk - волгодонск

The 2011 Nativity of Christ Cathedral.