Rzhev
Rzhev (Russian Ржев, pronunciation? / I ) is a Russian city in the Tver Oblast. It has 61 982 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ) and is located about 200 km west of Moscow on the upper reaches of the Volga. The distance to the regional capital Tver is around 130 km to the northeast; nearest town is Subzow, around 20 km south-west of Rzhev away.
History
The city of Rzhev was first mentioned in 1216. From the 13th to the 15th century it was repeatedly fought over between the principalities of Smolensk, Tver, Moscow and Lithuania; until 1449 came Rzhev finally under Moscow rule. Mid-19th century, after the construction of the railway line from Moscow to Riga, which runs through Rzhev, the city developed as an important trading center for Leiner products.
During World War II the city on October 14, 1941 was occupied by the German army and fought over in a row over 16 months, which claimed over a million casualties on both sides. With the Rzhev - Sytschowkaer operation in the summer of 1942 the Red Army tried to push back the Wehrmacht in this sector of the front, what their now numerically far superior forces only partially succeeded by German bridgeheads were liquidated on the left bank of the Volga. From late summer to the end of 1942 came from German side of the Panzer-Division " Greater Germany " is used, which in turn did not manage to advance again in the direction of Moscow. On March 3, 1943 Rzhev was recaptured by troops of the Western Front of the Red Army after the evacuation of the front arc of Rzhev by the Wehrmacht. From military historians Rzhev was named because of its strategic importance, " corner of the Eastern Front ."
- See also: Battle of Rzhev
The city was completely destroyed in the fighting. More than a sixth of the city's population was deported during the German occupation in a labor camp; about 9,000 people were killed in a concentration camp, which was built in the city center.
In July 1944, two agents were discontinued in Rzhev under the " company Zeppelin", which should perpetrate an attack on Joseph Stalin.
In Rzhev find every year since 1997 in the framework of the " reconciliation over the graves " German - Russian youth camp instead. In 2002, the Peace Park was established, which also includes the two cemeteries for fallen Soviet and German soldiers.
Demographics
Note: Census data
Traffic
The city is ( including the highway M9) connected to the main east-west and north- south lines of railways and roads. Inland waterways running through Tver, with its large port on the Volga. There are good national and international connections through which only a few kilometers away, the airport Migalowo in Tver and on the highways after Veliky Novgorod, Pskov, Smolensk, Bryansk, and also to Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Economy
The five largest companies in the city are attributed to the mechanical engineering. The second largest employer is the construction industry.
Education and Culture
Rzhev has 15 schools, three sports schools and a youth center. The groups of children of the youth center were already several times on tours abroad, including in Gütersloh, Kassel and Tours (France).
Twinning
The City has entered into several twinning: with Salo in Finland, the cities Smila and Kovel in Ukraine, Katrine Holm in Sweden, Silistra in Bulgaria and since 2008 also with Gütersloh in Germany. Even with other North Rhine-Westphalia municipalities maintains Rzhev friendly relations and an exchange of German and Russian adolescents.
Sons and daughters of the town
- July Kvitzinski Alexandrovich (1936-2010), diplomat and politician
- Vladimir Ivanovich Melnikov (1935-2010), politician