Volgograd, founded in 1589 and now the administrative center of the Volgograd Region, holds the title of a Hero City. During World War II, the Battle of Stalingrad, which largely decided the outcome of the war, took place here in 1942-43.

Mamayev Kurgan, the monumental complex dedicated to the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad. It is the most well-known memorial of WWII. (Photos: FIFA)

The city was initially named Tsaritsyn, but this name was replaced with Stalingrad in 1925, and in 1961 it was changed to Volgograd. 

The Motherland Calls is the tallest statue in Europe and one of the tallest statues in the world. At the time of construction (1967) the Guinness Book of Records named it the biggest sculpture in the whole world with an incredible total height of 85 meters.

The Battle of Stalingrad Museum has a 360-degree Battle of Stalingrad panorama.

Volgograd is also unique as it stretches for as many as 85 to 90 kilometers along the river, moreover, including the suburbs the figure is even more stunning — over 120 kilometers.

Before the 1917 Revolution the Central Embankment used to be a freight port. Following the WWII, the city hall decided to turn the area into a graceful promenade.

The Volzhskaya Hydroelectric Station is the largest of its kind in Europe.

The Old Sarepta Museum Reserve was set up in 1989. This unique architectural ensemble is a vivid example of the Saxon baroque style.

Experts estimate that almost 1 million tourists visited the city of Volgograd and the Volgograd Region in 2017. Some 61 eco-routes including eight trekking trails were designed with a total length of 3,000 kilometers.

Planetarium of Volgograd City is the only planetarium in the lower Volga region. Opened in 1954, it was a gift of the workers of the German Democratic Republic to the Soviet people.