Some of the more interesting sites include a panorama of the Battle of Stalingrad, an eternal flame, and Mat' Rodina, a statue of gigantic proportions memorializing Russia's victory. Today Volgograd is a busy port on the Volga River that is about 40 miles long. The city was founded in 1723 and named after Tsar Peter the Great's wife Yekaterina. Today the city is a major manufacturing site. The city produces much heavy machinery, steel, chemicals, tires, and diesel.
Gem cutting is a well-developed light industry.
Yekaterinburg is an important railway junction, with lines radiating from it to all parts of the Urals and the rest of Russia. The Urals branch of the Academy of Sciences and many scientific-research establishments are also located there.