Balakovo

Balakovo () is a city in Saratov Oblast, Russia. It is on the east bank of the Volga River. It is about  northeast of Saratov. Population: 

 History 
Balakovo was founded in 1762 by the Old Believers who returned from Poland. It was granted town status in 1913.

For a long time people thought that the city of Balakovo was founded in 1762, but later a document from 1738 was found in the archives of St. Petersburg. It mentions the Cossack meadow possession of Balakov Yurt. In 1762, Empress of Russia Catherine II wanted the Old Believers to return from Poland to Russia and settle on the lands between the Bolshoy and Maly Irgiz rivers. The Old Believers founded many new settlements, including Balakovo. In 1861, there were 2,700 people living in the village of Balakovo. The village grew quickly because of the wheat trade that went through it. Up to 10 million poods of grain were sent from Balakovo in one season. There were over 300 big barns near Balakovo to store the grain. The village also had a large forest nearby that helped its economy. In 1897, the population of the village reached 18,388 people.

Balakovo grew in size and in industry at the start of the 20th century. In May 1911, Balakovo was given city status. Ivan Mamin became the first city head. In 1917, there were 6 churches, 7 schools, the grain market, the ironworks of Fyodor Blinov and the mechanical plant of oil engines of the Mamin brothers, ship repair and furniture workshops, sawmills, mills, a commercial college opened in 1910, the Zemsky hospital and the city factory ambulance (polyclinic), a library, and a power plant, which was organized by the "Light" partnership.

Inventors Fyodor Abramovich Blinov and Yakov Mamin made Balakovo the birthplace of the world's first caterpillar tractor, wheel self-propelled gun and Russian diesel engine.

 Economy 
link=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BalakovoNPP3.jpg|thumb|Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant
The Saratov Hydroelectric Station on the Volga River and the Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant are in Balakovo. It is served by the Balakovo Airport which currently does not work. Balakovo has a rail connection to Moscow, and is an end destination for some train routes.

 Climate 
Balakovo has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfa) with long cold winters and warm, often hot summers. 

 Notable people 

 Yulia Alipova (born 1990), beauty pageant titleholder
 Artem Vodyakov (born 1991), speedway rider
 Yevgeni Khlebodarov (born 1980), former footballer
 Andrei Kovalenko (born 1970), professional ice hockey forward
 Dmitri Kugryshev (born 1990), professional ice hockey forward
 Andrey Kudryashov (born 1991), speedway rider
 Ivan Maximkin (born 1988), professional ice hockey defenceman
 Anastasia Karpova (born 1984), pop singer

 Twin towns – sister cities 

Balakovo is twinned with:

  Trnava, Slovakia
  Cherepovets, Russia

 References 

 Other websites 

 Official website of Balakovo 
 Directory of organizations in Balakovo 

Category:Cities and towns in Saratov Oblast