Place:Rostov, Yaroslavl, Russia

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Rostov is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population:

While the official name of the town is Rostov, it is popularly known to Russians as Rostov Veliky (Rostov the Great) to distinguish it from the much larger city of Rostov-on-Don. The name of the town railway station is Rostov Yaroslavsky, due to its location in Yaroslavl Oblast.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Rostov was preceded by Sarskoye Gorodishche, which some scholars interpret as the capital of the Finnic Merya tribe. Others believe it was an important Viking trade enclave and fortress guarding the Volga trade route. It is known from Norse sources as Raðstofa. Scythians also settled there. These different ethnicities, such as the Vikings, Scyths, Slavs and Finns, were likely the ancestors of many of today's people in that region. First mentioned in documents in the year 862 as an already important settlement, by the 10th century Rostov became the capital city of Vladimir-Suzdal, one of the most prominent Russian principalities. It was incorporated into Muscovy in 1474.^[1]

After losing its independent status, Rostov was still an ecclesiastic center – from 988 it was the see of the Diocese of Yaroslavl, one of the first Russian bishoprics. In the 14th century, the bishops of Rostov became archbishops, and late in the 16th century, metropolitans. One of those metropolitans, Iona (Jonah) Sysoyevich (ca. 1607–1690), commissioned the town's main landmark: the kremlin. This is regarded by some as the finest outside that of Moscow.

Ravaged by the Mongols in the 13th and 14th centuries (last sack by Edigu in 1408), and the Poles in 1608, Rostov survived as a medium-sized town. Late in the 18th century, the metropolitan see was transferred to Yaroslavl.

Rostov is renowned for manufacturing enamels.

On august 24, 1953, the town was hit by an F3 tornado, causing severe damage. The tornado traveled 6 kilometers with a max width up to 550 meters.

Research Tips