Engels, Saratov Oblast facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Engels (English) Энгельс (Russian)
-  City  -
A monument to the coat of arms of Engels
Coat of arms	Flag
Administrative status
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Saratov Oblast
Administratively subordinated to	Engels City Under Oblast Jurisdiction
Municipal status
Municipal district	Engelssky Municipal District
Urban settlement	Engels Urban Settlement
Statistics
Population (2010 Census, preliminary)	202,419 inhabitants
- Rank in 2010	92nd
Time zone	MSK (UTC+04:00)
Founded	1747
City status since	1914
Postal code(s)	413100–413102, 413105–413108, 413110–413119, 413121–413125, 413129
Dialing code(s)	+7 8453
Official website: http://www.engels.me

Engels (Russian: Э́нгельс, IPA: [ˈɛnɡʲɪlʲs]) is a city in Saratov Oblast, Russia. It is an important port city located on the Volga River. It sits right across from Saratov, which is the main city of the oblast (region). A bridge connects Engels to Saratov. Engels is the second-largest city in Saratov Oblast, with a population of over 200,000 people.

For a long time, Engels was a big center for people known as Volga Germans. The city was once called Pokrovsk in Russian and Kosakenstadt in German. In 1931, it was renamed after Friedrich Engels, a German thinker who helped create the ideas of Marxism. From 1918 to 1941, Engels was the capital of the Volga German ASSR, a special region for Volga Germans.

History of Engels

The city started as a settlement called Pokrovskaya Sloboda in 1747. It was founded by Ukrainian settlers known as Chumaks.

During the time of Catherine the Great, many Germans were encouraged to move to the Volga region. A lot of them settled in this town, making it a major place for Volga German culture.

In 1914, the settlement officially became a town and was renamed Pokrovsk (Покровск). At that time, Germans often called it Kosakenstadt ("Cossacks' Town").

During the Russian Civil War, the area came under the control of the Bolsheviks, who were part of the Russian SFSR. In 1918, Pokrovsk became the capital of the new Volga German ASSR. This was a special region for Volga Germans within the Russian SFSR.

In 1931, Pokrovsk/Kosakenstadt was renamed Engels. This new name honored Friedrich Engels, a German philosopher and important figure in communism.

In 1941, the Volga German ASSR was ended. This happened when Germany invaded Russia. The city then became part of Saratov Oblast. The German people living in Engels faced difficulties. Soviet authorities accused them of being spies for Nazi Germany. All Germans were moved away from Engels, with most sent far away to Siberia and the Kazakh SSR.

On August 26, 2011, a monument was put up in Engels. It honors the Russian-German victims who suffered during that time in the Soviet Union.

Near Engels, there is a Russian Air Force base called Engels-2.

Engels Economy

Engels is an industrial city, meaning it has many factories.

• The Trolza factory makes trolleybuses. These are electric buses that get power from overhead wires. They are used in public transportation in Russia.
• The Engelssky factory of transport mechanical engineering produces "rolling stock." This means they make parts for railways, like train cars.
• The Bosch-Saratov plant, which used to be called Autotractor Spark Plugs, makes spark plugs for engines.
• The German company Henkel has a factory that produces laundry detergent and chemical products for cars.
• The Engelssky pipe factory makes different kinds of steel pipes.

In August 2015, a new type of train engine was shown in Engels. It was a Bombardier Traxx F120MS locomotive. This happened at the opening of the First Locomotive Company's factory in Engels.

Historical Population Data

Sister Cities

• Edmond, Oklahoma, United States

Notable People from Engels

• Lev Kassil (1905–1970), a famous writer.
• Alfred Schnittke (1934–1998), a well-known composer.

See also

In Spanish: Engels (óblast de Sarátov) para niños