Ulyanovsk

Simbirsk was founded in 1648 by the boyar Bogdan Khitrovo. The fort of "Simbirsk" (alternatively "Sinbirsk") was strategically placed on a hill on the western bank of the Volga River. The fort was meant to protect the eastern frontier of the Tsardom of Russia from the nomadic tribes and to establish a permanent royal presence in the area. In 1668, Simbirsk withstood a month-long siege by a 20,000-strong army led by rebel Cossack commander Stenka Razin. Also in Simbirsk another country rebel, Yemelyan Pugachev, was imprisoned before execution. At the time Simbirsk possessed a wooden kremlin, which was destroyed by a fire during the 18th century. As the eastern border of the Russian Empire was rapidly pushed into Siberia, Simbirsk rapidly lost its strategic importance, but nonetheless began to develop into an important regional center. Simbirsk was granted city status in 1796. …

Ulyanovsk has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb). Average temperature is −10.2 °C (13.6 °F) in February and 20.6 °C (69.1 °F) in July. Falls are generally warm, with snow beginning to accumulate by mid-November. Winters tend to be cold but with moderate amounts of snowfall and nighttime lows occasionally dipping below −25 °C (−13 °F). Summer weather arrives in mid-May. Precipitation averages about 480 millimeters (19 in). The city is subject to frequent, but moderate, droughts. Springs and summers are sunny, but fall and winter are usually cloudy. Median annual temperature is +5.1 °C (41.2 °F). A maximum temperature of +39.3 °C (102.7 °F) was recorded on 2 August 2010, during a record-breaking heat wave.

During the Soviet period, Ulyanovsk lost much of its historical heritage due to both neglect and intentional destruction. All traces of the original wooden fort have disappeared, as have the churches of old Simbirsk; the majority of 19th-century buildings remain in the city, including the houses where Lenin lived between 1870 and 1887. The restoration of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity was considered, but has since been canceled. However, many historical constructions remain. Among them the house in which writer Ivan Goncharov was born, the Protestant church and other buildings. Ulyanovsk is home to several tourist destinations around the downtown museum district and famous Volga River tours. The Ulyanovsk State historical memorial complex "Lenin`s hometown" houses the regional city center, the center of Simbirsk-Ulyanovsk. …

Ulyanovsk is a major, diversified, industrial hub for aircraft and auto industries. The UAZ automobile manufacturing plant (subsidiary of Sollers JSC); Aviastar-SP Aircraft Company (part of United Aircraft Corporation); Scientific and Production Association "Mars" (manufactures industrial control systems for the Russian Navy, a subsidiary of state-owned conglomerate Agat); Ulyanovsk Cartridge Works (manufactures ammunition for firearms); Ulyanovsk Motor Plant (Ульяновский моторный завод, UMZ) and Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant (Ульяновский механический завод, UMZ, a subsidiary of JSC Almaz-Antey) are based in the city along with a variety of light industry and food-processing enterprises. An international airline for unique and heavy cargo, Volga-Dnepr Airlines, is based in the city. …

In 2008, there were registered 6,774 births and 8,054 deaths in Ulyanovsk. Russians: 78% Tatars: 10% Chuvash: 6% Mordvins: 2% Germans: 1%