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Voronezh is a city on the Voronezh River in southwestern Russia. Landscaped Petrovsky Park is home to a bronze statue of Peter I. Housed in a baroque building, the Voronezh Regional Art Museum has collections of Ancient Egyptian art and several centuries of Russian paintings. The ship museum Goto Predestination recreates 18th-century naval life. Scarlet Sails park has pine trees, playgrounds and an outdoor theater.

Area: 596.5 km²

Founded: 1586

It is a cultural, industrial and scientific center of the region.

In 1585, a wooden fort was founded on the banks of the Voronezh River by order of the Russian Tsar Fyodor I Ivanovich (Ivan the Terrible’s son). The main purpose of the new settlement was to protect the southern border of the country from the raids of Crimean Tatars and other nomads.Construction of the fort was completed in 1586. Therefore, 1586 is considered the founding date of Voronezh. The fort was located on a high and steep right bank of the Voronezh River. In 1590, it was burned down during one of the raids. In 1594, Voronezh was rebuilt on almost the same place.In the winter of 1696, after the failure of the first attempt of capture the town of Azov, Peter I decided to create a Russian Navy and chose Voronezh as the place of its construction. In 1696-1722, Peter I visited Voronezh more than a dozen times and spent a total of about 500 days in the town. During the stay of Peter I, Voronezh actually turned into an administrative center of Russia. The population of the town increased from 10 to 50 thousand people.

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