I would like to tell you a few words about Rzhev, my hometown.
I have been living in Rzhev since I was born.
Rzhev is an ancient town.
Encyclopedias date it from 1216.
However, it was first mentioned in a Novgorod chronicle in 1019.
On the town’s coat of arms that symbolizes the townsfolk’s courage a golden lion on a red shield can be seen.
Due to its geographical position, Rzhev became involved in numerous wars between the neighbouring principalities.
On the other hand, this location favoured the development of its economy.
Rzhev was an important town at the crossing of all the major trade routes.
Later on, it became a big railway junction on the way to Moscow.
That is why the Germans fought hard for it during the Great Patriotic War.
The occupation, which began on the 14th of October 1941, lasted 17 months.
Over 2 million people were killed in the battle of Rzhev; the town was practically destroyed.
The citizens of Rzhev fought back savagely.
Kuzma Latyshev, Alexey Zhiltsov, Alexey Teleshev, Alexander Belyakov, and Vladimir Novozhenov organized an underground group that helped the Red Army and the partisans.
In March 1942, fourteen members of the group were executed.
Rzhev was liberated on the 3rd of March 1943, and since then this date has always been celebrated as a holiday.
In honour of the defenders of Rzhev, many monuments were erected in Rzhev and its surroundings, the Obelisk and the Rzhev Memorial to the Soviet Soldier being the major ones.
In 1978, Rzhev was awarded the Order of the Patriotic war.
On October 8, 2007, Rzhev was conferred the status of “City of Military Glory” by President Putin for “courage, endurance and mass heroism, exhibited by defenders of the city in the struggle for the freedom and independence of the Motherland” during the long Battles of Rzhev.
After the war, Rzhev developed into an important industrial centre of the region with the population of about 60,000 people.
It is the second biggest town in the region after Tver.
It has always been regarded as a town of machine-builders, but unfortunately, the industrial production has decreased in the last few years.
Rzhev has 13 secondary schools and several colleges.
There are a few libraries, cultural centres, music schools, art schools, schools of sports, stadiums, a cinema, a museum, and an exhibition hall.
I wish we had a theatre.
Our town remains a trading town: it has a lot of little and big shops, many supermarkets, and a big central market.
Rzhev is quite a picturesque town: it spreads on both banks of the Volga where local people and tourists like to take pictures.