Astrachan

Title

Astrachan

Description

Beautiful hand-coloured view of the city of Astrakhan with ships, seen from the sea.

ca. 1850

Artist

Kunstanstalt Hildburghausen (1828-1874)

The German publishing company Bibliographisches Institut was founded 1826 in Gotha by Joseph Meyer, moved 1828 to Hildburghausen and 1874 to Leipzig. Its production over the years includes such well-known titles as Meyers Lexikon.

Historical Description

The city is located in the upper part of the Volga delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression. Astrakhan is in the Volga Delta, which is rich in sturgeon and exotic plants. The city itself was first mentioned by travelers in the early 13th century as Xacitarxan. From 1459 to 1556, Xacitarxan was the capital of Astrakhan Khanate. In 1556, the khanate was conquered by Ivan the Terrible, who had a new fortress, or kremlin, built on a steep hill overlooking the Volga in 1558. This year is traditionally considered to be the foundation of the modern city. n 1569, during the Russo-Turkish War (1568–1570), Astrakhan was besieged by the Ottoman army, which had to retreat in disarray. A year later, the Ottoman sultan renounced his claims to Astrakhan, thus opening the entire Volga River to Russian traffic. In the 17th century, the city was developed as a Russian gate to the Orient. Many merchants from Armenia, Safavid Persia, Mughal India and Khiva khanate settled in the town, giving it a cosmopolitan character.