City history

It is argued that the Ryazan Kremlin was founded in 1095 by Russian settlers, as a step of their drive into the territory previously populated by Finnic peoples. Initially it was built of wood, gradually replaced by masonry. The oldest preserved part of the Kremlin dates back to the 15th century. However, the city is first mentioned as Pereslavl'-Ryazansky only in 1301. At the time it was part of the Ryazan Principality, independent from the middle of the 12th century. The first ruler of Ryazan was supposedly Yaroslav Sviatoslavich, Prince of Chernigov (a city of Kievan Rus'), later Prince of Murom-Ryzan. This area, situated as it is at the junction of forest and steppe zones, suffered from numerous invasions from the south: khazars, pechenegs, polovtsians. The early capital of the principality, Ryazan was the first Russian city to meet the Mongols of Batu Khan. On December 21, 1237 it was devastated and failed to recover to its previous position. This site is now known as Staraya Ryazan (Old Ryazan) and is situated some 50 km from the actual Ryazan (then Pereslavl-Ryazansky). Late in the 13th century the Princes of Ryazan moved their capital to Pereslavl, which is known as Ryazan from the 16th century (officially renamed in 1778). The principality was finally incorporated into that of Moscow in 1521.
The city of Ryazan is divided into four administrative districts: Moskovskiy, Oktyabr'skiy, Sovetskiy, and Zheleznodorozhnyi.

Ryazan Region was formed on September 26 1937. Its territory is 39 600 sq.km. Its population is 1 306 600 residents (urban population amounting to 68,4%). It is divided into 25 districts, includes 12 towns, 26 urban type settlements and 456 rural administrations. The population density is 33 people per a sq.km. The center is Ryazan (536900 residents, 196 km south-east of Moscow). It is located in the center of the Russian plain on the spurs of the Mid-Russian hills, Meshera lowland, and Oka-Don plain (up to 237 m high). The climate is moderate continental (19°N in July, -11°N in January). The annual precipitation is around 550 mm. Podzol, grey forest soil, and degrading black soil. Coniferous and deciduous forest (about 25% of the territory). It belongs to the Central Region.

The main landmarks include. Oka preserve (founded in 1935 to protect and study the nature of Meshera), climatic resort Solotcha with the Solotcha monastery of the XV-XVIII centuries, architecture (the kremlin of the XV century, cathedrals, churches, chambers XVI-XVIII centuries), a fine arts museum, I.P. Pavlov house museum, XV cent. minaret, XVI-XVII cent. mausoleum, early XVIII cent. churches, and picturesque sunburbs of Kasimovo, estate ensemble in the village of Krasnoye, K.E. Tsiolkovsky museum in the village of Izhevskoye, S.A. Yesenin preserve museum in the village of Konstantinovo.