Founded on the right bank of the lower Volga, the settlement under the name of Tsaritsin (originates from the name of the nearby river Tsaritsa) was firstly mentioned in 1589. It was built to protect the Volga trade route against steppe nomads and gangs of thieves.

Owing to its location, the city was the centre of many military and rebel conflicts. Renamed Stalingrad (1925), it went down in the world history after the battle of the same name, which was one of the major turning points in the World War II. As a result of the battle, Stalingrad was razed to the ground. Built anew, the present city of Volgograd (since 1961), with its population of over 1 million citizens, is one of Russia's largest industrial, scientific and cultural centers.