Right on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia is a very beautiful city that Sveta and I have the pleasure of living in..

It is called Korolyov or Korolev or Королёв. It is well-known as the cradle of Soviet and Russian space exploration . It was originally founded as Kaliningrad (Калинингра́д) in 1938 as the leading Soviet center for production of anti-tank and air-defense guns. (artillery plant) This was its main purpose until after WWII…

After World War II though the artillery plant was rebuilt and a modernization was put into effect. In1946 the city became the home for production of rockets, launch vehicles, and spacecraft under the guidance of the Russian scientist and academician, Sergei Korolyov…

The Soviet space-exploration program was born and raised in what we now know as Korolyov or then known as Kaliningrad . The name the city has now was official in July of 1996 the city was officially renamed in commemoration of Sergei Korolyov.

Lets mention what makes this city interesting: The OAO S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia. This city is responsible for IRBMs, ICBMs, “Sputnik” Program, “Luna” Program, “Mars” Program, “Soyuz” Spacecraft and dozens of others. The least of which is the ISS Space Station and MIR. Now that is almost as good as tanks… :)

A tidbit of information about this past closed city of the Soviet Union: It was a city classified as a naukograd (Russian: наукогра́д), meaning “science city”, is a formal term for towns with high concentration of research and development facilities in Russia and the Soviet Union, some specifically built by the Soviet Union for these purposes. Some of the towns were secret, and were part of a larger system of closed cities in the USSR, many built by forced labor from the Soviet Gulag. In the Russian Federation in post Soviet times, the term is used generally for about seventy towns that have concentrations of scientific research and production, and specifically, refers to a small number of towns that have been recognized for their scientific capabilities and hence get special privileges. [pullquote]http://enNaukograd[/pullquote]

So Sveta and I have found one of the most wonderful cities to live in, It is rich in history, culture and beauty…

Windows to Russia!

• Our Village in Russia is a Wonderful Dream… (windowstorussia.com)
• Coffee Thinking’s in Russia… (windowstorussia.com)
• Shoe Shopping in Russia… (windowstorussia.com)
• Yes Russians Do Smoke… (windowstorussia.com)
• “Brest Fortress” The movie about the Siege… (windowstorussia.com)
• Police Instead of Militia in Russia… (windowstorussia.com)
• Russia to build a new spaceport (blogs.nature.com)
• Sveta Drinks Tea and I Drink Coffee… (windowstorussia.com)
• Seasons of Contrast Mark Russia… (windowstorussia.com)
• Down Then Back Up – Windows to Russia – Down Then Back Up… (windowstorussia.com)
• English Music on the Moscow Train… (windowstorussia.com)