Smolensk in Russia

28 October 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Philharmonic Concert Hall © Борис Мавлютов/cc-by-sa-3.0

Philharmonic Concert Hall © Борис Мавлютов/cc-by-sa-3.0

Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, 360 kilometers (220 mi) west-southwest of Moscow. The city has been destroyed several times throughout its long history because it was on the invasion routes of various empires. Smolensk is known for its electronics, textiles, food processing, and diamond faceting industries. On April 10, 2010, a Tu-154 military jet carrying Polish president Lech Kaczyński, his wife, and many notable political and military figures crashed in a wooded area near Smolensk while approaching the local military airport. All ninety-six passengers died immediately on impact. The purpose of the visit was to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre.   read more…

Theme Week Ukraine – Dnipropetrovsk on the Dnieper River

28 August 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Hoodrat/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Hoodrat/cc-by-sa-3.0

Dnipropetrovsk is Ukraine’s fourth largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located southeast of Ukraine’s capital Kiev on the Dnieper River, in the south-central part of the country. Dnipropetrovsk is the administrative centre of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Within the Dnipropetrovsk Metropolitan area the population is about 1,360,000 people. A vital industrial centre of Ukraine, Dnipropetrovsk was one of the key centres of the nuclear, arms, and space industries of the Soviet Union. In particular, it is home to the Yuzhmash, a major space and ballistic missile design bureau and manufacturer. Because of its military industry, Dnipropetrovsk was a closed city until the 1990s. Dnipropetrovsk is a powerhouse of Ukraine’s business and politics as the native city for many country’s top-importance figures.   read more…

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