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Tolyatti

Tolyatti or '''Togliatti''' (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia|city in Samara Oblast, Russia. It is the administrative center of Stavropolsky District. Population: 718,030 (2007 est.);Goskomstat|Rosstat-Samara. Samara Region Committee of State Statistics FAQ page It is the largest city in Russia which does not serve as an administrative center of a federal subjects of Russia|federal subject. It was founded in 1737 as a fortress called '''Stavropol-na-Volge''' () by the Russian politician Vasily Tatishchev. During the construction of Volga Hydroelectrical Plant in the 1950s, the old settlement fell into the flooding zone of the Kuybyshev Reservoir|Kuybyshev dam on the Volga River and was completely rebuilt on a new site. In 1964, the city was renamed Tolyatti (after Palmiro Togliatti, the longest-serving secretary of the Italian Communist Party). There are several districts in the city:
- Avtozavodsky (), also called Novy Gorod (lit. ''New City''), the most modern; was designed to host workers the city's VAZ|AvtoVAZ factory, home of the Lada car;
- Tsentralny (), also called Stary Gorod (lit. ''Old City''), home of the city government and industrial center;
- Komsomolsky (), the oldest district, built to house Hydroelectrical Plant builders.

Economy

The city's main claim to fame has been automobile building by VAZ|AvtoVAZ's Lada car plants — in cooperation with Fiat|Italy's Fiat since 1971 and, since 2001, with General Motors|the US's GM. Other industries have moved into Tolyatti because it is close to abundant supplies of electricity and water. Petrochemicals are well represented in the city — among the significant enterprises based there are "TolyattiAzot" () (Russian biggest ammonia manufacturer), "KuybyshevAzot" () (a nitrogen fertilizer specialist). Other industries are represented include: building materials production, ship repair and electricals and electronics.

Transport

Transport system is well-developed in Tolyatti. Public transportation methods include municipal-established buses and trolley-buses, and so called "alternative" (commercial) transport or marshrutkas. External transport routes are provided by two bus stations, two railway stations, and a city harbor. Tolyatti has its airport as well, but it is used by personal aircraft only (nearest international airport, "Kurumoch", is located 95 km away, near Samara, Russia|Samara). Tolyatti is linked to federal road network by M5 "Ural" highway. As one of Russia's "motor cities", Tolyatti's car population had been booming and traffic jams are common during morning and evening rush hours — Samara Oblast was one of the first regions to receive an additional license plate code because its existing code did not have enough numbers for the all its residents' cars.

Culture, education, and sports

A flood in the 1950s destroyed much of the city's history — so almost all the city's cultural point of interest — such as Victory Park located in Avtozavodsky district — date from the Soviet period, but the city administration is building new monuments and cathedrals. One of the most notable events was opening of Vasily Tatishchev monument near the Volga. One of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world, Preobrazhensky Sobor () was finished in 2003. Education is represented by over 100 public and by 10 private schools, and several education in Russia|higher education institutions. Most notable ones include:
- Tolyatti State University ()
- Tatishchev University of Volga ()
- Tolyatti State Service University ()
- Tolyatti Academy of Management () In eyes of the Communist leaders, Tolyatti was a perfect Soviet city (since most population migrated here during the construction of AvtoVAZ factories) – many sports facilities appeared so that the "perfect Soviet person" could be healthy. The city has high-quality sports facilities: gymnasiums, swimming pools, ice arenas, football and racing stadiums — as a result, many athletes, including Olympic Champion Alexei Nemov, Stanley Cup winners Alexei Kovalev and Ilya Bryzgalov had moved to Tolyatti. Tolyatti is represented in almost every kind of team sports. HC Lada Togliatti|Tolyatti's Lada-sponsored Ice Hockey Club broke Moscow teams' domination of the game. The Lada women's football team has won the Russian championship several times — and the Lada women's handball team, the Russian and European Champion, is the core for Russian national women's handball. Men's football, basketball, speedway and handball teams also take part in national championships.

October 2007 bomb attack

During the morning rush hour on 31 October 2007, a bomb exploded on a passenger bus in the city, killing at least eight people and injuring about 50 in what Irina Doroshenko, a spokeswoman for the investigative wing of the local prosecutor’s office, said could be a terrorist attack.Bomb on Russian Bus Kills at Least 8, Michael Schwirtz, New York Times, 1 November 2007. An investigation is ongoing, but it is believed to be the work of terrorists from the North Caucasus.News report of the bombing. However, the city also has a reputation for gang violence between groups vying for control of the car business.Eight killed in Russia bus blast BBC, 31 October 2007. Early reports indicate possible involvement of Chechen warlord Doku Umarov.Russia today news report