By Linda Tancs

In the 17th century, Astrakhan was developed as Russia’s gate to the Orient. As a result, it was settled by many merchants from Armenia, Persia, India and Khiva. To this day, it remains a hub for commercial activities, strategically located on the Volga delta where the river meets the Caspian Sea. It’s also where you’ll find the Astrakhan Kremlin, a fortress built in the 1500s at the command of Ivan the Terrible. Its walls and towers served as a blueprint for the development of other fortresses in the Russian State. During World War I there was an infantry regiment there; cannons arrived during World War II to protect the city against German air raids. Today this historical landmark serves as a museum.

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