Regions of Russia - Tula 101

Tula was established in 1937 and the capital city, administrative centre, is Tula city. The region had suffered significantly during the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster as the radioactive sediments from the outburst infected the surrounding area of that plant, which, as a consequence, is deemed useless for agriculture.

Landscape and climate

Tula is a large region with more than 1. Million inhabitants and the region’s borders touch those of Moscow, Lipetsk, Ryazan, Kaluga and Oryol regions. Many rivers crisscross across this wide expanse and amongst these 1,600 rivers are Don River, Upa and Oka rivers.

The climate in the Tula region is quite moderate, with temperately cold winters and reasonably warm summers. The region’s average annual temperature is +5 °C which goes down to -10 °C in January while in the months of June, the temperature goes much higher, up to +20 °C.

Economy

The Tula region has well-developed industries and agricultural economy which saw a flurry of economic activity after World War II, when various machine-building, metallurgic, chemical and coal industries started developing here and many scientific research institutions were also established.

The region is also rich in coal deposits. In fact, Tula has an estimated 1,500 million tons of coal deposits and ample supplies of peat in the south-west fields. Apart from these, there are huge amounts of construction materials’ deposit too, especially limestone, clay, gypsum and sand. The region is also known for its deposits of iron ore and fresh, mineral water springs.

Almost 70% of the overall area is arable and nearly half of these lands are used to cultivate various crops. These include wheat, barley and beetroots. Livestock breeding also contributes to the region’s economy.

Tourism

Tula has a rich history which is often reflected in the many historical museums and monuments. There are also places of ancient settlements, ancient estates, and remains of defense installations, historical churches and beautiful parks. Amongst the 30 museums you will find here are Tula State Arms Museum, Tula Samovar Museum and Tula Kremlin.

 

Famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy lived in Yasnaya Polyana, a place worth visiting for literary fans, which is nearly 12 km away from Tula city and tourists also frequent a spa-resort, Krainka on the banks of the river Cherepet, near Suvorov town for its mineral water springs. There is a battle museum in Kulikovo Field and a famous 18^th century park in Bogoroditsk.