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Saratov city, Russia

The capital city of Saratov oblast .

Saratov - Overview

Saratov is a large city located in the southeast of the European part of Russia, the administrative center of Saratov Oblast, a major cultural, economic, and educational center of the Volga Region.

The population of Saratov is about 818,400 (2022), the area - 2,100 sq. km.

The phone code - +7 8452, the postal codes - 410000-410600.

Saratov city flag

Saratov city coat of arms.

Saratov city map, Russia

Saratov city latest news and posts from our blog:.

4 April, 2019 / Cities of Russia at Night - the Views from Space .

21 November, 2011 / Picturesque landscapes of the Saratov region .

19 November, 2009 / Life of juvenile prisoners in Russia .

History of Saratov

Foundation of saratov.

People already lived on the site of today’s Saratov in ancient times. On the territory of the city there is Alekseevskoye settlement - an archaeological monument that has seven identified cultural horizons from the catacomb culture of the Middle Bronze Age (the 20th-19th centuries BC) to the settlements of the Golden Horde time (the 13th-14th centuries AD) with a temporary break in the 5th-13th centuries.

The settlements in this place regularly appeared during periods of relatively stable state structures (Khazar Khaganate, Volga Bulgaria, Golden Horde) and disappeared without a trace during the next wave of nomads. The last such cycle before the founding of Saratov ended in 1395-1396, during the invasion of Tamerlane (Timur), who destroyed the Golden Horde town of Uvek (Ukek) that stood here.

In the next 200 years, the sparse population of this region was represented by Nogai and then Kalmyk nomads, Cossacks and fishing artels of Russian monasteries. After the military campaigns of Russian troops against the Kazan Khanate in 1552 and the Astrakhan Khanate in 1556, the Tsardom of Russia gained control of vast territories of the Volga Region. Under Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, it was decided to found several new fortified towns on the Volga River.

In the summer of 1586, the Samara fortress was founded, in the summer of 1589 - Tsaritsyn (Volgograd). In the summer of 1590, halfway between Samara and Tsaritsyn, the Saratov fortress was founded. The exact location of the original Saratov is unknown. In the winter of 1613-1614, the fortress burned down. In 1617, it was rebuilt on the left bank of the Volga, at the mouth of the Saratovka River.

In 1674, Saratov was moved to the right bank of the Volga, to the area of the present Muzeynaya Square. Thus, the city of Saratov was founded three times: in 1590, 1617, and 1674, and each time in a new place.

More Historical Facts…

Saratov in the 18th-19th centuries

In 1700, the population of Saratov was about 2,000 people. The sedentary agricultural population for a long time could not populate the territory of the region. Only those who were attracted by the free life of the Cossacks moved here.

The construction of the Tsaritsyn guard line and other measures taken by Peter I to strengthen security created conditions for the settlement of the right bank of the Volga. Its location at the intersection of the shortest land route to Moscow and the water route from the lower Volga and the Caspian made Saratov an important transit point and a major center for trade in fish and salt.

In 1763, foreigners were invited to settle in the Volga Region. In 1766, Saratov became the center of coordination of German colonists. In 1780, the town became the center of the Saratov Vicegerency. In 1796, it was renamed the Saratov Governorate.

In 1811, the population of the town was 26,700 people. The general plan of Saratov, approved in 1812, became the basis for the development of the town for more than a hundred years. The French invasion of Russia (1812) influenced the life of Saratov. In 1813, the French prisoners of war were exiled here and used for public works to level ravines, build dams, plant gardens. Later, a lot of them took Russian citizenship and stayed in Saratov. Some of them were invited as tutors and teachers to Russian families and educational institutions, others opened their workshops.

In 1828, the Saratov Tobacco Factory, one of the first in the Russian Empire, began production. In addition to it, the town had a rope, tannery, bell, brick, and a number of other factories. Cholera epidemics broke out in Saratov in 1830 and 1848. The epidemic of 1830, which lasted more than one month, claimed up to 10,000 people.

The further growth of crafts and trade stimulated the development of river shipping on the Volga, which became the main transport artery of the Russian Empire. In the 19th century, Saratov turned into a major river port. A very strong impetus for the development of the Saratov Governorate was the construction of the Tambov - Saratov railway in 1871. It connected Saratov with the country’s railway network.

In 1876, the first stationary circus in the Russian Empire was built in Saratov. In 1885, a public art museum was opened, which became a major event in the cultural life of the city. In the end of the 19th century, Saratov was one of the largest centers for the grain trade and flour-grinding industry in the country. It became a major intermediary in the trade of oil products, meat, fish, salt, and wool.

Saratov in the 20th century

In 1908, trams began to carry passengers in Saratov - one of the oldest tram systems in Russia. In 1912, the Saratov Conservatory was opened - the third in the country after Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 1914, its population was 235,300 people. Until the end of the 1920s, Saratov remained the largest of the cities of the Volga Region (larger than Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, etc.) and was often unofficially called the “capital of the Volga region”. From 1928 to 1932, Saratov was the administrative center of Lower Volga Krai, since 1934 - Saratov Krai, since 1936 - Saratov Oblast.

The rapid development of the city took place during the Second World War, when a number of factories and military schools were evacuated here from the west of the USSR. Saratov was subjected to several German air raids, the main purpose of which was to destroy the bridge over the Volga and the oil refinery.

Before the war, the town of Pokrovsk (Engels) located just across the Volga River was the capital of the German autonomous region with a population of about 800,000 people. A lot of them (about 400,000) were exiled to Siberia and Kazakhstan during the war; some later came back. Since the 1980s, most of them have emigrated to Germany. Until now, the few surviving buildings in the pseudo-Gothic style remind of this page in the history of Saratov.

Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, studied in Saratov. In 1955, he graduated with honors from the Saratov Industrial College. After his historic flight, Gagarin also landed about 35 km from Saratov - on the left bank of the Volga.

Saratov’s population peaked in 1987 - 918,000 people. Until 1992, Saratov was a closed city (foreigners were not allowed to visit it), since several large enterprises of the Soviet defense industry worked in the city, in particular, the Saratov Aviation Plant, which produced military and civil aircraft. Several industrial enterprises in Saratov also carried out orders for the Soviet space program.

Streets of Saratov

Street traffic in Saratov

Author: Kiyanovsky Dmitry

Picturesque old building in Saratov

Architectural monument in Saratov

Saratov - Features

Saratov stretches for 34 km along the right bank of the Volgograd Reservoir (the Volga River) opposite the mouth of the Saratovka River and the city of Engels, which is located on the opposite bank. The distance from Saratov to Volgograd - 376 km, Samara - 425 km, Moscow - 847 km. The City Day of Saratov is celebrated on the second Sunday in September.

There are several hypotheses about the origin of the name of Saratov. One of the main versions is that Saratov got its name from Sokolovaya Mountain, which was called “sary tau” in Tatar meaning “yellow mountain”. There is an assumption that the name came from the words “sar atav” - “low-lying island” or “saryk atov” - “hawk island”. It is also possible that Saratov got its name from the Scythian-Iranian hydronym “Sarat”.

Three silver fish (sterlet) are depicted on the coat of arms of Saratov symbolizing “the great abundance of such fish in this area”. They form the Greek letter “upsilon” meaning “the choice of a worthy path at the crossroads of life’s roads”.

The climate in Saratov is moderately continental. This city is characterized by long (about four months), moderately cold winters and hot, often dry summers. The average temperature in January is minus 7.5 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 22.6 degrees Celsius. The best time to visit Saratov is from late May to early September.

Saratov is located at the intersection of main railway and highway lines, water routes. The international airport “Gagarin” offers regular flights to Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Surgut, Ufa.

Trains to Moscow regularly depart from Saratov railway station, as well as passing trains to Adler, Astrakhan, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Kislovodsk, Kirov, Krasnoyarsk, Nizhnevartovsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novokuznetsk, Novorossiysk, Perm, St. Petersburg, Simferopol, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk. The river port of Saratov serves only passengers of intercity cruise ships.

Saratov is a large industrial, cultural and educational center. Machine building, chemical and oil industries are well developed here. There are a lot of various attractions in Saratov: historical, architectural, religious and natural, various museums and beautiful parks. The city has a large number of architectural monuments of the late 19th - early 20th centuries.

Main Attractions of Saratov

Victory Park on Sokolovaya Mountain . This memorial complex was created in Saratov in 1975, when the 30th anniversary of the Victory in World War II was celebrated. This large park covers an area of 80 hectares. Here you can find the Eternal Flame, the Museum of Military and Labor Glory, the 40 meters high monument “Cranes”, and a unique exposition of military and civilian equipment with over 200 exhibits.

In 2003, the National Village of the Peoples of Saratov Oblast was opened in the park with real houses, yurts and other dwellings of the peoples of the region. In this place you can feel the atmosphere of the past not only of Russians, but also of Tatars, Armenians, Bashkirs, Georgians, and other peoples living in the Saratov region. In 2013, the Alley “Days of Russian Military Glory” was solemnly opened, on which monuments to prominent Russian commanders and statesmen were erected.

Victory Park is a favorite place for recreation for locals and visitors of the city. The top of Sokolovaya Mountain is one of the highest points in Saratov (165 meters). The observation deck located here offers a magnificent view of Saratov, the Volga River and its islands, the opposite bank, and the city of Engels (Saratov is connected with it by a bridge). Sokolovaya Street.

Cosmonauts Embankment - a street that stretches for 1.5 km along the Volga to the Saratov Bridge. The embankment received its present name in 1962 - after the first cosmonaut of our planet landed near Saratov. The monument to Yuri Gagarin was erected at the beginning of the embankment more than 30 years later. The embankment descends to the Volga in 4 wide terraces. In summer, there is a rental of bicycles, rollers, and gyro scooters.

In 2017, the floating light and music fountain “Heart of the Volga” was opened here. It is located right on the water, its multicolored jets rise to a height of 40 m. The fountain is open from May to October.

The embankment offers an excellent view of the Saratov Bridge (1965) - a reinforced concrete road bridge across the Volga River connecting Saratov with the city of Engels. The length of the bridge is over 2.8 km. It is one of the symbols of Saratov.

Kirov Avenue - a pedestrian street that stretches for 1 km through the historic center of Saratov. Unofficially, the street is called “Saratov Arbat”. Along the entire length of the street there are mansions and houses built in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. The most interesting ones are the neo-Gothic building of the Saratov Conservatory (1902) and the Volga Hotel (1917) built in the Art Nouveau style. The monument to the Saratov accordion, one of the symbols of Saratov, is installed here.

The walking area starts from Kirov Square, where one of the oldest stationary circuses in Russia is located - the Nikitin Brothers Circus. The fountain near the circus is a traditional meeting place. The building of the Covered Market (1916) located here is also worth mentioning.

Pictures of Saratov

The building of the Volga railway administration in Saratov

Summer in Saratov

Saratov architecture

Church of the Icon of the Mother of God (1904-1906) - a very picturesque church, the main feature of which is that its multicolored domes resemble the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed standing on Red Square in Moscow. In Soviet times, the building served as a city planetarium. So it has been fairly well preserved. Volzhskaya Street, 36.

Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity (1689-1695) - the main Orthodox church in Saratov, a unique architectural monument for the Saratov region built in the Moscow baroque style. Moskovskaya Street, 6.

Saratov Regional Museum of Local Lore - the largest museum organization in Saratov Oblast. In total, the museum has about 400 thousand exhibits: archaeological, ethnographic, paleontological, entomological collections, examples of manuscript and early printed books, objects of religious worship, poster graphics, numismatics, materials on the history of the political, economic, and cultural life of Saratov.

Among the numerous exhibits on display in 30 spacious halls, it is worth highlighting the complete skeleton of an ichthyosaur, utensils belonging to the 4th century BC, a rare saber granted by Empress Elizabeth to the clerk Panteley Selivanov. In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum organizes thematic exhibitions. Lermontova Street, 34.

The Radishchev Art Museum . Created in 1885, it became one of the first publicly accessible art museums in the Russian Empire. The ground floor displays medieval icons and a collection of Western European art, which is considered the third largest in Russia. These are canvases by Dutch, German, French, and Italian artists, furniture and porcelain, bronze and glass products.

On the second floor, you can see the works of Russian painters. Musical concerts and literary and art meetings are held in the Great Hall of this art museum. The library of the museum has a rich collection of manuscripts, old books. Radishchev Street, 39.

Museum of Samovars . This private museum, opened in 2015, houses the largest collection of samovars in Russia - over 700 pieces. Today, in a small room on the ground floor of a residential building, you can see samovars from all over the world and trace their evolution over several centuries. Over time, these ordinary kitchen utensils have turned into works of art and have become one of the symbols of Russia. Kutyakova Street, 34/36.

Gagarin’s Field (Gagarin’s Landing Site) . This attraction of Saratov is located outside the city. On April 12, 1961, the landing vehicle of the Vostok-1 spacecraft with Yuri Gagarin on board landed near the village of Smelovka in Saratov Oblast, several kilometers south of Saratov.

According to the pre-flight plan, the landing was to take place in the steppes of Kazakhstan, but due to a failure in the braking system, Vostok-1 landed on the field of the collective farm “Lenin’s Path”. Yuri Gagarin himself considered his landing near Saratov to be symbolic. In this city the first cosmonaut of the planet attended an industrial technical school.

Today, a memorial complex has been created on this field with a 27-meter obelisk in the form of a rocket taking off. It is a smaller copy of the Monument to the Conquerors of Space located near the Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow. Near the obelisk, there is a monument to Yury Gagarin, a descent vehicle, and 12 steles with images of the first cosmonauts, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, and Sergei Korolev. There is a small park around the complex.

Saratov city of Russia photos

Sights of saratov.

Dandelion fountain in the center of Saratov

Saratov State Agrarian University

Lenin monument in Saratov

Churches of Saratov

Holy Alexievsky Convent in Saratov

Author: Oleg Maraev

Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows in Saratov

Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity in Saratov

Get in [ edit ]

By plane [ edit ]

• 51.716667 46.166667 1 Saratov Gagarin Airport ( GSV  IATA ), Saburovka village . New airport northeast of Saratov. It replaced Saratov Tsentralny Airport in August 2019.

By train [ edit ]

Otherwise the best way to get there is by Saratov Rail from Moscow's Pavletsky Station, which takes approximately 15-16 hr. The trains operate overnight, departing in the afternoon/evening, arriving in the morning.

Saratov is also accessible via rail from Samara to the north (train 10 hours, 400 km) and Volgograd and Astrakhan to the south. The St. Petersburg-Astrakhan' line passes through Saratov. It takes about 26 hours to travel from St. Petersburg to Saratov on train.

By bus [ edit ]

There are also buses between Saratov and many other cities, including Moscow. However, the comfort and value of the rail system over the vast distances involved makes the bus service a comparatively unattractive option.

Get around [ edit ]

Taxis [ edit ]

If you don't want to go through the trouble of finding the correct route number, taxis are a widely available option. Yandex Taxi or its many competitors are a reliable way to get around, as you can order a taxi via an app for a predefined price (also in English).

Walking [ edit ]

Saratov is not exactly a small city, but its main pedestrian area along Prospekt Stolypina and onwards to the Volga is definitely walkable. There are plenty of well-marked pedestrian crossings and drivers do stop (because they get very serious fines if they don't).

Buy [ edit ]

The usual Russian souvenirs such as matryoshkas are available in Saratov, although if travelling through Moscow it is probably best to wait to get them there as they will be cheaper.

The markets in Saratov are useful spots to pick up winter clothes if necessary, including coats, boots, leather gloves and of course hats. Haggling is indulged.

Prospekt Kirova is the most upmarket shopping area in the city, with fancy boutiques selling expensive shoes, bags and jewellery. There are branches for Mango, Nike, Reebok, Adidas, United Colors of Benetton, and L'Occitane among others. Also on Prospekt Kirova is an excellent tobacconist, selling all kinds of pipes and tobacco including hookah pipes, as well as a speciality tea shop.

Barrikada, on Ulitsa Gorkogo, is an excellent alternative music store that sells legitimate (i.e. non-pirate) albums and music DVDs at prices much cheaper than in Western Europe, and stocks a diversity of artists unparalleled by even Moscow's gargantuan Gorbushka market.

Electronics can be purchased from one of the city's branches of El Dorado (one particularly large one is on the embankment near the river station).

Dom Knigi, the book shop on the corner of Ulitsa Volskaya and Prospekt Kirova, has an English language section and is also a good spot to pick up postcards, maps and souvenirs such as books of old postcard views of Saratov. Noviy Knizhniy, on the fourth floor of the Aurora Shopping Center (Chapaeva and Sovetskaya), also features an English language section. Grab a coffee at the nearby cafe, bring your laptop, and enjoy the free wireless on the fourth floor.

Despite its name, Detsky Mir ('Children's World') at the top of Prospekt Kirova near McDonalds, stocks all kinds of everything (clothes, accessories, stationery, hipflasks, penknives...) in cabinets, behind counters, and at individually manned stalls. TsUM (Tsentralniy Universalniy Magazin, 'Central Universal Store') across the way is a similar sort of operation.

Credit cards are widely accepted in Saratov, even in small businesses like coffee spots and market stands. However, note that foreign VISA/MasterCard credit cards are not accepted as of 2022. If you have a Russian bank account, Russia's QR code-based quick payment system SBP is accepted nearly everywhere. Otherwise it is a good idea to bring cash in RUB (or EUR/USD and exchange in a bank). During the Christmas period banks have a very limited schedule of hours. Western Union transfers are very difficult if they are made to a foreigner since rules require not just a passport but that the passport be notarized by a Russian notary. There is a translation service on Bolshaia Kazakshia near the junction with Astrakhan street on the right when facing back towards the town centre.

While there are money exchanges at both the Saratov airport and train station, the hours of operation are limited. Usually there are men in the train station who will exchange US dollars but at bad rates and with the risk of getting counterfeited rubles. Euros are probably easier to work with in Saratov. ATMs give good rates but the payouts are limited. Never take travellers cheques. Only Sberbank and only the main branch will deal with them and it takes 6-8 hr to go through the process.

Eat [ edit ]

Cafe Fortuna, above an internet cafe on Prospekt Kirova, is reliable for good Russian food like blini, borshch and solyanka, as well as omelettes and chips and the like.

Papa's Irish Bar, also on the Prospekt, serves a decent menu including a fry and Irish stew, as well as other slightly Russified Western pub food.

There is a Tinkoff Restaurant and Bar in Saratov. Tinkoff hosts live groups, as it does in its other locations in Russia. Decor inside is clean and swanky, with dimmed lights and lounge-style tables. The food is overpriced and uninspiring. Expect to go through security by stocky bouncers if you arrive to see a concert.

There are a number of passable sushi restaurants around, while street food like shwarma and hot pirogi are readily available.

There is also an ice-cream parlour called Pingvin on the Prospekt and a Baskin Robbins by the multi-coloured church off the end of the Prospekt.

Near the circus there is perhaps Russia's only branch of Papa John's Pizza. Like many American fast-food imports, Russian Papa John's appears to be a decent, sit-down restaurant. The restaurant provides free wireless to its guests.

Saratov is also home to a locally-owned chain of overpriced coffee shops called Vostok-Zapad ('East-West'), where no two cappuccinos are ever the same (or, indeed, ever much like a cappuccino). They are, however, a pleasant place to hang out and the coffee is decent enough, if not exactly what you may have in mind but the quality is consistently better than the used dishwater served in most US and UK branded coffee chains. Another café is Café et Chocolat which, as the name suggests, is a French-style establishment, serving crepes and pastries. They have several branches.

Drink [ edit ]

Bars along the main pedestrian street, Prospekt Kirova, include Pivnoy Zavod (Beer Factory, a microbrewery); Papa's Irish Pub; Pivnoy Bul'var (with American pool tables as well as Russian billiards); and Grand Michel (with bowling).

There are also numerous wine bars around the city where wine can be sampled by the cup.

Saratov's main nightclubs include Jumanji and Ars. Both operate rigorous security checks (metal detectors and body searches are par for the course) and face control policies (nonwhite ethnic minorities may be refused point blank).

In summer, barges along the naberezhnaya (embankment) become floating bars and clubs.

Cope [ edit ]

Considering that Saratov is a city where it snows for the better part of the year, you'd think the city's authorities would have learned to deal with the snow and ice – and you'd be wrong. Compacted snow covers practically all roads and sidewalks throughout the winter; it is cleared away really only on the main pedestrian street (Prospekt Stolypina) and in front of government buildings. Be super careful when walking near roofs and balconies – icicles can fall down without notice and have even killed people. Also pay attention to snow sliding down from the roof. If you see (printed or handwritten) signs with many exclamation points and/or fingers pointing upwards on the side of a building, don't walk under it!

If you drive yourself, note that most major streets are one-way streets. Road markings are often not visible (especially in winter, when roads are completely covered in snow). The road quality varies a lot, but do expect potholes (and people swerving to avoid them) and not-so-level level crossings across tram and railroad tracks.

There are stray dogs and they might have rabies. If you spot a dog without owner, it's best to make a large detour around it. This is especially true if there are multiple dogs.

Go next [ edit ]

Just opposite Saratov, on the other side of the Volga, is the smaller town of Engels , accessible via a quick bus journey across the bridge. Catch the bus on Ulitsa Moskovskaya or take a taxi (walking across the bridge is not recommended).

Other towns in the Saratov Oblast , accessible via marshrutka, include Marks, Balakovo, Atkarsk, and Volsk.

There are shared minibuses that drive across the Russian- Kazakh border to Uralsk , usually leaving very early in the morning.

You can take a train to the neighboring regions, such as Volgograd , Tambov , Penza , Samara , and Voronezh .

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Zegna Unveils Flowerbeds for Milan's Piazza Duomo Inspired by a Painting

MILAN - Milan's Piazza Duomo has new greenery, courtesy of Zegna.

On Friday, at the tail end of Milan Design Week, the city's Mayor Giuseppe Sala and Gildo Zegna , chairman and chief executive officer of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, unveiled the flowerbeds framing the square opposite the Duomo cathedral that the luxury fashion company has pledged to take care of for the next three years.

"It's an honor for our family to hand this project to Milan's municipality," Zegna said during a press conference held at the town hall Palazzo Marino. "Beyond the territory of Trivero [in the Piedmont region, where the company is headquartered], Milan is our second home. We believed in the city years ago with our headquarters by [architect] Antonio Citterio, which currently employ 100 people. We believe in it every season when our artistic director Alessandro Sartori stages his shows here and we're very close to Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and its president Carlo Capasa, a far-sighted executive in bringing [the fashion community] together," he said.

"This is an initiative showing Zegna's sensitivity and loyalty to the company's founding principles, in addition to their commitment to support the city," said Sala, adding that it falls in line with the municipality's initiatives geared at preserving local biodiversity, such as the Prada-supported Forestami.

Called "Oasi Zegna nel Mondo," or "Oasi Zegna in the World," the project is only the beginning of a comprehensive program that will see the realization of new Oasi Zegna extensions around the world.

"It's a project inspired by the environmental responsibility of the Oasi Zegna," said the company's chairman and CEO.

Zegna has worked with botanical and landscape experts led by Vittorio Peretto to bring some of the signature elements of the Oasi's vegetation to Milan, while respecting its biodiversity and the ecosystem. Garden design was inspired by artist Dino Buzzati's 1957 painting "Piazza del Duomo di Milano," which put into dialogue the square with the natural environment.

The flowerbeds consist of four groves of uneven-aged shrub camphor, evergreen and leafy plants. Among these groves, from fall to late spring there will also be rhododendrons - signature plants at the Oasi Zegna - and philadelphus. This will ensure respect for the biodiversity and seasonality of the plants, which will be replanted in Oasi Zegna at the end of the cycle.

Plants of the previous flowerbeds will be replanted elsewhere, Sala said. Zegna succeeds global coffee giant Starbucks, which planted palm trees in Piazza Duomo in 2017 as part of a contract it won to restyle the green spaces surrounding the equestrian monument to former King Victor Emmanuel II.

The Oasi Zegna is a territory spanning more than 62 miles designed and created by founder Ermenegildo Zegna in the mountains of Northern Italy, Piedmont, around Trivero where the company is based. In the late 1920s, he planted 500,000 pine trees, created the road 232 connecting the two sides of the mountain and made them accessible for all.

Located a 90-minute drive from Milan, the Oasi offers views of the Alps, from the Monviso pyramid-shaped mountain to the Monte Rosa massif.

"The third and fourth generation of the family have not only safeguarded but also helped relaunch the Oasi," Zegna offered. "Our responsibility as entrepreneurs is to feel the moral duty to support our country and Made in Italy. We need to take care of beauty, in our case in Biella and Milan. This is our challenge, which we think we have to export around the world in the interest of our country," he said.

Zegna was flanked by other family members including his son Edoardo Zegna, chief marketing, digital and sustainability officer at the group; cousin Paolo Zegna, and Anna Zegna, president of Fondazione Zegna.

Marking the unveiling of the flowerbed, Zegna mounted a kiosk handing sprigs of rhododendron to citizens, who began queueing in the early morning on Friday.

This is the second initiative dedicated to the Oasi Zegna this week. Last Sunday the luxury company officially unveiled the "Born in Oasi Zegna" book published by Rizzoli through an exhibition open to the public through Sunday at the Zegna headquarters.

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Saratov Travel Guide, Russia

Saratov is a port on the Volga River and an important urban area in southern Russia . With a multiethnic population including Russians, Tatars, Jews, Ukrainians and Germans, Saratov is a notable industrial, scientific and cultural centre .

Saratov Travel Guide – Interesting Facts and Figures

The last census indicated that Saratov had 878 900 inhabitants , which make it the fifteenth largest city in Russia. Saratov has more than 10 academic institutions, 21 research institutes and 19 project institutes . The name of the city is supposed to be derived from the Tatar “Sary Tau” (yellow mountain ). Many Russian artists, scientists, philosophers and writers had been born or lived in Saratov: painter Aleksey Bogolyubov , aircraft designer Oleg Antonov , cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin , writers Mikhail Bulgakov and Aleksandr Radishchev . Any respectable Saratov Travel Guide should not forget to mention the fact that Saratov natives affirm with pride they have the most beautiful women in Russia, possibly due to the mix of ethnicities. It is also the city where the first public theatre , the first circus and the first public museum in Russia were inaugurated in late 19th century .

Saratov Travel Guide – Location

Saratov is located in the European part of Russia and stretches along the Volga River for 50 kilometers . The city is divided into six districts (Leninskiy, Zavodskoy, Oktyabrskiy, Kirovskiy, Volzhskiy, and Fruzenskiy) and it encompasses many recreational areas like parks, woods and beeches. It is the administrative center of the Saratov-Oblast Region and connects Central Russia with the Urals.

Saratov Travel Guide – Climate

Saratov’s climate could be considered as an excessive continental one, with cold winters and very hot summers . Due to the recent global climate changes though, Saratov’s weather has become warmer, with rain taking the place of snow in the first months of winter. But temperatures still go bellow -25ºC in winter , when the Volga freezes, and go up to 35ºC in torrid summer days. There are a lot of rainy days in Saratov, especially in summer, when the weather is rather instable.

Saratov Travel Guide – Transport

There are no direct international flights to Saratov Tsentralny Airport , so the most frequented air routes make a stop in Moskow (you might want to stop here for a few days and enjoy some Moscow Sights or the Moscow Nightlife ) or Saint Petersburg . Nevertheless, there is a good connection to Moscow by train (and even to Warsaw and Berlin) and also some direct bus routes Moscow-Saratov and back. It is important to remember when making your transportation choices that Russia spreads across 12 time zones, so a train journey between Moscow and Saratov will take about 17 hours, while the plane will get there in 2h; nevertheless, many Saratov Travel Guides will recommend the former as the best way to admire the scenery and get familiar with the Russian lifestyle.

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• Lighter, Looser, and Less Boring: How to Wear the Season’s Coolest Suits

“Cropped jackets, longer jackets, fuller pants—there’s so much fun to be had," says stylist Ilaria Urbanati.

Max berlinger, max berlinger's most recent stories.

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Which isn’t to say that tailoring has stood still—far from it. The suit’s potency lies in its elasticity, its ability to evolve with the times. Today, that means embracing creativity. “It used to be that the bold choice was a navy evening suit,” says Pask, now the senior editorial director at Neiman Marcus. But modern formalwear is a different game entirely. Lately, Pask has been impressed by the “ease of shape” billowing through menswear . While still “elegant and polished,” he says, “the intention is different—it’s very relaxed.” Ilaria Urbinati, the celebrity stylist who keeps Donald Glover, Rami Malek, and this year’s “It” guy, Barry Keoghan, atop everyone’s best-dressed lists, agrees. “I love all the proportion play,” she says. “Cropped jackets, longer jackets, fuller pants—there’s so much fun to be had.” 

Pask suggests that a voluminous trouser is the quickest and easiest way to inject a contemporary jolt into your formal dressing—somewhat ironically, since the silhouette is anything but new. “Look at the ’40s and ’50s, with the Hollywood waist, the fuller pant, and the fitted top,” Pask suggests. And while the red carpet is meant for bolder statements—think Donald Glover in a sand-colored Fear of God suit, or Rami Malek in soft layers from Zegna—Urbinati says it’s still a good place for real-world inspiration. She suggests either pleated or straight-cut slacks that sit higher on the waist and countering the fuller leg with a trim jacket. For those still stuck in the skinny-suit phase and unsure where to find looser (but still sophisticated) garb, Urbinati recommends Ami, in Paris, New York’s Stòffa, and Amiri, in Los Angeles. 

The rest of the look matters, too. In lieu of the starched white button-downs of yore, try a shirt in the same color family as the rest of what you’re wearing. “I love a tonal look,” Urbinati says. “Take a beautiful blue suit and pair it with a shirt that’s a different shade of blue. Or brown—I love an autumn color.” Even better: Ditch the tie altogether and swap in a fine-gauge crewneck knit or polo. Finish it off not with sneakers (long the easy way to dress down tailoring, now tired) but with classic loafers. “I love the rounder, curvier, thicker options,” Urbinati says, citing examples from Tod’s and Adieu as standouts. Leather slip-ons, too, have been gaining traction. 

“What I like about the current moment is that there’s no one sartorial path,” Pask says. “It’s about what makes you feel great, what makes you feel comfortable, and what you want to present. There are just so many ways men can explore suiting.” 

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N.R.A. to Overhaul Charity It’s Accused of Using as a ‘Piggy Bank’

The gun group settled with the District of Columbia’s attorney general, who said it had misused tax-deductible donations. The N.R.A. denies all wrongdoing in the case.

By Danny Hakim

Danny Hakim has written about the N.R.A. since 2019.

The National Rifle Association reached a settlement on Wednesday with the District of Columbia’s attorney general, agreeing to make governance changes that would curtail its use of millions of dollars raised by an affiliated charity accused of mishandling tax-deductible donations.

For years, the N.R.A. made liberal use of the foundation’s coffers to prop up its own dwindling fortunes. The attorney general’s office said the practice illegally drew on charitable donations, which are not supposed to be used for political activity.

The N.R.A., in a statement, portrayed the settlement as a victory, saying it had “proved that all funds” taken from its foundation “were applied exclusively in furtherance of its charitable programs and that there was no misuse” of resources.

Charles Cotton, the N.R.A.’s president, called the lawsuit a “political attack” and said his group had been vindicated, while the group’s lead outside lawyer, William A. Brewer III, called it a “politically motivated action.”

But Brian L. Schwalb, the attorney general, characterized the settlement much differently.

“Caving to pressure from the N.R.A., the foundation diverted millions of dollars to the N.R.A. in grants and risky loans,” he said in his own statement, adding that the N.R.A. had used its foundation “as an unchecked piggy bank.”

The settlement is one more legal shoe to drop for the embattled gun rights group. In February, a Manhattan jury found Wayne LaPierre, the longtime leader of the N.R.A., liable for misspending $5.4 million of the organization’s money. Mr. LaPierre announced his resignation on the eve of the six-week corruption trial, which detailed his lavish personal expenses , including chartered flights for his relatives, excursions on luxury yachts and nearly $275,000 in Zegna suits.

That case was brought by Letitia James, the attorney general of New York. The N.R.A. is chartered there, while its foundation is based in Washington. A judge will weigh further action during a second phase of the Manhattan proceeding.

The N.R.A. has also brought its own litigation in federal court against New York State. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court appeared sympathetic to the group’s arguments that a state official had violated its rights by trying to encourage an N.R.A. boycott after a school shooting.

But dissent has been rising within the N.R.A.’s own ranks about its management and spending practices in recent years as scandals have proliferated. Fierce critics have included Oliver North, its former president, and a few of its former board members.

Mr. Schwalb is only the second elected attorney general of the District of Columbia; the N.R.A. case was brought by his predecessor, Karl Racine , who filed a lawsuit in 2020. The office lacks the authority to impose financial penalties, so the terms of the settlement agreement are limited.

The N.R.A. said in the language of the agreement that it was entering into it “solely for the purpose of settlement,” admitting “no liability” and denying “the district’s allegations.”

But the sides agreed to a number of steps that would create paper trails tracking how money is spent within the organizations. The N.R.A. Foundation will require the N.R.A. to submit grant applications before it receives charitable funds and create a reporting process for how the funds are used. There are new rules for loans as well as sharing resources: After originally promising to provide its foundation with free office space and staff when it was created in 1991, the N.R.A. eventually began charging it more than $6 million a year. A written lease agreement is now required.

The foundation will conduct nonprofit training for board members and officers, create an audit committee and establish new policies on conflicts of interest. The N.R.A. also agreed to report any changes to the attorney general’s office during the duration of the settlement, which runs through 2026.

The development comes as the N.R.A. faces an array of financial challenges. The group has been hobbled by a half-decade of corruption allegations and soaring legal fees. Dues-paying members plummeted to 4.2 million from nearly six million around five years ago, and revenue is down 44 percent since 2016, according to internal audits .

In 2019, The New York Times reported that the N.R.A. had drawn more than $200 million out of its foundation over a decade. But after the Washington lawsuit was filed the next year, the group appeared to start changing its practices as part of broader efforts to clean up its governance in the wake of regulatory scrutiny. In 2022, $16 million flowed to the N.R.A. from its foundation, roughly half of what it had taken out three years earlier, according to tax filings.

No detailed accounting has been made public of how this money is being spent, though some of the N.R.A.’s work qualifies as charitable. In addition to being a political advocacy group, the N.R.A. undertakes activities related to gun safety training and marksmanship that would be considered a legitimate use of foundation funds.

“Donors are entitled to know that their charitable contributions will be used in furtherance of a nonprofit organization’s stated charitable mission,” Mr. Schwalb said, adding that his office had a “longstanding commitment to safeguarding donors’ money.”

Danny Hakim is an investigative reporter. He has been a European economics correspondent and bureau chief in Albany and Detroit. He was also a lead reporter on the team awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News. More about Danny Hakim

Gun Violence in America

Background Checks Expansion: The Biden administration has approved the broadest expansion of federal background checks in decades to regulate a fast-growing shadow market  of weapons sold online, at gun shows and through private sellers that contributes to gun violence.

A Grieving Mother’s Hope: Katy Dieckhaus, whose daughter was killed in the 2023 Covent School shooting in Nashville, is pleading for compromise with those who see gun rights as sacred .

A Historic Case: On Feb. 6, an American jury convicted a parent for a mass shooting carried out by their child for the first time. Lisa Miller, a reporter who has been following the case since its beginning, explains what the verdict really means .

Echoing Through School Grounds: In a Rhode Island city, gunshots from AR-15-style weapons have become the daily soundtrack for a school within 500 yards of a police shooting range. Parents are terrified, and children have grown accustomed to the threat of violence .

The Emotional Toll: We asked Times readers how the threat of gun violence has affected the way they lead their lives. Here’s what they told us .

Gun Control: U.S. gun laws are at the center of heated exchanges between those in favor and against tougher regulations. Here’s what to know about that debate .