Kaluga

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This article is about a city in Russia. For the fish named "Kaluga" see Kaluga (fish)

Kaluga (English) Калуга (Russian)

Location of Kaluga on the map of Russia
Coordinates 54°33′N 36°17′ECoordinates: 54°33′N 36°17′E
Coat of Arms	Flag

City Day: Second Saturday of September
Administrative status
Federal subject In jurisdiction of Administrative center of	Kaluga Oblast Kaluga Oblast Kaluga Oblast
Local self-government
Charter	Charter of Kaluga
Municipal status	Urban okrug
City Head	Maxim Akimov
Legislative body	City Duma
Area
Area - Rank	n/a n/a
Population (as of the 2002 Census)
Population - Rank - Density	334,751 inhabitants 53rd n/a
Events
Founded	1371
Other information
Postal code	248xxx
Dialing code	+7 4842
Official website
http://www.kaluga-gov.ru/

Kaluga (Russian: Калу́га) is a city in central Russia, located on the Oka River 188 km southwest of Moscow. It is the administrative center of Kaluga Oblast. Population: 334,751 (2002 Census); 311,399 (1989 Census). It is served by Kaluga Grabtsevo Airport.

Kaluga was founded in the mid-14th century as a border fortress on the southwestern borders of the Muscovy. It was first mentioned by its present name in 1371. In the Middle Ages, Kaluga was a minor settlement owned by the Princes Vorotynsky. The ancestral home of these princes is located south-west from the modern city.

Kaluga is connected to Moscow by a railway line and the ancient roadway (E105 International highway) which is known as the Kaluga road.

This road was the favoured escape route from the Moscow trap for Napoleon in the fall of 1812. But General Kutuzov repelled Napoleon's advances in this direction and forced the retreating French army onto the old Smolensk road, previously devastated by the French during their invasion of Russia.

Kaluga was occupied by the Nazi armies in 1941.

Kaluga is known for its most famous resident, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a rocket science pioneer who worked here as a school teacher. There is a museum in Kaluga dedicated to his theoretical achievements and their practical implementations for modern space research, hence the motto on the city's coat of arms: "The Cradle of Space Exploration".