Saratov is a large river port and a road junction, situated on the right bank of the Volga river. The population of the city is 904 thousand people.

Saratov ("yellow water" in Turkic) was founded in1590 as a fortress to protect the Volga rout from the raids of the tribes of nomads. Since the 17th century it has become a staging point for water and land routs also as a fish and salt trading centre. The Germans began building their settlements around Saratov in 1763 by invitation from Ekaterina II. The first Russia tobacco factory was opened in Saratov in 1828. In the second half of the 19th century the city produced 48,000 tons of flour annually. In the end of the 19th century industry grew rapidly, especially steam-mills and oil-mills. At the beginning of the 20th century the city produced 48,000 tons of flour annually. In 1859 Saratov became a passenger port. At the end of the 19th century Saratov was the fourth city in population terms in Russia, after Moscow, St. Petersburg and Odessa.

Now Saratov is one of the largest industrial city, an important centre of machinery and aircraft (it produces the "Yak-40" aeroplane) and food industry.

The city stretches for 30 km along the Volga, which is 3 km wide in its narrowest place near the city.

The monuments of architectural interest in Saratov are: Troitsky Cathedral, representing the style of Naryshkin (1689-1695), some civic and dwelling houses in the style, built by the architect V.A. Loshkin in 1910-1915.

Saratov is a cultural centre of Povolzhye. It has 11 higher educational establishments, including Saratov State University (1909), conservatoire, Art museum, founded in 1885 as the first popular Art museum in Russia, which is still the one of largest. The Saratov museum of local history is among the 10 best museums in Russia. And it's not a surprise, that one of Saratov's squares is called "Museinaya". Saratov is a city of old theatre traditions. Its Drama Theatre was opened in 1815, and the first permanent circus in Russia was opened in Saratov in 1873.