Editing Taganrog (section)

==History==
{{Main|History of Taganrog}}

The history of the city goes back to the late [[Bronze Age]]–early [[Iron Age]]. Later, it became the earliest [[Ancient Greek colonies|Greek settlement]] in the northwestern [[Black Sea]] region and was probably mentioned by the Greek historian [[Herodotus]] as [[Emporium (antiquity)|emporion]] Kremnoi (Κρήμνοι, meaning cliffs).<ref>Dally, Ortwin; Attula, Regina; Brückner, Helmut; Kelterbaum, Daniel; Larenok, Pavel A.; Neef, Reinder; Schunke, Torsten (2009). "[https://doi.org/10.34780/0161-8ua6 Die Griechen am Don – Ergebnisse der deutsch-russischen Ausgrabungen in Taganrog und Umgebung. Kampagnen 2004-2007.]" ''Archäologischer Anzeiger'' '''1/2009''', pp. 73–119.</ref> It had contacts as well to the other Greek colonies around the Black Sea as well as to the indigenous communities of the hinterland.<ref>Huy, Sabine (2023). ''Praktiken der Aneignung. Kulturelle Kontakte im nordöstlichen Azovraum vom späten 7.–3. Jh. v. Chr.'' Wiesbaden: Reichert, {{ISBN|9783752006285}}.</ref>

In the 13th century, [[Republic of Pisa|Pisan]] merchants founded a colony, Portus Pisanus, which was however short-lived.<ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Taganrog|volume=26|pages=355–356}}</ref> Taganrog was founded by [[Peter the Great]] on 12 September 1698.<ref name="HolidayEst" /> The first [[Russian Navy]] base, it hosted the [[Azov Flotilla]] of [[Catherine the Great]] (1770–1783), which subsequently became the Russian [[Black Sea Fleet]]. Taganrog was granted city status in 1775.<ref name="gr">{{cite book|title=Энциклопедия Города России|year=2003|publisher=Большая Российская Энциклопедия|location=Moscow|isbn=5-7107-7399-9|pages=454–455}}</ref>

By the end of the 18th century, Taganrog had lost its importance as a military base after [[Crimea]] and the entire [[Sea of Azov]] were absorbed into the [[Russian Empire]]. In 1802, [[Alexander I of Russia|Tsar Alexander&nbsp;I]] granted the city [[Governor of Taganrog|special status]], which lasted until 1887. In 1825, the [[Alexander I Palace]] in Taganrog was used as his summer residence, and he died there in November 1825. Also in Taganrog is the [[House of teacher|House of Teacher]], a mansion where numerous artists have performed.

Although it had been bombarded and damaged by an Anglo-French fleet in 1855,<ref name="EB1911"/> Taganrog became important as a commercial port, used for the import of [[grain]] by the end of the 19th century until the early 20th century. [[Industrialization]] increased in the city when [[Belgium|Belgian]] and [[German Empire|German]] investors founded a boiler factory, an iron and steel [[foundry]], a [[leather]] factory, and an [[oil press]] factory. By 1911, fifteen foreign [[consulates]] had opened in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://taganrogcity.com/history2.html|title=taganrogcity.com - Taganrog History in the 19th Century|website=taganrogcity.com}}</ref>

During [[World War I]], Taganrog served as the temporary capital of the [[Ukrainian Soviet Republic]] in March-April 1918.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://day.kyiv.ua/ru/article/istoriya-i-ya/granicy-razdeleniya-3|title=Границы разделения-3|language=ru|access-date=17 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241130063419/https://day.kyiv.ua/ru/article/istoriya-i-ya/granicy-razdeleniya-3|archive-date=30 November 2024}}</ref> Afterwards it was occupied by the troops of the [[German Army (German Empire)|German Army]] from May to August 1918. In 1919, General [[Anton Denikin]] established his headquarters at the Avgerino mansion in the city while commanding [[White Russians (Russian Civil War)|White Russian]] troops fighting in [[South Russia (1919–1920)|South Russia]] during the [[Russian Civil War]]. When the White Russians were defeated and [[Bolshevik]] power was established in the city on 25 December 1919, Denikin's remaining troops and the British Consulate were evacuated by [[HMS Montrose (D01)|HMS ''Montrose'']]. Full power was granted to the executive committee of The City Soviet Workers' council on 17 December 1920, and Taganrog joined the [[Ukrainian SSR]] as the [[administrative center]] of Taganrog Okrug. It was transferred to the [[Russian SFSR]] along with [[Shakhty]] Okrug on 1 October 1924.

During [[World War II]], Taganrog was occupied by [[Nazi Germany]] from 1941 to 1943 during [[Operation Barbarossa]], when two [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] divisions entered the city on 17 October 1941, followed by the [[Wehrmacht]]. The city suffered extensive damage. Under German occupation the [[local government]] system was replaced by a German-style ''Bürgermeisteramt'' (Mayor's Office), which governed the city until it was liberated by the [[Red Army]] on 30 August 1943.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}