Balakovo, Industrial city in Saratov Oblast, Russia
Balakovo sits on the eastern bank of the Volga and covers 79 square kilometers at 25 meters above sea level. The town spreads into residential neighborhoods, industrial zones and wide riverside areas that follow the river course.
Old Believers from Poland founded the settlement in 1762 and built a small community along the river. Town status arrived in 1913 after grain trade turned the site into a major shipping point on the Volga.
The Orthodox diocese formed in 2022 serves several churches across town that fill with worshippers on Sundays. These parishes maintain old liturgical traditions tied to the Old Believer rites practiced by the original settlers.
Getting around relies on a trolleybus network linking residential and industrial areas across town. Riverside stretches are walkable or bikeable in good weather, while most routes in the center remain flat and easy to navigate.
A nuclear power plant built in 1985 supplies electricity to large parts of the region and shapes the economic profile of the town. Alongside that, chemical plants and engineering firms make the place a center of technical production.
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