Budyonnovsk

City of Stavropol kray (region), kray subordination, rayon (sector) centre, 220 km east of Stavropol. Located in Ciscaucasia, in the eastern end of the Stavropol Upland, on the Kuma River. Terminal railway station of the branch (94 km) from Georgievsk in the Rostov-on-Don - Baku line. Motor road junction (to Mineralnyye Vody, Svetlograd, etc.). Population (1992 est.) 58.5 thousand (1897 est.) 6.5 thousand, (1926 est.) 15.8 thousand, (1939 est.) 23.1 thousand, (1959 est.) 27.9 thousand, (1979 est.) 45 thousand.

In the 13th - 16th centuries, the place of modern Budyonnovsk was occupied by the Tartar- Mongolian city of Madzhar, which was the largest in the North Caucasus and lay on the brisk commercial road between Europe and Asia. Occupation of this territory by peasants from central provinces of Russia started in the second half of the 18th century. In 1799, the Russian government allowed the Armenians coming from Derbent to found a city on the site of the settlements of Stariye Mozhary and give it the name of the Saint Cross. Since 1826, it was a one-horse town of Stavropol government (province) with about 4 thousand people of population. The population was mostly engaged in grain and wool trade, as well as in wine growing and making. In 1924 - 1935 and 1957 - 1973, it was referred to as Prikumsk. In 1935, the city was visited by S.M. Budyonny; and in the same year, Prikumsk was given the name of Budyonnovsk.

During the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945, Budyonnovsk was occupied by Nazi troops on August 18, 1942. It was liberated in the course of the North Caucasian operation on January 10, 1943.

Modern Budyonnovsk is an agricultural centre with numerous enterprises for processing agricultural raw materials; the elevator of Budyonnovsk is the largest in the North Caucasus. The city has chemical industry, PO Stavropolpolimer, a ribbon production association, a repair and engineering factory, an experimental selection station of Stavropol Research Institute of Agriculture and an experimental station of Novocherkassk Institute of Wine-Growing.

The city is located at a low-level flat slope between the Kuma River and Lake Buyvola. A rectangular lay-out is typical for Budyonnovsk. The southern and the central parts of Budyonnovsk are built up with one-storeyed houses. In the northern part, at Lake Buyvola, there are new microdistricts with multi-storeyed houses.