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Photos

  • Stela Europe-Asia (Orenburg). Photo 1
  • Stela Europe-Asia (Orenburg). Photo 2
  • Стела Европа-Азия (Оренбург). Photo 3

Description

On the left bank of the Ural River, in the territory of the city of Orenburg, there is the first sign marking the border between Europe and Asia on the territory of Russia. This obelisk, installed in 1981, is a square column about 15 meters high, topped with a stainless alloy ball, and was created according to the design of the architect Gennady Ivanovich Naumkin.

Historically, since the 17th century, the Ural River has been recognized as the border between Europe and Asia. In 1720, Russian historian and statesman Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev suggested that the border runs along the Ural ridge, and his opinion was accepted as truth for a long time. He also made important contributions to the study of Russian geography, which was reflected in the coat of arms of the Orenburg region with a Greek-Russian cross and crescent.

In the 20th century, in 1964, Soviet geographers proposed a new border between Europe and Asia, approved at the International Geographical Union in London. According to this border, Orenburg became a European city. Thus, the “Europe - Asia” obelisk installed in Orenburg became more of a symbol of culture and history than a geographical landmark.

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