Regions of Russia - Kaluga 101

Kaluga region (or Kaluzhskaya) is located less than 100km south-west of the capital Moscow and comes right in the center of the European part of Russia.  Well developed and advanced, Kaluga first came into existence in 1944 and has an excellent infrastructure and transport system. The region has been registering encouraging economic growth and happens to be one of the largest educational, scientific and cultural centers of Russia.

Population and language

Kaluga region’s population is nearly 1 million and a total area of the region is 29,777 sq. km. Most of this area is occupied by fields, forests and plains, with various types of fauna and flora. Russian is the most common language in the region while also being the official language.

Climate and landscape

The region’s climate has different seasons. Here, summers are slightly humid and hot, while winters bring moderate cold and constant snow. July is a warmer month with the average temperature reaching nearly +18°C. January tops the clod month when temperatures dip up to - 9°C. The region has 215 to 220 days of warm period, when temperatures remain above zero. Region’s northern part suffers with most cold weather. However, the central part enjoys only moderate cold. The south of Kaluga region has dense forest where the climate remains comparatively warm. Frequent spring frosts are not uncommon for Kaluga region.

Economy:

This is one of the most economically advanced regions in Russia. Big international companies such as Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, GE, Samsung etc run their plants in this region. Automobile manufacturing is a prominent aspect of Kaluga region’s economy.

Tourism

In the Kaluga region, tourism is being developed in many important areas. These aspects include rural tourism, environmental tourism, cultural and educational tours, sporting and even medical and health tourism. Almost one third of the area is covered by its National Park “Ugra”.

There are many historic towns and cities that attract a number of tourists. Some of these places are Borovsk, Tarusa, Maloyaroslavets, Kozelsk, Kaluga, Zhukov, Obninsk and Polotnyanyy Zavod. In Kaluga, the main attraction is the State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics which is Russia (and the world’s) first and largest space museum. 

In this region, many sanatoriums and resorts also offer specialized health and medical tours. These institutions are situated in attractive location such as near lakes, rivers, parks or pine forests, serving dual purpose of tourist destinations as well as providing health care.