SG Heritage Dictionary

Astrakhan [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1913

Of or pertaining to Astrakhan in Russia or its products; made of an Astrakhan skin.

Astrakhan [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

The skin of stillborn or young lambs of that region, the curled wool of which resembles fur.

Astrakhan Encyclopedia Britannica

ASTRAKHAN, a government of European Russia, bounded on the S.E. by the Caspian Sea, N.E. by Orenburg, N. by Saratov, W. by the country of the Don Cossacks, and S.W. by the government of the Caucasus. It lies between lat. 44° 50' and 49° 5 0' N. and between long. 43° 30' and 51° 0' E. It has an area of about 84,948 square miles, divided into two nearly equal parts by the Volga, and. consists chiefly of sandy deserts, interspersed with saline lakes; but in the delta, and on the banks of the rivers, grapes and other fruits of southern climates are raised. The population in 1867 was estimated at 573,954, comprising Russians, Tatars, Georgians, Armenians, Per sians, Hindus, <fcc., who engage in the rearing of horses, cattle, and sheep, and also in fishing for sturgeon, which forms the principal source of the wealth of the government. The vicissitudes of climate are great; with a mean annual temperature of 48° Fahr., the summer averages 70°, and the winter 13° Fahr. The government is divided into four districts: Astrakhan, Krasnoi-Yar, Zenotalesk, and Chemyi-Var. Its capital, Astrakhan, is the only place of much importance....

Astrakhan, the capital of the above government, is situated on a small island in the Volga, about 30 miles above the influx of that river into the Caspian. It is a large, rambling, wood-built city, “dusty in summer, windy in autumn, frozen-up in winter, and knee-deep in mud in spring.” It consists of three parts,—(1.) The Kremlin, or citadel, dating from 1550, which stands on a hill, and contains the cathedral of the Assumption (1582), a spacious brick edifice of peculiar architecture, with the archbishop’s palace, and the convent of the Trinity. (2.) The Belogorod, or white town, containing the government buildings, bazaars, <fcc. (3.) The Llobodeo, or suburbs, where the bulk of the population reside. Astrakhan is the seat of a Greek and of an Armenian archbishop; and, besides a number of Greek and Armenian churches and convents, it contains a Catholic and a Lutheran church, a Hindu temple, and several mosques. Mention may also be made of a botanic garden, bazaars, a theatre, a gymnasium, an ecclesiastical seminary, and several inferior schools. From its favourable position the town enjoys a very considerable trade both with the interior of Russia, and with India, Persia, &c. Besides its importance as a fishing station, it has considerable manufactures of cotton, silk, leather, <fcc. Living is very cheap,—£20 per annum being a fair income for the maintenance of an ordinary family. This city was anciently the capital of a kingdom belonging to the Tatars, who were expelled about 1554 by the Russian prince, Ivan Vassilivich. In 1569 it was besieged by the Turks under Selim, but they were defeated with great slaughter by the Russians. In 1670 it was seized by the rebel Stenko Razin; but in 1671 he was dispossessed of it by his uncle, Jacolof, who remained faithful to the Czar. In 1722, when Peter the Great extended his conquests on the Caspian, Astrakhan was his headquarters. In 1702, 1718, and 1767, it suffered severely from conflagrations, it was plundered by the Persians in 1719, and, in 1830, the cholera swept away a great portion of its inhabitants. Lat. 46° 21' N., long. 47° 55' E. Population estimated at 50,000 or 60,000.

9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 2, p. 738
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