Taganrog (Таганро́г, təgʌnˈrok) is a seaport city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the north shore of Taganrog Bay (Sea of Azov), a few miles west ot the mouth of the River Don. Population: 279,000 (2005 est.); .
The first Russian Navy base, Taganrog was officially founded by Peter I The Great on September 12, 1698.
In 1984, the city was mentioned in the Mashina Vremeni song Razgovor v Poezde (Conversation in the Train). In 2006, the city was mentioned in the Aquarium (group)'s song The Meaning of All Existing Things (O Smisle Vsego Sushevo) from the album Bespechniy Russkiy Brodyaga(Carefree Russian Wanderer).
Numerous Russian and international aristocrats, politicians, artists, and scientists were born and/or have lived in Taganrog. Taganrog is the native city of Anton Chekhov, Faina Ranevskaya, Sophia Parnok, Alexandre Koyré and Dmitri Sinodi-Popov; names of Russian emperors Peter I of Russia and Alexander I of Russia; Cornelius Cruys, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Konstantin Paustovsky, Nestor Kukolnik, Achilles Alferaki, Ioannis Varvakis, Sergei Bondarchuk and many other famous people are brought in mind when Taganrog is named.
Roman Zver, the lead singer of Zveri, a popular band, is from Taganrog.
The area around Taganrog has a large industrial potential, a diversified agricultural industry, production plants and a modern infrastructure. The location of Taganrog on the intersection of traffic routes and the seaport facilitate access to the emerging CIS markets.
Taganrog's main trading partners are: CIS countries, South Korea, Turkey, Italy, Greece and Egypt.