Orenburg

 city, capital city of state/province/region, district center

Orenburg (Russian: Оренбу́рг, pronounced [ɐrʲɪnˈburk]), formerly known as Chkalov (1938–1957), is the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies in Eastern Europe, on the banks of the Ural River and is 1,478 kilometers (918 mi) southeast of Moscow. Population: 542,700 (2005 est.).

The colonists originally founded a settlement in 1735 at the confluence of the Ural River with the Or River. The town's name meant "fortress near the Or," as Burg is German for fortress.

The famous Russian writer Alexander Pushkin visited Orenburg in 1833 during a research trip for his books "The History of Pugachev" and his famous novel "The Captain's Daughter".
From 1938 to 1957, the city bore the name Chkalov (after the test pilot Valery Chkalov)

Mountain and river tourism is developed in the region. There are a number of fast mountain rivers and rocks in pleated spurs of the southern edge of the Urals range, popular with tourists.