Tula travel guide

Tula is the largest city and the administrative center of Tula Oblast in Russia, located 193 kilometers (120 mi) south of Moscow. Tula is located in the northern Central Russian Upland on the banks of the Upa River, a tributary of the Oka.

Older than Moscow, primarily the city was a major outpost of nomads. In 1503, when it became a part of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy and its southern fort, a brick-walled kremlin was built. In 1552, the city withstood the 30,000-people-strong siege of Khan Devlet Geray. In the beginning of the 16th century, it was an epicenter of the Time of Troubles. In 1712, Peter the Great ordered the establishment of a modern weapons factory, spurring development of a great industrial ironworking center, which is still Tula's main fame.