State Duma passed a bill on renaming Rostov to Rostov the Great

The State Duma has approved a bill to return the city of Rostov in Yaroslavl Region to its historical name - Rostov the Great. The document was adopted on December 17 in the second and third readings.

The draft law was introduced by deputies of the Yaroslavl Regional Duma. In the explanatory note they drew attention to the fact that we are talking about the name, which is "widely known in the past and present".

The authors of the document noted that Rostov the Great was first mentioned in chronicles as early as 862, and later - in the annals of the XII century and Ipatiev Chronicle of the late XIV - early XV centuries. In addition, this name was common in public usage.

It was pointed out that the proposal to rename the city was repeatedly made by the public, and in 2023 this initiative was supported by the majority of about 14 thousand residents surveyed.

The bill to rename Rostov to Rostov the Great was introduced in late August. Then the initiative was supported by the government, and on November 26 it was adopted in the first reading.

Mikhail Myagkov, scientific director of the Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO), professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and historian, told Izvestia that the renaming was long overdue. In his opinion, the new name of the city will emphasize its cultural and historical significance for the country.