Voronezh > Voronez Voronezhskaya Oblast Russia

Voronezh, situated along the right bank of the Voronezh River above its confluence with the Don in western Russia, is founded in 1585 or 1586 as a fortress by Feodor and Gudonov as a fort protecting the Russian state from the raids of Crimean and Nogay Tatars.

Russia’s Tsar Peter, undissuaded by his failure to invest the Turkish-held city-fortress of Azov, builds a fleet at Voronezh at the urging of his Swiss-Scottish friend Franz Lefort (1656-99), an officer in the Russian service.