Make Rostov Great Again! A bill enshrining the city's colloquial name has been submitted to the State Duma.

Initiative about renaming Rostov в Rostov the Great "reached the final stage."

«This is a historically just decision. Rostov is one of the most ancient cities in the country, and for us it has always been and remains Great.", says the governor of the Yaroslavl region Mikhail Evraev.

Activists fought for several decades to secure the "Great" status in the name. Voting began in Rostov last June, and signature collection began in August.

«The renaming process will not entail any financial costs for city residents. There will also be no need to immediately replace documents, forms, incorporation documents, signs, or road signs.", the mayor of Rostov assured then Sergey Tikhomirov.

Fourteen thousand people took part in the city's "referendum"—almost half of Rostov's residents. Fifty-eight percent of Rostov residents over the age of 14 voted in favor of the name change. comments from the mayor's social media:

“I always knew about Rostov the Great, and this title had to be earned; it wasn’t awarded to just anyone,” “Rostov will be Great.”

But there are also those who are dissatisfied: "Well, make it Great! And not like after the bombing: so many houses damaged by fires, simply destroyed. There are still no bus stops." "It's shameful for such a dirty, unkempt, dilapidated city. The streets, the embankment, the lake—everything is in terrible condition. Tourists asked yesterday, 'Why is it so bad?' And there's no answer."

The first mentions of the city are found in the Tale of Bygone Years and date back to 862. The Yaroslavl Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church notes that Rostov was called "Velikiy Rostov" in chronicles dating back to the 10th century. The name became established in the mid-19th century, but has survived to this day only in colloquial form.

Make Rostov Great Again?