Ryazan (Russian: Рязань, IPA: [rʲɪˈzanʲ] ; also Riazan) is the largest city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, 196 km (122 mi) southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Census, Ryazan had a population of 524,927, making it the 33rd most populated city in Russia, and the fourth most populated in Central Russia after Moscow, Voronezh, and Yaroslavl.
An older city, now known as Old Ryazan (Russian: Старая Рязань, romanized: Staraya Ryazan), was located 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of modern-day Ryazan during the late Middle Ages, and served as capital of the Principality of Ryazan up until the Mongol invasion in 1237. During the Siege of Ryazan, it became one of the first cities in Russia to be besieged and completely razed to the ground. The capital was subsequently moved to Pereyaslavl-Ryazansky (Russian: Переяславль-Рязанский), and later renamed to Ryazan by order of Catherine the Great in 1778.
