Located on the East European Plain the plain gradually gives way to the Smolensk Uplands in the western and northwestern parts of the region and the Central Russian Uplands in the eastern part. Scenic plains with numerous rivers and lakes bordered with spruce, pine, oak, and birch groves form the landscape of Kaluga Region.

The region is part of the Central Federal District and is in a very convenient and favorable location owing to the well-developed transportation network. Kaluga city was occupied by the Nazi armies in 1941 and the region was formed on July 5, 1944 after liberation. The largest cities are Kaluga (the regional capital), Obninsk, Lyudinovo, Kirov, and Maloyaroslavets. The region has a mainly urban population of around 1.1 million people.

Russia’s largest scientific research complex is located in Kaluga Region in the 50-year old city of Obninsk, as the site of the world’s first nuclear power plant. The research and development work carried out in the laboratories of Obninsk provides a solid basis for the development of hightech industries.

Kaluga Region has a mild continental climate with an average January temperature over 5°C and an average July temperature over 18°C.

Kaluga was founded in the mid-14th century as a border fortress on the southwestern borders of the Muscovy. It was first mentioned by its present name in 1371. In the Middle Ages, Kaluga was a minor settlement owned by the Princes Vorotynsky.

Life in Kaluga Region has been traced to the 15th to 13th centuries B.C. Tribes of Balts and Ugrians later occupied these lands before being conquered by Slavic tribes in the 8th and 9th centuries A.D. For several centuries after the founding of the Muscovite state, Kaluga’s soldiers barred the way to conquerors and defended the borders. These lands were the location of fierce battles against the Tatar-Mongol horde.