Saratov is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River. As of the 2021 Census, Saratov had a population of 901,361, making it the 17th-largest city in Russia by population. Saratov is 389 kilometres north of Volgograd, 442 kilometres south of Samara, and 858 kilometres southeast of Moscow.