The City of Taganrog was founded by the Russian emperor Peter I on 12 September 1698.

Taganrog is located on the northern coast of the Azov Sea - 50 km from the place of confluence of the Don River into the sea.

Peter I was the first to recognize the value of geopolitical location of Taganrog. In 1696, after Turkish Azov had been captured, the future Emperor with his suite has landed their Cossack boats to the wide abrupt cape. Peter looked for an appropriate place to start the construction of the Russian fleet in the south.