Novocherkassk is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located near the confluence of the Tuzlov and Aksay Rivers, the latter a distributary of the Don River. Novocherkassk is best known as the cultural capital of the Cossacks, and as the official capital of the Don Cossacks. Population: 168,746 (2010 Russian census); 170,822 (2002 Census); 187,973 (1989 Soviet census).

Rostov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia, located in the Southern Federal District. The oblast has an area of 100,967 square kilometers (38,984 sq mi) and a population of 4,200,729, making it the sixth most populous federal subject in Russia. Its administrative center is the city of Rostov-on-Don, which also became the administrative center of the Southern Federal District in 2002.