Yelabuga is a Russian city (since 1780), the administrative center of the Yelabuga municipal district of Tatarstan, a part of the polycentric Nizhne-Kamsk (Naberezhnye Chelny) agglomeration.

Yelabuga is one of the oldest settlements of Tatarstan with a 1000-year history. It celebrated its millennium in 2007.

The city buried in verdure with a panoramic view of churches and ancient stone mansions is a paragon of merchant architecture of the 19th century, which has preserved its unique outlook and landscape. It stands amidst forests on the high right bank of Kama River, 200 km to the east of Kazan, the capital city of the Tatarstan Republic.

The city with the population of 73 333 people (as of 2016) takes the area of 41,1 km². The population consists of the Russians (51,7 percent), Tatars (42,6 percent), Maris (0,2 percent), Chuvashs (1,0 percent), Udmurts (0,8 percent) and representatives of other nationalities (3,7 percent).

A large industrial center, it is dynamically developing thanks to one of Russia's very first special economic zones of the industrial and production type, Alabuga.

Blossoming of Yelabuga as an architectural complex fell on the second half of the 19th century. Heavy fire in August, 1850 burned more than 500 wooden houses to ashes; the construction of stone buildings that have come down to us was started afterwards. The streets Naberezhnaya, Pokrovskaya, Spasskaya, and Kazanskaya present a whole range of most interesting mansions, educational institutions, shops. Famous merchants once lived in these streets. The unique in integrity 19th century landscape planning of Yelabura is combined with a great number of its historical and cultural monuments.

Sightseeing:

*The Vernicle Cathedral consecrated in 1821 is the biggest church of Yelabuga. Famous artists, namely Osokin, the Vereshchagin Brothers, and Bruni participated in painting its frescoes.

*Yelabuga Kazan Bogoroditsa Monastery of 1856;

*Naberezhnaya Street built according to the design plan of 1780 — 1784, on the high bank slope of River Toyma is is the main "facade" of Yelabuga strengthened with large architectural gems of Spassky Cathedral and St. Nicholas Church.

*Building of Eparchial Women's School (1903) in "the Vyatka baroque" style is one of the city's dominants.

Yelabuga is associated with lots of famous people. The renowned artist Ivan Shishkin was born here and often visited Yelabuga, in the vicinities of which a number of his paintings were made, including the most well-known of them. Some of these paintings are kept in the Shishkin House Museum.

Marina Tsvetaeva Museum and N. A. Durova's Memorial Estate are also located in Yelabuga.

The scientist-neuropsychiatrist V. M. Bekhterev (1857 — 1927) was born and grew up in the Yelabuga County, whih harbours his museum now.