Saransk is a city in the eastern part of the Central Russia, the capital of the Mordovia Republic.

It stands on the left bank of the Insar River (the basin of Volga), 642 km to the east of Moscow.

It has a big railway station and is a highway junction.

The city with the population of 299 195 people (as of 2014) takes the area of 383 sq km.

History of Saransk

It was founded as a fortress in the southeastern outlying districts of the Russian state on the Atemarsky abatis in 1641. The fortress people, including Cossacks, riflemen and gunners consisted of Russians, Tatars and Mordvinians. The fortress was named Saransk stockade town and stood on the bank of River Insar, in the mouth of River Sarlya (modern Saranka). Its name was derived from the Mordvinian “sara”, meaning “a big sedge bog, a boggy flood plain”, which is true about its geographical conditions.

In 1651 Saransk became a chief district town. In the 18th century it lost its significance as a fortress and was turned into a commercial and industrial town.

It was part of the Azov Province from 1708 and of the Kazan Province from 1719. From 1801 it was attributed to the Penza Province.

Saransk residents gave support to the revolt of Emelyan Pugachyov, who marched into the city in 1774.

In 1856 the district city of Saransk had 16 churches, 1525 houses, and 54 shops.

The railroad Moscow - Sasovo - Kanash - Kazan was laid through Saransk in 1893.

Saransk was the center of the Mordovian national district from 1928. In 1934-90 it was the capital of the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

During the Great Patriotic War (1941-45) Saransk harboured military hospitals and military industries.

In 1958 the Settlement of Posop (6.2 thousand people, 1939) was included into Saransk.

Places of Interest

Saransk has the Museum of Local Lore, the Fedot Sychkov Art Gallery (named after the art student of Ilya Repin) and the Stepan Erzia Sculpture Museum.