There are many ancient towns, the names of which are well-known to everyone in our country. But most people who are not sophisticated in history or geography do not even know where they are. This applies to the Russian city of Saransk. In what area this ancient settlement is located, few know.
Where is geographically located
Saransk is located almost in the center of the European part of Russia. Geographically - in the forest-steppe zone. It was once built on the banks of the river. Locusts. Hence its name. The river was later renamed Insar. But the city retained its name. The distance between Saransk and Moscow is 513 km. To Samara in a straight line from it 300 km. Penza is located 110 km from this town.
Saransk: what area
At different times, this ancient city belonged to different provinces. Once it was part of Kazan, Simbirsk, Azov, Penza. Today Saransk is the capital of Mordovia. In addition to him, in this republic there are 7 more cities, 13 urban settlements and 1250 villages.
Getting to Saransk by any kind of modern transport is easy. The city is also a major railway junction. Direct routes connect it with many other significant settlements of Russia. For example, with Moscow, Samara and Orenburg.
Also in Saransk there is an international airport. Flights from here are carried out mainly to the central regions of the country, to the Urals and to the Black Sea resorts.
If you wish, it will be easy to get to Saransk with your own car. What region the city of Saransk belongs to today, the reader now knows. It is located in Mordovia and stands at the intersection of two highways of federal significance - P158 and P178. The only drawback of the location of Saransk is that it is located quite far from the M5 highway leading to Moscow - 180 km.
A bit of history
Saransk was founded by archers and Cossacks in 1641 as a fortress. The main purpose of its construction was to protect the central regions from attacks by all kinds of nomadic tribes. Later, a posad was built near the fortress. The first inhabitants of Saransk were not in poverty. The land in the vicinity of this city was fertile and yielded good crops. In the local forests, there were many animals. Therefore, the posad quickly became attractive to other settlers. The village began to grow rapidly and eventually turned into a town.
In 1651, Posad became a county center. In 1774, its inhabitants supported Pugachev, who was going to Moscow after the capture of Orenburg. Moreover, the connection with the rioters was then almost a "traditional" thing for the city. In 1670, he was one of the strongholds of the troops of Stepan Razin.
In 1780, Saransk received city status. It became the center of the Mordovian district much later, after the revolution - in 1928. During the Second World War, the city enterprises produced ammunition, uniforms and vehicles for the front. Also, several military units were formed here, hospitals and orphanages operated. 8 thousand sarans were killed on the fronts of the war.
Administrative division
Thus, the answer to the question of Saransk - which area is understandable. The city is located in Mordovia and is its capital. For living, this ancient village is quite convenient. It will not be difficult for a guest to navigate it. Currently, Saransk is divided into three large areas:
Proletarian.
Leninist.
October.
As part of the municipal arrangement, it forms the urban district of Saransk, whose subordination includes 3 towns and 13 villages.
Population
According to statistics, by 2017, 314,389 people are living in Saransk. The demographic situation here is considered relatively stable. Such a serious outflow of the population, as in other provincial towns, is not observed here. But at the same time, the number of visitors is growing very slowly. For example, in 2016, 307698 people were officially registered in the city.
In what area the city of Saransk is located today, we found out. This is the Republic of Mordovia. However, oddly enough, the bulk of the population in the city - almost 2/3 - are Russians. Also, a lot of Erzyans and Mokshans (branches of the Mordovian ethnic group) live here. Another rather large group of the population are Tatars. There are no any ethnic conflicts in Saransk. The only thing is that there is a small Mordovian organization that considers Russian oppressors and even publishes its own newspaper.
Education, Culture and Economics
To date, there are one university in Saransk, three universities, a branch of the liberal arts academy, several colleges, technical schools and schools. Saransa do not stand aside from cultural life. There are five theaters in the city alone. Also in the territory of Saransk there is a cultural center named after Gerard Depardieu. Of course, there are cinemas, museums and libraries in the city.
sights
So, in what area Saransk in Russia is located today, it is clear. It is located in Mordovia. Of course, there are many interesting places in this ancient city. Guests of Saransk, if they wish, can visit, for example, the Pugachevsky Places complex, the temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the memorial complex of soldiers who fell in the Second World War, and visit many interesting monuments.
Instead of a conclusion
In what area of Russia Saransk should be sought if necessary, the reader now knows. Mordovia is a small republic. However, the population is friendly, and the nature is very beautiful. Judging by the reviews, Saransk itself is a clean and comfortable enough place to live. So, to visit this city as a tourist is definitely worth it. Yes, and as a permanent place of residence for those who want to move, Saransk will do very well.