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Republic of Mordovia (13 rus), center — Saransk. It is situated
in the center of the European part of Russian Federation, in the basin of
River Volga. The Western part is flat (part of Don-Oka Plain);
the Eastern part contains many hills and ravines. About a quarter of the
area is occupied by woods — mixed and broad-leaved trees. The South
is in forest-steppe. Principal rivers: Moksha (left tributary of River Oka) and
Sura (left tributary of River Volga).
Official languages of
the Republic are Russian and two Mordovian languages — Moksha and Erzya.
A third part of the population of the Republic, about three hundred thousands,
are Mordovians — Moksha and Erzya. The total Mordovian population is about a
million, of this number two thirds are Erzya and one third are Moksha. Besides
Republic of Mordovia, other places of compact Mordovian settlements are republics of
Tatarstan, Bashkiria, Chuvashia, and also Nizhny Novgorod, Ul'yanovsk, Samara,
Penza, and Orenburg regions. The two Mordovian languages are close to each other
and belong to the Volga group of Finno-Ugric family of languages.
This means they are as close to Estonian and Finnish as say English
to Spanish. The closest relative is Mari language. In their turn, Moksha and Erzya
languages are split into a big number of dialects. Both are written on the basis
of Cyrillic script, a number of newspapers are published, TV and radio broadcasting
is performed. Both Moksha and Erzya made it to the UNESCO list of endangered languages.
The number of native speakers is currently shrinking. Almost all Mordovians are
Russian Orthodox, even though pagan pre-Christian beliefs preserved till the
beginning of 20th century.
Finno-Ugric tribes populated the area of modern Western, Northern, and Central
Russia since prehistory. The archaeological sources related to Mordovians are
traced from the 1st millennium BC. Mordovians are first mentioned by the Byzantine
bishop Jordan (6th century); in Russian sources, Mordovians are mentioned from 11th
century. In 10th century Moksha (in the South of modern Republic of Mordovia) and
Erzya (in the North) paid tribute to
Khazar Empire, and
in 11th—13th centuries formed a state known in Russian chronicles as Purgas
Volost', with the center of modern day Arzamas. The Moghol troops of
Batu Khan
also conquered Mordovian lands, for which purpose they had to organize three raids.
Mordovians had to pay tribute to Tartars, and then were annexed by Russia
(Western lands — in 1389, Eastern lands — in 1489). In 1536 Temnikov
— the first town in Mordovian lands — was founded. Until 17th century,
Mordovian lands were at the frontier and required a constant attention. Only in 1722
Mordovians started to get drafted to the army, and later forcible christianization
began. Mordovian lands were first a part of Azov Governorship, then Kazan'
Governorship, and after the next administrative reform (performed by
Catherine the Great) in 1775 were split between Simbirsk, Penza, and Tambov
Governorships. In 1928, Mordovian statehood appeared — a Mordovian District
with the center of Saransk was formed as a part of Middle Volga Region. In 1930,
the district was transformed to Mordovian Autonomous Region, since 1934 —
Mordovian Autonomous Republic, since 1994 — Republic of Mordovia. In 20th
century, Mordovia became infamous as an area with the high concentration of prison
camps (Dubravlag, the center in the settlement of Yavas). Already in Soviet times,
even official censuses showed the decline in Mordovian population (one of just five
ethnic groups), mostly because of the broad area they occupied, which facilitated
assimilation. The situation naturally did not improve since 1991. Currently, the
state stimulation to study Mordovian language is basically non-existent.
The republic is transited by principal railway lines, which have a node in
Ruzaevka: directions to Moscow, Samara, Ul'yanovsk, Kazan', Cheboksary, and
Nizhny Novgorod. Federal highway M5 Moscow - Samara.
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Ardatov — founded in 1624 as a village;
later, it became a fortress in the fortification line
between Moscow and the Great Steppe — so called Big Barrier Line.
It got the status of the town in 1780.
- Historical center preserves buildings from 18th — beginning of 20th
centuries. Nikol'skaya Tserkov'
(St. Nicholas Church).
- Ardatov Regional Museum: ethnography; applied arts; history of the town and the
district.
- Picturesque location on the bank of River Alatyr'.
Not to be confused with the town of the same
name in Nizhny Novgorod Region.
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Andreevka —
Troitskaya Tserkov'
(Trinity Church, 1751).
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Baevo — Museum-house of
sculptor Stepan Er'zya. Exposition on Erzya's life; Mordovian applied arts.
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Turgenevo —
Kazanskaya Klyuchevskaya Pustyn'
(Monastery of Kazan' Icon of Virgin, 1751).
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Vedyantsy (Ichalkovsky District) —
wooden Bogoyavlenskaya Tserkov'
(Epiphany Church, 1892).
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Chamzinka — Chamzinka Regional Museum:
history.
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Pochinki (Bol'shie Berezniki District)
— Petropavlovskaya Tserkov'
(St. Peter and St. Paul Church, 1861).
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Russkie Dubrovki (Atyashevo District)
— wooden Tserkov' Kos'my i Damiana
(St. Cosmas and St. Damian Church) in Russian-Byzantine style
(1897).
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Forests on the left bank of River Sura and
Lake Inerka (Bol'shie Berezniki District).
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Dubenki — Dubenki regional museum:
History and nature.
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Cheberchino — architectural
ensemble of the center of the village (18th — 19th centuries).
Includes brickstone Kazanskaya Tserkov'
(Church of Kazan' Icon of Virgin), Tserkov'
Arkhistratiga Mikhaila (Church of St. Michael), and a mausoleum.
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Insar — founded 1648 as a fortress in
the fortification line between Moscow and the Great Steppe — so called Big
Barrier Line. A district town from 1780; during the Soviet times,
downgraded to a village; town again from 1958.
- Insar regional museum: History; famous natives of the district;
exposition devoted to the pilots of the stratospheric balloon
Osoviakhim-1 who set a world height
record here in 1934 and were killed during the descent.
- Forests on the right bank of River Issa.
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Yazykova Pyatina —
Bogoyavlenskaya Tserkov'
(Epiphany Church, 1770).
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Kovylkino (Voskresenskaya Lashma + Arapovo).
The village of Verkhnyaya Lashma appeared in 17th century. In 1892, after the
railroad construction, the settlement Arapovo (named after a land proprietor
who started the construction) was founded next to the railway station.
In 1919 this settlement was renamed to Kovylkino after a bolshevik. In
1960, the settlement and the village merged and the town of Kovylkino
appeared.
- Arapov estate — architectural ensemble of the beginning of
19th century.
- Kovylkino Regional Museum: Ethnography; applied arts; painting and
sculpture; history.
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Kochelaevo — museum-house
of artist Fedot Sychkov.
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Krasnoslobodsk — founded 1571 or in 1627
as Krasnaya Sloboda; town from 1780.
- Remains of the town building of 18th — beginning of 20th centuries.
- Sevost'yanov House and Muromtsev House at Sovetskaya Ploshhad' (both from
the beginning of 19th century).
- Former female Uspensky monastery (architectural monuments from
18th — 19th centuries).
- Krasnoslobodsk District Regional Museum.
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El'niki — regional museum.
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Kamenny Brod (El'niki District)
— Pokrovskaya Tserkov'
(Intercession Church, 1784).
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Spaso-Preobrazhensky (Transfiguration of
Our Saviour) Monastery (settlement of Uchkhoz)
— architectural ensemble from the end of 18th century.
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Mordovian State Reserve — protection of
connifer (pine-tree), mixed and broad-leaved forests, forest-steppe,
and karst lakes in the basin of River Moksha.
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Ruzaevka — founded 1631; before the 1917
October revolution was a village; town from 1937. A big railway hub.
- Tserkov' Rozhdestva Bogoroditsy
(Church of the Nativity of the Virgin);
- Ruzaevka Regional Museum: historical exposition.
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Paygarma —
Voznesensky (Ascension) female Monastery
(founded 1865).
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Yakovshchina —
Znamenskaya Tserkov'
(Church of the Sign, 1792).
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Saransk — founded 1641 as a fortress at the
Eastern border of Russia, then developed as an industrial city. In 19th century
burned to the ground three times, last time in 1869.
- Remains of the old town building from the end of 19th — beginning of 20th
centuries;
- Historical monuments related to
Pugachev uprising:
the house where Pugachev was received on entering Saransk; Pugachev's tent.
- Tserkov' Ioanna Bogoslova
(Church of St. John the Evangelist, 1693);
Nikolaevskaya Tserkov'
(St. Nicholas Church, 1735); Trekhsvyatskaya Tserkov'
(Church of the Three Saints, 1765); Predtechenskaya
Tserkov' (Church of St. John the Baptist, 1775);
Troitskaya Tserkov' (Trinity Church, 1771);
Nikol'skaya Tserkov'
(St. Nicholas Church, 1838).
- Makarovsky Pogost (end of 17th — beginning of 19th century) —
male Ioanno-Bogoslovsky (St. John the Evangelist)
monastery, and the former Polyansky family estate with a landscape park.
- Mordovian Republican regional museum: Archaeology, ethnography, pre- and
post-1917 history, nature expositions.
- Museum of Mordovian folk culture: Archaeology and Mordovian ethnography
(traditions, celebrations).
- Stepan Erzya Mordovian Republican Art Museum. Expositions: Russian art of
18th — 20th centuries; professional and folk Mordovian art; a collection
of works of expat sculptor Stepan Erzya.
- Museum of Great Patriotic War 1941—1945.
- Zoo.
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Atemar — remains of Atemar
Rampart, which was a part of the Big Barrier Line.
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Smol'ny National Park — protection all
kinds of woods, bogs, sandy banks and dunes of River Alatyr'. Lakes Dubovye.
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Temnikov — founded in 14th century as a fortress;
in 1536 moved to the actual place; town from 1779.
- Architectural monuments of 18th — 20th centuries.
- Administrative buildings of 18th — 19th centuries, Kommunisticheskaya ulitsa:
Town administration, town basic college; district college; trade building.
- Uspenskaya Tserkov'
(Assumption Church, 1827).
- Fyodor Ushakov Temnikov regional and historical museum: History; ethnography;
nature; a room devoted to admiral Fyodor Ushakov.
- Museum-house of composer Leonid Voinov.
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Atyur'evo —
Pokrovskaya Tserkov' (Intercession Church).
A good sample of a big Moksha village.
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Karst lake Endovishche
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Sanaksar Monastery three kilometers
downstream River Moksha from Temnikov. Founded 1659. The monastery
ensemble sates from 18th — 19th centuries. The wall contains the
tomb of Admiral Ushakov, who is honored as a saint. Another saint resting in
the monastery is Feodor of Sanaksar, which makes the Sanaksar Monastery an
important center of pilgrimage.
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Shoksha (Ten'gushevo District) —
Nikol'skaya Tserkov'
(St. Nicholas Church, 1830).
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Tyuveevo — mosque (1913).
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Torbeevo — Museum-house of pilot Mikhail
Devyataev, who is famous for his escape with an airplane from the Nazi
concentration camp.
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Mal'tsevo —
Rozhdestvenskaya Tserkov'
(Nativity Church, 1796).
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Forests of River Vad valley and
Lake Imerka (Zubova Polyana District).
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Zhuravkino (Zubova Polyana District) —
wooden church from 19th century.
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Republic of Mordovia
English:
- Fishes of Mordovia by Oleg Artaev.
Fishes, rivers, and lakes. Russian version is more complete.
Russian:
Mordovian ethnos and languages
English:
Russian:
Resources for individual attractions
This is a provisional list. The references will eventually be relegated
to the pages describing individual attractions.
Russian:
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