Описание (английский)
Saransk is the capital city of the Republic of Mordovia, Russia, as well as its financial and economic center. It is located in the Volga basin at the confluence of the Saranka and Insar Rivers, about 630 kilometers (390 mi) east of Moscow.
The Russian fortress Atemar, founded in 1641, took its name from a nearby Mordvin village; at the time the fortress stood on the southeastern frontier of the Tsardom of Russia.
The current name, "Saransk", refers to the city's situation on the
Saranka river. Soon after its founding, the city became an important
trade center for nearby Erzya villagers. After 1708 Saransk was assigned to Azov Province, and later to the Kazan Governorate.
In 1780 the settlement was granted town status and was again transferred, this time to the Penza Governorate. In 1928 Saransk become the administrative center of the newly established Mordvin National Okrug, which became the Mordovian Autonomous Oblast
in 1930. Soviet planners reconstructed the old city center in the 1960s
and 1970s, adding wide streets and planning the construction of massive
residential areas.The city has a large number of buildings remaining from the 17th and
18th centuries; however, many parts of the town are dominated by Soviet
era apartment blocks, dating mainly from the 1960s, similar to other
provincial towns which expanded rapidly due to fast industrialization.
These buildings are nearing the end of their service life and are in
need of serious repair and, in many cases, replacement. Industrial
enterprises are mainly located to the north of the town center. The
eastern part of Saransk, located east of the Insar River, is Posop. An interesting detail is the Soviet era military base, belonging to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is located along the railway lines and serves of a time when Saransk was, effectively, a closed city. Another city landmark is the Saransk TV Tower — a 180-meter-tall guyed tubular steel mast built in 1961.