Saransk (russian: Саранск, p=sɐˈransk; mdf, Саранск ошсь, Saransk oš; myv, Саран ош, Saran oš) is the

capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...

of the

Republic of Mordovia The Republic of Mordovia (russian: Респу́блика Мордо́вия, r=Respublika Mordoviya, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə mɐrˈdovʲɪjə; mdf, Мордовия Республиксь, ''Mordovija Respublikś''; myv, Мордовия Рес ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, as well as its financial and economic centre. It is located in the

Volga The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length, longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Cas ...

basin at the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

of the Saranka and

Insar River Insar (russian: Инса́р, myv, Инесаро) is a river in the Mordovian republic of Russia. It is a right tributary of the Alatyr. It is 168 km long, with a drainage basin of 3860 km².Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. Saransk was one of the host cities of the official tournament of the

2018 FIFA World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...

History

The Russian

fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

Atemar Atemar (russian: Атемар; myv, Атямарь, ''Atämaŕ'') is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Lyambirsky District of the Republic of Mordovia, Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental coun ...

, founded in 1641, took its name from a nearby

Mordvin The Mordvins (also Unified Mordvin people, Mordvinians, Mordovians; russian: мордва, Mordva, Mordvins (no equivalents in Moksha and Erzya)) is an obsolete but official term used in the Russian Federation to refer both to Erzyas and Moksh ...

village; at the time the fortress stood on the southeastern frontier of the

Tsardom of Russia The Tsardom of Russia or Tsardom of Rus' also externally referenced as the Tsardom of Muscovy, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of Tsar by Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter I i ...

. The current name, "Saransk", refers to the city's situation on the Saranka river. Soon after its founding, the city became an important trade centre 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, which was previously called the Penza Namestnichestvo, but was renamed to Penza Governorate by

Paul I Paul I may refer to: *Paul of Samosata (200–275), Bishop of Antioch *Paul I of Constantinople (died c. 350), Archbishop of Constantinople *Pope Paul I (700–767) *Paul I Šubić of Bribir (c. 1245–1312), Ban of Croatia and Lord of Bosnia *Paul ...

in 1796. On 11 October 1797, the Penza Governorate was divided into several governorates, one of which was the Simbirsk Governorate, which was composed of the Saransk and Insar uezds. By the

ukaz In Imperial Russia, a ukase () or ukaz (russian: указ ) was a proclamation of the tsar, government, or a religious leader (patriarch) that had the force of law. "Edict" and "decree" are adequate translations using the terminology and concepts ...

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome * Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...

, the Penza Governorate was re-established and now was divided into 10 uezds. In 1928 Saransk was the administrative centre of the newly established Mordvin National Okrug, which became the Mordovian Autonomous Oblast in 1930. In 1941 Saransk was near the front line in the Battle of Moscow, but was never reached by the Wehrmacht. Soviet planners reconstructed the old city centre in the 1960s and 1970s, adding wide streets and planning the construction of massive residential areas.

Administrative and municipal status

Saransk is the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

of the Mordovian republic.Constitution of the Republic of Mordovia, Article 109 Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with three work settlements (

Lukhovka Lukhovka (russian: Лу́ховка) is an urban locality (a work settlement) under the administrative jurisdiction of Oktyabrsky City District of the city of republic significance of Saransk in the Republic of Mordovia, Russia Russi ...

, Nikolayevka, and Yalga) and thirteen rural localities, incorporated as the city of republic significance of Saransk—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

.Law #7-Z As a municipal division, the city of republic significance of Saransk is incorporated as Saransk Urban Okrug.Law #114-Z

Climate

Saransk has a relatively chilly version of the

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

( Köppen: Dfb) with warm but not hot summers and cold winters, that averages well below freezing for five months of the year. Transition periods are extremely short and only April and October are between and in mean temperatures.

Industry

Industrial activity in Saransk includes the production of

electrical cables Electrical wiring is an electrical installation of cabling and associated devices such as switches, distribution boards, sockets, and light fittings in a structure. Wiring is subject to safety standards for design and installation. Allowable ...

chemical production A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., wit ...

textile manufacturing Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

food processing Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing includes many forms of processing foods, from grinding grain to make raw flour to home cooking to complex industr ...

machine building Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

, and

metallurgy Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the sc ...

. The city has two thermal power stations. The city has the confectionery plant Lamzur. The most notable industrial enterprises include the Lisma Electrical Factory which employs nearly 12,000 people; the Biokhimik pharmaceutical facility; Rezinotekhnika, a

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...

products manufacturer; cable manufacturer Saranskkabel; and Elektrovypryamitel, which manufactures electronic components and, on a small scale, television sets.

Demographics

Saransk is by far the largest city in Mordovia and accounts for 34.3% of the total population of the republic (as of the 2002 Census). Ethnic Russians form the majority of the population (about 85%), and Russian, rather than any of the two co-official Mordvinic languages, is the common language of communication in the city. As with many provincial capitals in Russia, the population of Saransk decreased after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, primarily as a result of economic migration to larger cities, made especially attractive by the downsizing, or outright collapse, of many smaller, regional, industrial enterprises. The population started to grow again in 2009. Population:

Culture and religion

The Saransk Regional Museum is dedicated primarily to the history of the city, while the Mordovian Museum of Visual Arts has a collection of works by the Russian masters

Stepan Erzia Stepan Dmitrievich Erzia (Nefyodov) (russian: Степа́н Дми́триевич Э́рьзя (Нефёдов); – 24 November 1959) was a Mordvin sculptor who lived in Russia and Argentina. Erzia chose his pseudonym after the native ethnic gr ...

and

Fedot Sychkov Fedot Vasilevich Sychkov (russian: Федот Васильевич Сычков), March 13, 1870, Kochelaevo, Russian Empire – August 3, 1958, Saransk) was a Russian painter. The early years (1870–1900) Fedot Vasilyevich Sychkov was born i ...

. The city is home to the Mordovian State University (founded in 1957) as well as several technical colleges. Saransk has three

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

churches and also a small

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

church ( Finnish Lutheran Church), which was opened in 2005. There are also three mosques. The main cathedral in Saransk is the

Cathedral of St. Theodore Ushakov The Cathedral of St. Theodore Ushakov (russian: Собор Святого Феодора Ушакова) is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in the Saransk, the Cathedral of the Diocese of Saransk and Mordovia. The cathedral is named for Russian sai ...

, the construction of which was completed in 2006. Mordovia Yaushev State Music Theater in Saransk, the capital of Mordovia. It was founded in 1932 by Moscow Academy o
Maly Theatre
. Initially the theatre performed Russian classics, translated into the Mordovian languages, but later they began to adapt the

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

works of national authors for the stage. Saransk has several theatres, including: * The State Russian Drama Theatre, opened on 25 August 1932 and initially called the Mordovian National Theatre * The

Opera and Ballet Theater Opera and Ballet Theatre of Saransk was inaugurated on September 9, 2011 in Saransk within the International forum ''Russia — the sports power''. The Big symphonic orchestra made a speech at opening ceremony of P.I. Tchaikovsky, directed by Vladi ...

, opened on 9 September 2011 * The State Puppet Theater of the Republic of Mordovia * The Mordovia National Drama Theatre, opened in 1932 by the Moscow Academy of Maly Theatre

Sport

Saransk is a major sports center of the Volga region. The city has several large sports facilities, such as the Republican Palace of Sports, Ice Palace, Mordovia Sports Complex, Leonid Arkaev Gymnastics Center, various sports and fitness clubs and gyms. The city territory accommodates two large stadiums: Start and

Mordovia Arena Mordovia Arena (russian: «Мордовия Арена») is a football stadium in Saransk, Mordovia, Russia built for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It hosted FC Mordovia Saransk, prior to their dissolution in 2020 from the Russian Professional Fo ...

. Mordovia has extensive experience as a host to federal and international sporting events. In 2012, Saransk hosted the IAAF World Race Walking Cup, while the city's FC Mordovia Saransk played three seasons in the Russian Premier League against the country's leading football clubs. In 2016, Mordovia was named the most athletic region in the country. The number of locals engaged in regular sports activities is growing and is as of today at 36%. There are over 2100 sports facilities in Saransk. Those include: *

stadium. A stadium that hosted the group matches of the

* Athletics Sports School for Olympic Reserve * Mordovia Sports Complex * Ice Palace of the Republic of Mordovia * Palace of Sports * Olimp Sports Complex * Formula S Sports and Entertainment Complex * Mordovia Tennis Center * Skiing and Biathlon Complex of the Republic of Mordovia * Start Stadium * Palace of Water Sports * Saransk Stadium From 16 to 28 June 2018, Saransk hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Mordovia Arena hosted four group stage matches.

Cityscape and architecture

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 Insar (russian: Инса́р, myv, Инесаро) is a river in the Mordovian republic of Russia. It is a right tributary of the Alatyr. It is 168 km long, with a drainage basin of 3860 km².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. Павшим в боях

As in any other city, Saransk has many monuments. These are some of them: * Monument to Sts.

Cyril and Methodius Cyril (born Constantine, 826–869) and Methodius (815–885) were two brothers and Byzantine Christian theologians and missionaries. For their work evangelizing the Slavs, they are known as the "Apostles to the Slavs". They are credited wit ...

* Monument to

Patriarch Nikon Nikon ( ru , Ни́кон, Old Russian: ''Нїконъ''), born Nikita Minin (''Никита Минин''; 7 May 1605 – 17 August 1681) was the seventh Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' of the Russian Orthodox Church, serving officially from ...

* Monument to

Pugachev Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev (russian: Емельян Иванович Пугачёв; c. 1742) was an ataman of the Yaik Cossacks who led a great popular insurrection during the reign of Catherine the Great. Pugachev claimed to be Catherine ...

* The Monument of Eternal glory * Monument to

Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...

* Monument to Polezhaev * Monument to Heroes-stratonauts * Monument of The Plane * Family Monument The Family Monument is one of the most noteworthy monuments in Saransk. It lies in the center of the city, near the

Cathedral of St. Feodor Ushakov The Cathedral of St. Theodore Ushakov (russian: Собор Святого Феодора Ушакова) is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in the Saransk, the Cathedral of the Diocese of Saransk and Mordovia. The cathedral is named for Russian sai ...

, at the crossroads of Sovietskaya and the Democraticheskaya streets. It was opened in 2008, which was declared the Year of Family in Russia. The author of the monument is sculptor

Nikolai Filatov Nikolai Mikhailovich Filatov (; 24 February 1935) was a scientist born in the Russian Empire in the field of theory of shooting from small arms. Filatov graduated from the Mikhailovskaya Artillery Academy in 1887 and became a teacher at the M ...

. This monument is a symbol of absolute family values, the true foundation of society. The sculpture depicts a life-size large family; the husband with a little child on his shoulders, his pregnant wife, the mother of the children and two more children, holding on to their parents.

Transportation

The municipal transit system of Saransk consists primarily of a network of bus and

trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

lines.

Saransk I railway station Saransk railway station (russian: Саранск-1, Saransk-1) is railway station in the city of Saransk, Republic of Mordovia The Republic of Mordovia (russian: Респу́блика Мордо́вия, r=Respublika Mordoviya, p=rʲɪsˈp ...

is a station on the

Kuybyshev Railway The Kuybyshevskaya Railway (Ку́йбышевская желе́зная доро́га) is a subsidiary of the Russian Railways operating in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Mordovia, Ryazan Oblast, Penza, Tambov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Orenburg, and C ...

. The city has additional stations serving regional railways to

Ruzayevka Ruzayevka (russian: Руза́евка; mdf, Орозай, ''Orozaj''; myv, Оразай ош, ''Orazaj oš'') is a town in the Republic of Mordovia, Russia, located on the Insar River, southwest of Saransk. Population: History The first set ...

and Krasny Uzel. Formerly, Saransk was also served by two daily Penza–

Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət ), colloquially shortened to Nizhny, from the 13th to the 17th century Novgorod of the Lower Land, formerly known as Gork ...

passenger trains, carrying passengers from nearby villages mainly to either

junction station and Penza or to Arzamas and

. There is a daily direct train service with Moscow. The city is served by the small

Saransk Airport Saransk Airport () is an international airport in Mordovia, Russia located 7 km southeast of Saransk. It serves small airliners, but has undergone a major renovation in 2017 in time for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. History Since the second h ...

(IATA: SKX, ICAO: UWPS) southeast of downtown. It is served primarily by small regional carriers; the most common aircraft is the An-24. There are scheduled flights to and from Moscow's Domodedovo airport on weekdays. Saransk is also home to the Lyambir airforce base.

Airport

Saransk is serviced by one international federal airport, the

(IATA: SKX, ICAO: UWPS). In January 2017, the airport was closed for renovation until the end of the year, as Saransk was chosen to serve as a host city to matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. After the renovation, the Airport's runway has been reinforced with asphalt concrete. The airport was expanded with a new permanent terminal with a passenger capacity of 300 people per hour for domestic flights (600 people per hour during the 2018 FIFA World Cup) and a temporary terminal for international flights with a passenger capacity of 360 people per hour. The airport has been cleared to service Boeing 737 CL\NG and Airbus A-319\320\321. In 2018, the airport received its first scheduled flight after the renovation. The international terminal of the Saransk Airport can be reached by car, public transport, or taxi.

Bus service

The airport is linked to the city center by bus No.29. Time of departure from the airport: 07.50; 09.30; 11.20; 12.50; 17.45; 19.45; 23.10. During the game days of the FIFA World Cup, public transportation services for fans will be free of charge. Official shuttles will be running the route from the airport to the Fan Fest venue (Ice Palace).

Private vehicles

The new terminal has two parking lots. Subject to space availability, a free parking area can be used.

City transport

The city of Saransk is serviced by trolleybuses, buses and taxi buses. Trolleybus transportation has existed in the city since 1966 and provides a reliable link to all districts of Saransk. In preparation of the city to the FIFA World Cup, Saransk has upgraded its park of municipal buses and trolleybuses. Taxi buses are operated by private transportation service providers using Russia-made PAZ and GAZ and foreign-made buses. Waiting intervals for some bus routes is 2–3 minutes (during rush hours).

Automobile transport

In preparation for the FIFA World Cup, Saransk has been linked to the airport by a new road; the construction of a new road junction providing access to the airport is currently in progress. The length of the new road to the airport is 3.5 km. The road was partially reconstructed and partially built anew. The total length of the road around Saransk is 17.5 km. The road has two lanes and includes three road junctions, five bridges and four overpasses. The road was built to reduce the traffic in the city center and link the federal highway to regional roads.

International relations

Saransk is twinned with: * Botevgrad,

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

Gorzów Wielkopolski Gorzów Wielkopolski (; german: Landsberg an der Warthe) often abbreviated to Gorzów Wlkp. or simply Gorzów, is a city in western Poland, on the Warta river. It is the second largest city in the Lubusz Voivodeship with 120,087 inhabitants (Decemb ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

* Sieradz, Poland *

Kalinkavichy , nickname = , image_skyline = Kalinkavichy2.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = City street , image_flag = Flag_of_Kalinkavičy.svg , image_shield = Coat_of_Arms_of_Kalinkavičy,_Belarus.svg , image_m ...

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

Notable people

* Mikhail Bakhtin who lived and taught in Saransk between 1949 and 1969. A monument to Bakhtin unveiled in 2015 in the city. *

Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu, CQ (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor, filmmaker, businessman and vineyard owner since 1989 who is one of the most prolific thespians in film history having completed over 250 films since 1967 alm ...

, registered as a resident of Saransk since February 2013 *

Dmitri Samarkin Dmitri Vasilyevich Samarkin (russian: Дмитрий Васильевич Самаркин; born 14 May 1980) is a former Russian professional football player. Club career He played in the Russian Football National League for FC Mordovia Saransk ...

, former professional footballer * Doctor Mike, a Russian-American doctor and YouTube personality

References

Notes

Sources

* * * {{Authority control Populated places established in 1641 17th-century establishments in Russia 1641 establishments in Russia Cities and towns in Mordovia Saransky Uyezd