Chuvashia (russian: Чувашия; cv, Чӑваш Ен), officially the Chuvash Republic — Chuvasia,; cv, Чӑваш Республики — Чӑваш Ен is a republic of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

located in

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, wh ...

. It is the homeland of the

Chuvash people The Chuvash people ( , ; cv, чӑваш ; russian: чуваши ) are a Turkic ethnic group, a branch of Oghurs, native to an area stretching from the Volga-Ural region to Siberia. Most of them live in Chuvashia and the surrounding areas, a ...

, a

Turkic Turkic may refer to: * anything related to the country of Turkey * Turkic languages, a language family of at least thirty-five documented languages ** Turkic alphabets (disambiguation) ** Turkish language, the most widely spoken Turkic language * ...

ethnic group. Its

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 fo ...

is the

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...

Cheboksary Cheboksary (; russian: Чебокса́ры, r=Cheboksáry, p=tɕɪbɐˈksarɨ; cv, Шупашкар, ''Şupaşkar'') is the capital city of Chuvashia, Russia and a port on the Volga River. Geography The city is located in the Volga Upland re ...

. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 1,251,619.

Geography

The Chuvash Republic is located in the center of

European Russia European Russia (russian: Европейская Россия, russian: европейская часть России, label=none) is the western and most populated part of Russia. It is geographically situated in Europe, as opposed to the cou ...

, in the heart of the

Volga-Vyatka economic region Russia is divided into twelve economic regions (russian: экономи́ческие райо́ны, ''ekonomicheskiye rayony'', sing. ''ekonomichesky rayon'')—groups of federal subjects sharing the following characteristics: *Common econ ...

, mostly to the west of the

Volga River The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchm ...

, in the

Volga Upland The Volga Upland, also known as the Volga Uplands, Volga Hills, or Volga Plateau, (Russian: Приволжская возвышенность - Privolzhskaya vozvyshennost) is a vast region of the East European Plain in the European part of Russ ...

. It borders with the

Mari El Republic The Mari El Republic (russian: Респу́блика Мари́й Эл, ''Respublika Mariy El''; Meadow Mari: ; Hill Mari: ) is a republic of Russia. It is in the European Russia region of the country, along the northern bank of the Volga R ...

in the north,

Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Nizhny Novgorod Oblast (russian: link=no, Нижегородская область, ''Nizhegorodskaya oblast''), is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Nizhny Novgorod. It has a population of 3,31 ...

in the west, 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 ...

in the southwest,

Ulyanovsk Oblast Ulyanovsk Oblast (russian: Ульяновская область, ''Ul’janovskaja oblast’'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It is located in the Volga Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Ulyanovsk. Popula ...

in the south, and the

Republic of Tatarstan The Republic of Tatarstan (russian: Республика Татарстан, Respublika Tatarstan, p=rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə tətɐrˈstan; tt-Cyrl, Татарстан Республикасы), or simply Tatarstan (russian: Татарстан, tt ...

in the east and southeast. There are over two thousand rivers in the republic—with the major ones being the Volga, the

Sura A ''surah'' (; ar, سورة, sūrah, , ), is the equivalent of "chapter" in the Qur'an. There are 114 ''surahs'' in the Quran, each divided into '' ayats'' (verses). The chapters or ''surahs'' are of unequal length; the shortest surah ('' Al-K ...

, and the Tsivil—as well as four hundred lakes. Some of the Volga River valley reservoirs are in the north of the republic, and the Sura River flows towards the Volga along much of the republic's western boundary. Climate is moderate

continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continent, the major landmasses of Earth * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (a ...

, with the average temperatures ranging from in January to in July. Annual

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hai ...

varies between , but is uneven from one year to another. Natural resources include

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and dr ...

, sand,

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay part ...

sapropel Sapropel (a contraction of ancient Greek words ''sapros'' and ''pelos'', meaning putrefaction and mud (or clay), respectively) is a term used in marine geology to describe dark-coloured sediments that are rich in organic matter. Organic carbon conc ...

deposits,

phosphorite Phosphorite, phosphate rock or rock phosphate is a non-detrital sedimentary rock that contains high amounts of phosphate minerals. The phosphate content of phosphorite (or grade of phosphate rock) varies greatly, from 4% to 20% phosphorus pentoxi ...

, and

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...

. There are

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

and

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon ...

deposits, although their extraction has not yet been commercially pursued. Forests, mostly in the south along the Sura River, cover approximately 30% of the land.

History

The ancestors of the Chuvash were

Bulgars The Bulgars (also Bulghars, Bulgari, Bolgars, Bolghars, Bolgari, Proto-Bulgarians) were Turkic semi-nomadic warrior tribes that flourished in the Pontic–Caspian steppe and the Volga region during the 7th century. They became known as nomad ...

and Suars, Turkic tribes residing in the Northern

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...

in the 5th to 8th centuries. In the 7th and 8th centuries, a part of the Bulgars left for the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

, where, together with local Slavs, they established the state of modern

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 Mac ...

. Another part moved to the Middle Volga Region (see

Volga Bulgaria Volga Bulgaria or Volga–Kama Bulgaria, was a historic Bulgar state that existed between the 7th and 13th centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama River, in what is now European Russia. Volga Bulgaria was a multi-ethnic state ...

), where the Bulgar population that did not adopt Islam formed the foundation of the Chuvash people. During the

Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria The Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria lasted from 1223 to 1236. The Bulgar state, centered in lower Volga and Kama, was the center of the fur trade in Eurasia throughout most of its history. Before the Mongol conquest, Russians of Novgorod ...

, the steppe-dwelling Suar migrated north, where Volga Finnic tribes, such as the

Mordvins 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 Mo ...

and Mari lived. The Chuvash claim to be the descendants of these Suars who assimilated with the Mari. In 1242, they became vassals of the

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fragment ...

. Later

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...

and

Tatar The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

rulers did not intervene in local internal affairs as long as tribute was paid annually to Sarai. When the power of the Golden Horde began to diminish, local Mişär Tatar Murzas from Piana and

Temnikov )Akchurin M.M., Isheev M.R. Temnikov: The Town of a Tümen Commander. The History of Towns of the “Mordovian Peripheries” in the 15th–16th centuries. Zolotoordynskoe obozrenie=Golden Horde Review. 2017. Vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 629–658. DOI: 10. ...

tried to govern the Chuvash area. During

Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584. Iv ...

's war of conquest against the

Khanate of Kazan The Khanate of Kazan ( tt, Казан ханлыгы, Kazan xanlıgı; russian: Казанское ханство, Kazanskoye khanstvo) was a medieval Tatar Turkic state that occupied the territory of former Volga Bulgaria between 1438 and 155 ...

, in August 1552, the Chuvash Orsai and Mari Akpar Tokari princes swore their loyalty to the

Grand Duchy of Muscovy The Grand Duchy of Moscow, Muscovite Russia, Muscovite Rus' or Grand Principality of Moscow (russian: Великое княжество Московское, Velikoye knyazhestvo Moskovskoye; also known in English simply as Muscovy from the Lati ...

at Alatyr on the

Sura River The Sura (russian: Сура́, cv, Сăр, ''Săr'') is a river in Russia, a north-flowing right tributary of the Volga. Its mouth on the Volga is about half way between Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan. It flows through Penza Oblast, Mordovia, Ulyanov ...

. Between 1650 and 1850, the

Russian Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = ru , image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia , abbreviation = ROC , type ...

sent Chuvash-speaking missionaries to try to convert the Chuvash to the Orthodox faith. A group of these missionaries created a written Chuvash language. Most of the Chuvash who stayed in the area became Orthodox Christians, but some remained pagan. On May 15, 1917, the Chuvash joined the

Idel-Ural Idel-Ural ( tt-Cyrl, Идел-Урал, translit=Idel-Üral, russian: Идель-Урал), literally Volga-Ural, is a historical region in Eastern Europe, in what is today Russia. The name literally means ''Volga-Urals'' in the Tatar language. ...

Movement and in December 1917 joined the short-lived

Idel-Ural State The Idel-Ural State ( tt-Cyrl, Идел-Урал өлкәсе, , ), also known as the Volga-Ural State or Idel-Ural Republic, was a short-lived Tatar republic located in Kazan that claimed to unite Tatars, Bashkirs, Volga Germans, and the Chu ...

, when an agreement was reached with

Tatar The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

representatives to draw the eastern border of Chuvashia at the

Sviyaga River The Sviyaga (; tt-Cyrl, Зөя, ''Zöya''; , ''Sĕve'') is a river in the Ulyanovsk Oblast and Tatarstan, a right tributary of the Volga.Russian Civil War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Russian Civil War , partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I , image = , caption = Clockwise from top left: {{flatlist, *Soldiers ...

encompassed the area. This ended with victory for the

Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

. To gain support from the local population, Lenin ordered the creation of a Chuvash state within the

Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

. On June 24, 1920, the

Chuvash Autonomous Oblast Chuvash Autonomous Oblast (''Chuvash labor commune'') ( rus, Чувашская автономная область, r=Chuvashskaya avtonomnaya oblast; cv, Чӑваш автономи облаҫӗ, ''Chăwash avtonomi oblaşӗ'') was an autonom ...

was formed, which was transformed into the

Chuvash ASSR The Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic ( cv, Чӑваш Автономлӑ Совет Социаллӑ Республики, Chăwash Avtonomlă Sovet Sociallă Respubliki; russian: link=no, Чувашская Автономная Со ...

in April 1925.

Administrative divisions

Politics

Until 2012, the Chuvash Republic officially had the status of a state. In the constitution of Chuvashia (version 6 - dated September 13, 2011 No. 46), the following was fixed: "The Chuvash Republic is a republic (state) within the Russian Federation." During the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

period, the high authority in the republic was shared between three persons: The first secretary of the Chuvashia CPSU Committee (who in reality had the biggest authority), the chairman of the oblast Soviet (legislative power), and the Chairman of the Republic Executive Committee (executive power). Since 1991, CPSU lost all the power, and the head of the Republic administration, and eventually the governor was appointed/elected alongside elected regional parliament. The Charter of Republic of Chuvashia is the fundamental law of the region. The

State Council of the Chuvash Republic The State Council of the Chuvash Republic (russian: Государственный Совет Чувашской Республики; cv, Чăваш Республикин Патшалăх Канашĕ) is the regional parliament of Chuvashia, ...

is the republic's

regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

standing legislative (representative) body. The highest executive body is the Republic's Government, which includes territorial executive bodies such as district administrations, committees, and commissions that facilitate development and run the day to day matters.

Demographics

Despite not being large, the republic is one of the most densely populated regions in the Russian Federation. Population: The capital (and largest city) is

(population 464,000 in 2010). Cheboksary is situated mostly on the southern bank of the Volga in the northern part of the republic (one northern bank district was added in the second part of the 20th century), approximately east of

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 ...

. Nearby to the east is the next largest city,

Novocheboksarsk Novocheboksarsk (russian: Новочебокса́рск; cv, Ҫӗнӗ Шупашкар, ''Śĕnĕ Şupaşkar'') is a city in the Chuvash Republic, Russia, located on the southern bank of the Volga River, about east of Cheboksary, the capital of ...

(population 124,000 in 2010).

Settlements

Vital statistics

:Source
Russian Federal State Statistics Service
Note: TFR

Ethnic groups

According to the 2010 Census, ethnic Chuvash make up 67.7% of the republic's population. Other groups include

Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...

(26.9%),

Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

(2.8%),

(1.1%), and a host of smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population.

Genetics

Osteopetrosis Osteopetrosis, literally "stone bone", also known as marble bone disease or Albers-Schönberg disease, is an extremely rare inherited disorder whereby the bones harden, becoming denser, in contrast to more prevalent conditions like osteoporosis, ...

affects 1 newborn out of every 20,000 to 250,000 worldwide, but the odds are much higher in the Russian region of Chuvashia (1 of every 3,500–4,000 newborns) due to genetic traits of the Chuvash people.

Religion

According to a 2012 survey, 64.7% of the population of Chuvashia adheres to the

Russian Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = ru , image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia , abbreviation = ROC , type ...

, 4% are Orthodox Christian believers without belonging to any church or members of non-Russian Orthodox churches, 3% of the population (mostly

Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

) follow Islam, 3% are unaffiliated

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, 1% follow indigenous faiths (''

Vattisen Yaly Vattisen Yaly ( cv, Ваттисен йӑли, ''Tradition of the Old'') is a contemporary revival of the ethnic religion of the Chuvash people, a Turkic ethnicity of Bulgar ancestry mostly settled in the republic of Chuvashia and surroundi ...

'', Chuvash folk religion). In addition, 24% of the population declares to be "

spiritual but not religious "Spiritual but not religious" (SBNR), also known as "spiritual but not affiliated" (SBNA), is a popular phrase and initialism used to self-identify a life stance of spirituality that does not regard organized religion as the sole or most valuable ...

", 1% is

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

and 2.3% follows other religions or did not answer to the question. There is a growing population of Jehovah's Witnesses among the people despite the official ban by the Russian Government. Study of religion is compulsory for schoolchildren in Chuvashia. Of the students, approximately 76.9% are enrolled for Orthodox Studies, 16.0% for Secular Studies, 15.7% for World Religions Studies and 1.4% for Islamic Studies.

Education

There are five higher educational institutions, including the

Chuvash State University I. N. Ulianov Chuvash State University is a public university located in Cheboksary, the capital of the Chuvash Republic, Russia. The university is one of the leading institutions of higher learning in Russia and is the scientific, educational and ...

, the

Chuvash State Pedagogical Institute Chuvash may refer to: *Chuvash people *Chuvash language *Chuvashia (Chuvash Republic), within Russia ** Chuvash Autonomous Oblast (1920–1925), within the Soviet Union ** Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1925–1992), within the Sovie ...

, and the Chuvash State Agricultural Academy located in Cheboksary. These, together with 28 colleges and technical schools, are currently attended by approximately 45,000 students.

Economy

The Chuvash Republic is the most populous and fertile area in the middle

Volga region The Volga Region (russian: Поволжье, ''Povolzhye'', literally: "along the Volga") is a historical region in Russia that encompasses the drainage basin of the Volga River, the longest river in Europe, in central and southern European Russ ...

. There are deciduous woodlands on fertile black earth. In agriculture, wheat and sugar-beet, pigs and beef cattle have become more important than the rye, oats, barley and dairy cattle which are typical for the whole area. The republic is Russia's center for growing

hops Hops are the flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant '' Humulus lupulus'', a member of the Cannabaceae family of flowering plants. They are used primarily as a bittering, flavouring, and stability agent in beer, to wh ...

and is famous throughout the country for its long history of

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cer ...

brewing Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley) in water and fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with yeast. It may be done in a brewery by a commercial brewer, ...

. It is also a major center for electrical engineering, especially in the area of

power transmission Power transmission is the movement of energy from its place of generation to a location where it is applied to perform useful work. Power is defined formally as units of energy per unit time. In SI units: :\text = \frac = \frac Since the deve ...

and

control system A control system manages, commands, directs, or regulates the behavior of other devices or systems using control loops. It can range from a single home heating controller using a thermostat controlling a domestic boiler to large industrial ...

s. Other leading industries are

metalworking Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scale ...

electricity generation Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its delivery ( transmission, distribution, etc.) to end users or its stor ...

, and chemical manufacturing. There are also large timber-working mills at Shumerlin. The largest companies in the region include

Khimprom Novocheboksarsk Khimprom Novocheboksarsk (russian: ПАО «Химпром») is a chemicals-producing company based in Novocheboksarsk, Russia. It is part of Orgsintez Group ( Renova). The Novocheboksarsk Khimprom Production Association is a giant facility whos ...

(revenues of $ million in 2017), Accond (confectionery maker$, million),

Cheboksary Instrument-Making Plant Cheboksary (; russian: Чебокса́ры, r=Cheboksáry, p=tɕɪbɐˈksarɨ; cv, Шупашкар, ''Şupaşkar'') is the capital city of Chuvashia, Russia and a port on the Volga River. Geography The city is located in the Volga Upland ...

($ million),

NPP EKRA NPP may refer to: Politics *National People's Power, Sri Lanka *National Patriotic Party, Liberia *National People's Party (The Gambia) *National People's Party (India), a political party in India founded by PA Sangma *National Peoples Party (Pa ...

(power engineering$, million).

Transportation

The

transport network A transport network, or transportation network, is a network or graph in geographic space, describing an infrastructure that permits and constrains movement or flow. Examples include but are not limited to road networks, railways, air routes ...

in the republic is one of the most developed in Russia. The republic's system of roads, railroads, waterways, and airports closely ties the region with others in and outside of Russia.

Roads

Only four roads in the Chuvash Republic are classified as important federal highways. The most important is Highway M-7, which runs from Nizhny Novgorod through the northern parts of the republic from

Yadrinsky Nikolskoye Yadrinsky (masculine), Yadrinskaya (feminine), or Yadrinskoye (neuter) may refer to: *Yadrinsky District, a district of the Chuvash Republic, Russia *Yadrinskoye Urban Settlement, an administrative division and a municipal formation which the town o ...

via Malye Tyumerli,

Kalmykovo Kalmykovo (russian: Калмыково; ba, Ҡалмыҡ, ''Qalmıq'') is a rural locality (a village) in Badrakovsky Selsoviet, Burayevsky District, Bashkortostan, Russia. The population was 56 as of 2010. There are 2 streets. Geography Ka ...

, Khyrkasy,

Novye Lapsary Novye Lapsary (russian: Новые Лапсары, cv, Çĕнĕ Лапсар, ''Śĕnĕ Lapsar'') is an urban locality (urban-type settlement) under the administrative jurisdiction of Leninsky City District of the town of republican significanc ...

Kugesi Kugesi (russian: Кугеси, cv, Кӳкеç, ''Kükeś'') is an urban-type settlement in Cheboksarsky District, the Chuvash Republic, Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transconti ...

, Shivlinsk,

Staraya Tyurlema Staraya (russian: Старая) is a rural locality (a village) in Krasnoplamenskoye Rural Settlement, Alexandrovsky District, Vladimir Oblast, Russia. The population was 11 as of 2010.Kazan Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: ɑzan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering ...

in the

. It also forms a connection via Chuvashia through the southern suburbs of Cheboksary and Novocheboksary to the

and the

Vyatka Highway Russian route R176 or Vyatka Highway (russian: Федеральная автомобильная дорога P176 «Вятка» ) is a Russian federal highway that runs from Cheboksary to Syktyvkar with a total length 872 km. The name comes ...

. Part of this road is classified as a motorway, the only one in the republic. From Yadrinsky Nikolskoye, the federal road P-178 runs through

Yadrin Yadrin (russian: Я́дрин; cv, Етӗрне, ''Yetĕrne'') is a town and the administrative center of Yadrinsky District of the Chuvash Republic, Russia. Yadrin is located on the left bank of the Sura River, southwest of Cheboksary, the ...

, Shumerlya, Alatyr, to Surskoye in

and further to

Ulyanovsk Ulyanovsk, known until 1924 as Simbirsk, is a city and the administrative center of Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Volga River east of Moscow. Population: The city, founded as Simbirsk (), was the birthplace of Vladimir Lenin (bor ...

. In the eastern part of Chuvashia, the federal road A-151 runs from

Tsivilsk Tsivilsk (russian: Циви́льск; cv, Çӗрпӳ, ''Śĕrpü'') is a town and the administrative center of Tsivilsky District of the Chuvash Republic, Russia, located from the republic's capital city of Cheboksary, at the crossroads o ...

through

Kanash Kanash (russian: Кана́ш; cv, Канаш, ''Kanaş'', lit. ''soviet'') is a town in the Chuvash Republic, Russia, located at a major railway junction from Cheboksary, the capital of the republic. Population: History It was founded in 1 ...

, Komsomolskoye, Chkalovskoye, Karabay-Shemursha, Shemursha to Ulyanovsk and

Saratov Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River upstream (north) of Volgograd. Saratov had a population of 901 ...

. All other roads in Chuvashia are classified as local area roads. Automobiles, trucks, and buses are the major forms of transportation, with the republic ranking fourth in highway density in all of Russia. Cheboksary is situated on one of the main highways of the Russian Federation leading from

to the industrial areas of Tatarstan, the southern

Urals The Ural Mountains ( ; rus, Ура́льские го́ры, r=Uralskiye gory, p=ʊˈralʲskʲɪjə ˈɡorɨ; ba, Урал тауҙары) or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western ...

, and

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part o ...

. A recently completed bridge across the Volga River in the north connects the republic to the developed

Ural Ural may refer to: *Ural (region), in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ural Mountains, in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ural (river), in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ual (tool), a mortar tool used by the Bodo people of India *Ural Federal District, in Russia *Ural econo ...

and

Volga Federal District Volga (Privolzhsky) Federal District (russian: Приво́лжский федера́льный о́круг, ''Privolzhsky federalny okrug'') is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. It forms the southeastern part of European Russia ...

s. To the south, highways connect Chuvashia with Saratov and

Volgograd Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stalingrád, label=none; ) ...

. Extensive public and private bus systems connect all towns within the republic with each other and with the surrounding regions. The standard speed of transportation of

containers A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping. Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...

by road is per day. The average time of delivery from Cheboksary to Moscow is 1.5 days; to

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, 2.5 days; and to

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

, 10 to 15 days.

Railways

The railway network is highly developed, convenient, and accessible year-round. One of the largest railway junctions of Russia –

—is in the center of the republic. Via Kanash, the rail system connects the major towns in Chuvashia with the big industrial centers of eastern

, the

, and Moscow. Express trains are reliable and provide a low-cost, comfortable way to travel. Express trains to and from Moscow are available every day, with the overnight journey taking approximately fourteen hours each way. The following lines serve railway traffic in the Chuvash Republic: *

Arzamas Arzamas (russian: Арзама́с) is a city in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Tyosha River (a tributary of the Oka), east of Moscow. Population: History Arzamas was founded in 1578 by Ivan the Terrible in the lands p ...

-Kanash line * Krasny Usel – Kanash -

Sviyazhsk Sviyazhsk (russian: Свия́жск; tt-Cyrl, Зөя, ''Zöya'') is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, located at the confluence of the Volga and Sviyaga Rivers. It is often referred to as an island since the ...

line *Kanash – Cheboksary II – Cheboksary I – Cheboksary II –

line In addition to these lines, there are of gauge industrial lines running from Altyshevo station, on Alatyr-Kanash section, to Pervomaysky, located just west of Starye Aybesi in Alatyrsky District. All railway lines in Chuvashia are operated by the MPS

Gorky Railway The Gorky Railway (Горьковская железная дорога) is a subsidiary of the Russian Railways headquartered in Nizhny Novgorod (formerly known as Gorky, hence the name). The railway network serves nine federal subjects of the R ...

Division. Steam locomotives were mostly replaced in 1970 by diesel locomotives and when the main

-Kanash-

line was electrified, the diesel locomotives were replaced by electric ones. The Arzamas-Kanash-Sviyazhsk line is a double track main line, while the others are single track lines. The 84 km (52 mi) Sviyazhsk-Kanash section was electrified in 1986, the 142 km (88 mi) Kanash-Sergach section in 1987. In 1967, there were four daily passenger trains in both directions on the Alatyr-Kanash line. One of them was the semifast Sochi-Sverdlovsk-Sochi long-distance transit train, halting only at Alatyr,

Buinsk Buinsk (russian: Буинск) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities * Buinsk, Republic of Tatarstan, a town of republic significance in the Republic of Tatarstan * Buinsk, Ibresinsky District, Chuvash Republic, ...

, and

. Cheboksary was connected by daily semifast passenger train to Moscow. The travel time was 17.30 hours for the 758 km (471 mi) journey. 21 express and passenger trains used the Arzamas-Kanash-Sviyazhsk main line in the summer high season in both directions. Of these, four did not halt in Chuvashia. Most of the remaining semifast trains stopped at Shumerlya, Piner, Burnary, and Kanash. Four pairs of semifast trains also stopped at Tyurmari. In the 1999–2000 timetable, 11 pairs of Moscow-Kanash-Kazan express trains stopped at Kanash. The Chuvashia 53/54 express trains between Moscow and Kanash took 11.23 hours, back 10.57 hours. In addition to Russian gauge railways, there were six narrow gauge railway lines: two short

briquette industry lines at Severny and Sosnovka on the north side of the Volga, and four forest railways at Shumerlya, Atrat and Kirya. All opened in the 1930s. In 1965, their total length was : *Shumerlya-Kabanovo-Rechnoy-Burak-Krasnobar forest railway – total length *Shumerlya-Kumashka-Salantshik-Yakhaykino forest railway – *Kirya-Lesopunkt Lyulya forest railway – *Atrat-Dolnaya Polyana-Lesozavod Gart forest railway – All lines were closed in the economic uncertainty after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Rivers

The

Volga The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchm ...

and

s connect Chuvashia to a national and international water network. To the south,

Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East ...

Astrakhan Astrakhan ( rus, Астрахань, p=ˈastrəxənʲ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in Southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of ...

, the

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad s ...

, and

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, ...

are directly reachable. To the west, the Volga River connects Cheboksary with

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 ...

Yaroslavl Yaroslavl ( rus, Ярослáвль, p=jɪrɐˈsɫavlʲ) is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city is a World Heritage Site, and is located at the confluence ...

, Moscow and the northern regions of Russia. By using river-sea vessels, cargo transportation is possible from Chuvash river ports all the way to

Novorossiysk Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities hono ...

(on the Black Sea),

, and ports situated on the

Danube River The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

. However, the river is frozen from December through April. Cheboksary is a frequent stop on the many boat tours of the Volga.

Air

The international

Cheboksary Airport Cheboksary International Airport ( cv, Шупашкар Аэропорчĕ, ''Shupashkar Aeroporchĕ''; russian: Международный Аэропорт Чебоксары) is a small airport located southeast of Cheboksary, a city in Chu ...

receives both cargo and passenger aircraft of practically all types and sizes. There are regularly scheduled flights to Moscow and other destinations. Additionally, Cheboksary is about a four-hour drive from

Strigino International Airport Strigino Airport (russian: Аэропорт Стригино ) (also referred to as Nizhny Novgorod International Airport (russian: Международный аэропорт Нижний Новгород)) is the international airport servin ...

, the airport primarily serving

, which offers a greater number of flights, including connections through Aeroflot and

Belavia Belavia, formally Belavia Belarusian Airlines ( be, ААТ «Авіякампанія «Белавія»; russian: ОАО «Авиакомпания «Белавиа»), is the flag carrier and national airline of Belarus, headquartered in Minsk ...

Culture

While

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

is the predominant business language, the

Chuvash language Chuvash ( , ; , , ) is a Turkic language spoken in European Russia, primarily in the Chuvash Republic and adjacent areas. It is the only surviving member of the Oghur branch of Turkic languages, one of the two principal branches of the Tur ...

is still spoken by many, especially in the country. The Chuvash language belongs to the Oghur subgroup of the Turkic language group. In ancient times a

runic Runes are the letters in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets native to the Germanic peoples. Runes were used to write various Germanic languages (with some exceptions) before they adopted the Latin alphabet, and for specialised ...

system of writing was used. Chuvashi now uses a modified Cyrillic script that was adopted in 1871. There has been a resurgence of native Chuvash pride, with many people looking back to their Chuvash roots and exploring the culture and heritage and relearning the language. Most building signs, road signs, and announcements are in both Russian and Chuvash. At present Chuvash Republic has six professional theaters: * Chuvash State Opera and Ballet Theater *

Chuvash State Academic Drama Theater Chuvash State Drama K. Ivanov's Theatre (russian: Чувашский государственный драматический театр, cv, Чӑваш патшалӑх драма театрӗ) — is a theatre located in Cheboksary, Chuvash ...

Chuvash State Academic Song and Dance Ensemble Chuvash State Academic Song and Dance Ensemble is a Russian art collective, originally named the Chuvash National Choir. History The team was founded in 1924 by Chuvash professional music composers and choral conductors F.P. Pavlov (1892–193 ...

Chuvash Children's Theater Chuvash may refer to: *Chuvash people *Chuvash language *Chuvashia (Chuvash Republic), within Russia ** Chuvash Autonomous Oblast (1920–1925), within the Soviet Union ** Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1925–1992), within the Sovie ...

Chuvash State Puppet Theater The Chuvash State Puppet Theater (russian: Чувашский государственный театр кукол, cv, Чӑваш патшалӑхӗн пукане театрӗ) is a puppet theater, located in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, Rus ...

Chuvash State Philharmonic Society Chuvash may refer to: * Chuvash people * Chuvash language *Chuvashia (Chuvash Republic), within Russia ** Chuvash Autonomous Oblast (1920–1925), within the Soviet Union ** Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1925–1992), within the So ...

Russian State Drama Theater Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

* Chuvash State Youth Theater *

Chuvash State Experimental Drama Theater Chuvash may refer to: *Chuvash people *Chuvash language *Chuvashia (Chuvash Republic), within Russia ** Chuvash Autonomous Oblast (1920–1925), within the Soviet Union ** Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1925–1992), within the Sovie ...

and over 30 amateur theaters, a Philharmonic Society, an Academic Folk Song and Dance Group, an Academic Choir, a Chamber Orchestra, and some professional concert groups. There are also more than 20 museums, exhibition halls and modern art galleries. *

Chuvash National Museum The Chuvash National Museum in Cheboksary, Russia, is a cultural, educational and research center of the Chuvash Republic. Founded in 1921, it is the largest repository of natural, historical, cultural and theological artefacts of the Chuvash peop ...

. *Art Museum **

Museum of Vasily Chapayev A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

Literature Museum named after K.Ivanov Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to includ ...

Museum and Exhibition Center A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

Culture and Exhibition Center «Raduga» Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...

Chuvash Beer Museum Chuvash may refer to: *Chuvash people *Chuvash language *Chuvashia (Chuvash Republic), within Russia ** Chuvash Autonomous Oblast (1920–1925), within the Soviet Union ** Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1925–1992), within the Sovie ...

Chuvash State Geological Museum Chuvash may refer to: * Chuvash people * Chuvash language *Chuvashia (Chuvash Republic), within Russia ** Chuvash Autonomous Oblast (1920–1925), within the Soviet Union ** Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1925–1992), within the So ...

Museum of Cheboksary A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

**Space Museum **Art Gallery **Contemporary Art Center **Art Gallery «6Х7» Chuvash Republic has more than 565 public libraries, the book collection being over 10 million units. * The Chuvash National Library Monuments of Architecture There are about 627 monuments of architecture in Chuvashia, including 54 of national importance: the Vvedensky Cathedral (1657), the Holy Trinity Monastery (1566), the Salt House, the houses of Chuvash famous merchants (Zeleischikov, Solovtsov, the Efremov family) (18th-19th century) in Cheboksary, the Tolmachev family house and Trinity Cathedral (18th century) in the town of

, the Burashnikov house in the town of

Surhuri Surhuri ( cv, Сурхури) is a Chuvash heathen holiday, and a name designated to Christmas celebrations in areas where traditional paganism was replaced by Christianity. Surhuri is celebrated in winter. The word Surhuri (Upper Chuvash peop ...

( cv, Сурхури) is the Chuvash national

holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or t ...

Sport

Chuvashia, along with

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

, has given some of the best modern race walkers, as Vera Sokolova,

Olimpiada Ivanova Olimpiada Vladimirovna Ivanova (russian: Олимпиада Владимировна Иванова, born 26 August 1970) is a Russian race walker. Her first gold medal was won in the 2001 Edmonton World Championships, where she beat the rest ...

, Yelena Nikolayeva and Vladimir Andreyev. Additionally, the

2008 IAAF World Race Walking Cup The 2008 IAAF World Race Walking Cup was held on 10 and 11 May 2008 in the streets of Cheboksary, Chuvashia, Russia. Detailed reports on the event and an appraisal of the results was given for the IAAF. Complete results were publishe ...

was held in

Creative unions

Union of the Writers of the Chuvash Republic Union of Writers Chuvash Republic (in 1992–2001 – Union of the Chuvash Writers) — The Writers' Union of the Chuvash Republic – public creative organization for writers living in the Chuvash Republic, as well as writers, writing in the Chu ...

Radio

* Chuvash national radio *

Radio of Chuvashia Radio of Chuvashia (russian: Радио Чувашии, cv, Чӑваш радиовӗ) is a Chuvash radio station based in Cheboksary, broadcasting in many Chuvash Republic cities. Director Elena Izhendeeva. Shareholders structure * All-Russia ...

Notes

References

Sources

* * *

External links

* *
Official website of the Chuvash RepublicChuvashia news
(article in Russian)

{{Use mdy dates, date=June 2014 States and territories established in 1925 Members of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization 1925 establishments in the Soviet Union Russian-speaking countries and territories Regions of Europe with multiple official languages

Geography

History

Administrative divisions

Politics

Demographics

Settlements

Vital statistics

Ethnic groups

Genetics

Religion

Education

Economy

Transportation

Roads

Railways

Rivers

Air

Culture

Sport

Creative unions

Radio

See also

Notes

References

Sources

Further reading

External links