planted, according to legend, by order of Peter the Great. In general, in Vasilsursky, Kozmodemyansky, Yadrinsky and Tsivilsky districts, extensive state-owned forests survived, the care of which began with Peter the Great, who instructed the foreigners Zanger and Valentin to clear the local oak groves and plant new ones. Now the role of these foreigners is performed by the Kazan Department of State Property; that the role is played very well is proven by the fact that the forest of the Kazan province, with an area of 1? mil. tithes, give the treasury a net annual income of up to 1'/3 mil. rubles is a price that no province, even richer in resources than Kazan, reaches.
As for the city of Vasilsurek itself, it cannot be recommended to tourists, even for a short stop; except for one thing, as G.P. Demyanov quite wittily notes: anyone who wants to be convinced of the existence of the “fifth verse” - simply put, impassable mud - can be recommended to look in rainy weather at the road leading from the shipping offices to the city, and at the palestine surrounding the very offices, with the exception of Merkurievskaya.
About four versts from Vasilsursk in extremely beautiful terrain, on the right bank of the Sura, the Cheremis Monastery is located; It’s worth going there, hiring horses to the city, if only for the purpose of admiring the charming area, among which the path to the monastery lies.
Beyond Vasilsursk the country of Cheremis and Chuval begins; The latter are grouped mainly on the right bank of the Volga, and the Cheremis on the left meadow bank; Interspersed with Tfmi and others live Russians, Tatars and Mordovians.
The total number of Chuvash in Russia is considered to be up to 600 thousand, and the Cheremis up to 260 thousand. The question of the tribal origin of the Chuvash remains controversial to this day. Some believe that the Chuvash belonged to the Finnish tribe and that the Chuvash language is a Finnish language, which absorbed the influence of the Turkic and Slavic languages under the pressure of historical events. Others believe that the Chuvalish language is a purely Turkic language with a mixture of Slavic and even Arabic and Persian words. New research on this issue partly confirms the latter opinion, without denying the fact that the Chuvash language is home to different peoples, which is explained by the geographical location of the Chuvash settlements, adjacent to the Mordovians, Cheremis and others. The very name Chuvash comes across for the first time in half of the KHUT V'ka, but they inhabited the same mPhotnosti much earlier, being known, as one must assume, precisely under the name Burtases, who lived between the Khazars and Bulgars on the right bank of the Volga, in the area of the present-day provinces of Simbirsk and Saratov. The Chuvash themselves have no understanding of their origins and, having betrayed them, are not only stupid, but also quite stupid. The distinctive appearance of the Chuvash—the sloping forehead, the prominent cheekbones, and the slit of the open eyes—hints as if to the fact that the Mongol blood has made itself felt, although not as clearly as that of the Tatars.
The Cheremis are one of the most ancient inhabitants of their cities. Nestor also mentions them, and they undoubtedly belong to the Finnish Merya tribe. According to their residence, they are raised in meadow and mountain areas. The Mountain Cheremisyts are the most beautiful people of all the Volga foreigners; they are dexterous, smart, agile and more developed than their fellow tribesmen, the Meadow Cheremis; They are engaged exclusively in agriculture. Meadow Cheremis, or, as they are called,
They live differently, forest people, living among forests and on lean land plowed from under coniferous forests, are not particularly willing to engage in agriculture, which poorly rewards their work; Their main occupations are: beekeeping, hunting and, in general, fisheries.
About 25 versts from Vasilsursk, on the left bank of the Volga, is the village of Yurino, which belonged to V.P. Sheremetev and is famous for its grandiose palace with towers, balconies and all kinds of attractions, and five versts below Yurin
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