The village of Ilyinskaya Hermitage lies beautifully on the slopes of the right bank. On the upland side of the Volga in this region, beautiful state-owned oak rotts have been preserved to this day, constituting separate estates. By the grace of these groves, a rather profitable trade was created for the surrounding residents, especially the Chuvash, - making staves (boards) for kerosene barrels sent to Astrakhan and Baku. It is true that in
Currently, the need for such barrels has significantly decreased due to donating a system of all kinds of tanks, but still they are still going to work, and the work, decreasing in quantity, has become more profitable for the peasantry due to the fact that the government has provided the peasants in every way with the opportunity to buy flax material directly from the treasury, bypassing the kulaks-buyers.
Below Cheboksary on the Volga there is Mar1inshy Posad or Sundyr, founded in 1620 and selling grain, and even lower is Kozlovka, known as the Egg Pier. A huge supply of eggs, approximately over 2 million, is brought here from the surrounding villages. and all this egg mass is sent to Kazan to soap factories. In addition to this significance, Kozlovka is also attractive as a grain harbor.
Even closer to Kazan, just 35 versts above this city, is the federal town of Syyazhek. The choice of the city for the construction of this city can only be explained by strategic objectives, meaning its founder Toann the Terrible. Obviously, it was necessary to have a point in this area from which it would be possible to defend with small forces against a numerous enemy. A vast lowland is located on the left bank of the Syyagi, at its confluence with the Volga. Above the lowland rises a redoubt-like flat mountain with steep cliffs in all directions. Svyazhek is located on the mountains. The city has absolutely nowhere to grow—
So steep are the cliffs of the mountain, so inconveniently located is the lowland around it, annually flooded with water, leaving a row of small swamps as it declines. In the spring, Syyazhek with its ancient buildings, balnyas and churches looks like a town floating on the surface of the water - so huge are the areas flooded around it. With the onset of hot summer weather, the stagnant water in the lowlands begins to evaporate and these swamp evaporations have an unfavorable effect on the health of city residents. This inconvenience was experienced by the Russian troops concentrated in Syyazhek in 1551 during the campaign against Vazan; Their ranks were quickly decimated by scurvy and fevers, so that even in the end, if it were not for the ecclesiastics’ ecstasy and various events of a religious nature, complete demoralization would have been possible in the troops.
We note two attractions of the city: the Mother of God Monastery and the Trinity Convent. The first one was founded by Ev. Germanomt, whose relics rest here; The saint, together with the workers, personally worked on the construction of the stone church. From the ancient letters and papers kept in the monastery it is clear that during this time state criminals were exiled to the monastery.
There are up to three thousand or so residents in the city, and it’s noticeable that it’s populated! it does not increase, but on the contrary decreases. There is no trade, except for small shops, fever rages from spring to winter. It is clear that the time has come for a city living in such unfortunate conditions to be abolished.
Usually, Volga steamships do not stop at Syyazzhsk, but there are
There is a connection between it and Kazan, supported by one steamer in summer, making trips three times a day back and forth.
But now we have passed Smyazzhesk and admire from the deck of the steamer the wide expanse of water of the beautiful Volga and its beautiful right bank. We are moving closer to Bazan, this large center of intellectual and commercial life in the middle Volga region
In the dark, the mighty Russian river is bustling with activity: steamships are scurrying about, heavy barges are creaking, pulled by tugboats, puffing with all their might; Boats flash by, quickly gliding along the smooth water surface. Finally, our steamer pulls aside, makes a turn, and we arrive at the pier, around which the liveliest bustle is in full swing.
ava TU.
E ER
Azan, the ancient Tatar capital, appears from the Volga as a long narrow ribbon, one end of which, the nearest,