MediaArhiv

Part 5

page 62/94

One of the most important piers of the Samara province is the village of Balakovo, rightly considered one of the richest and largest villages not only in the Volga region, but also in the whole of eastern Russia; There are about 18 thousand inhabitants, of which more than 2 thousand are residents, up to 150 merchants and up to 10 thousand peasants. There are several factories in the village that are making serious business. Its trade—mainly grain—is very significant. In its general appearance, the village rather resembles a large provincial town. As for the abundance of burghers, the list of which is given above, most of them work as monkeys for large grain merchants, so from this side Balakovo, in fairness, can be counted among the collection of monkey nests, in which it occupies one of the very first places. Despite its wealth, Balakovo shows a complete lack of improvement: the dirt that drips in it at the famous time of the year is famous in the chronicles of the grain trade; It happens that you have to pull carts through the streets of Balakov, harnessing several pairs of oxen to each.

[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]

Situated on the right bank of the Volga in ancient times, the palace village of Malykovka was renamed the federal city of Volsk in 1780, when the Saratov namfstnichestvo was established. Currently, Volsk is a district town in the Saratov province, with 40 thousand inhabitants. The city is spread out in a basin formed by three mountain ranges. The Cathedral Square and the puchpia of its streets are located in the northern part of the city. Just as it is in Khvalynsk and zdfey give everything the tone of “zealots of ancient piety,” so that the main trade and the main capitals and zdfey are concentrated in the hands of the

[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]

the evil of every man destroyed him; his own language served him badly, and Zlobin had to leave St. Petersburg for his hometown.

Approaching the old Malykovka, the old man got out of the carriage and, falling on his knees to his native land, exclaimed: “Lord, help me make this rich and happy!” And indeed, Zlobin’s subsequent activities clearly proved his sincerity in his intention to enrich Volsk. He began to build large stone houses there, began to diligently help skilled merchants with both advice and money, and began to reward his own employees in every possible way....