The city of Saransk: attractions with photos, museums and temples. What to see in Saransk?

Saransk is an ancient city. It was founded in 1641. It all started with the erection of a small fortress that was part of the Atamar zasechnoy line. The latter represented a fortification line, protecting Russia from the southeast. It was located at the intersection of horse-drawn tracks connecting Kazan and Crimea, Moscow and Astrakhan.

The city got its name from the word "sara". In the translation from Finno-Ugric languages (Karelian, Estonian, Finnish and others) it means "wetland". Of course, at the present time Saransk, whose attractions are described below, looks quite different. It is not only the main city of Mordovia. The specified settlement is the all-Russian capital of sport walking. In 2012, Saransk was awarded the title of the most comfortable city in Russia. This is not a metropolis, life here does not flow as fast as, for example, in Moscow. Sights of Saransk (photos shown in the article) can be viewed in a day. As advised by local residents, it is best to begin the exploratory walk from the streets of the Communist and Bogdan Khmelnitsky.

A unique book collection

The main national library of Mordovia, named after Pushkin, is the largest collection of publications in the whole region. It was formed in September 1899. It was then at the request of intellectuals that they organized a free library-reading room, which had a fund of 353 books. Gradually the meeting expanded due to the activities of philanthropists. In 1939 the library acquired the status of republican and moved to a separate building (before that it was located in the building of the city pawnshop). In 1979, the institution acquired a new home. The library to this day is located at: ul. B. Khmelnitsky, 26. Not long ago, another one, nine-storeyed, was attached to the old building. Today, there are many different departments, and the whole floor is devoted to the work of Mordvin writers and poets.

Musical Theatre

Saransk, whose sights we are considering, is famous for its musical theater. Spectators can enjoy musical comedies and operas, ballet performances and operettas, as well as concerts of classical music. The date of the creation of the theater is the first of September 1935. It was on that day that he was admitted to the permanent budget of the Mordovian People's Commissar of Education. The organized troupe presented a premiere play called "The Beggar Student" (the author of the work on which he was based is K. Miller). For its history, the theater has experienced more than one reorganization. As a result, by 1959 it consisted of two separate units - the theater of drama and the theater of musical comedy. In 2011, moved to a new building with a large hall for seven hundred spectators. Over the acoustic design worked the best masters from all over Russia. In the same year, the institution was named after I.M. Yaushev - a famous Mordvin singer.

State National Drama Theater

What to see in Saransk? The ardent theater-goers first of all rush to the Soviet, 27. It is there that the pride of the country - the National Drama Theater. Most of the productions in his repertoire are based on plays by Mordovian authors. Of course, viewers have the opportunity to get acquainted with the world and domestic classics.

Polezhaev Museum

The institution collects and studies information about A.I. Polejaeve - Russian poet, who lived and worked in the nineteenth century. Alexander Ivanovich also has a monument in Saransk. The Polezhaev Museum was opened on June 5, 2001. Currently, there are five rooms. Three of them are dedicated directly to Alexander Ivanovich, one to all the writers of Mordovia. The last room is a living room for literary and musical evenings and thematic events, including art exhibitions.

Art Museum

This is one of the largest research and educational institutions in the Volga region. Within the walls of the museum is the world's largest collection of Erzi's works, the famous Mordvin sculptor. In addition, the collection of works by the academician of portrait painting Makarov and People's Artist Sychkov is presented. On the basis of the museum an art salon is open. It exhibits and sells works of graphics, sculpture and painting by authors from Mordovia. The building itself has the status of a monument of architecture. It was erected in the 60s of the twentieth century and reconstructed in 2001.

Local History Museum

Considering the museums of Saransk, it is impossible not to mention this oldest not only in the city, but throughout the republic the institution of culture. It was founded in 1918, and opened for visitors a year later. Currently, the museum's fund holds two hundred thousand exhibits. Among them are many ancient books, weapons, coins and stuffed animals. Three expositions on the history and nature of the region are exhibited on a permanent basis. Special exhibitions are arranged in a separate room.

Churches, monasteries

One of the oldest monasteries of the city was founded in 1659. It is on the left bank of the Moksha River. This is the Nativity-Theotokos Sanaksar Monastery (for men). At first all its buildings were wooden, and only after a hundred years they were replaced by stone ones. By the end of the eighteenth century, thanks to the activity of Hieromonk Feodor of Sanaxar, the monastery became known throughout Russia. The most difficult period in the history of this sacred place was the 1920s. Then the monastery was closed, and the brotherhood was repressed. Only in 1991 there was a revival of the monastery.

The main Orthodox church in the republic is the cathedral St.Fedorovsky Cathedral. It is located in the city center. Its construction was dedicated to Fedor Ushakov - the famous naval commander, the admiral. In the shape of the temple you can observe an interesting combination of imperial (dome rotunda, portico, colonnade) and Great Russian (kokoshniki, bell towers, bulbous glans) began.

Some temples of Saransk, unfortunately, have not survived to this day. Among them - the Cathedral of the Savior. He was on Cathedral Square. The alleged period of construction of this shrine - XV-XVI centuries. The temple was huge and majestic. Equal to him in his time was neither in Saransk, nor in other cities of the county.

The Assumption Complex was built in 1693. Initially, it consisted of two independent churches - the summer (the Assumption of Our Lady) and the winter church (Nikolayevskaya). In addition, a separate bell tower was erected on its territory. In 1735 the first stone buildings appeared. The Assumption Complex was closed in November 1930. He re-opened his doors to the parishioners only sixty years later - in the 1990s.

Memorial Cemetery

What else is interesting about the city of Saransk? Sights (photos are presented in the article) of the settlement include not only museums, theaters and churches. Many travelers are eager to visit the local memorial cemetery. It is located in the western part of the city. Here you can think about the eternal among the mass graves of the participants of World War II, who died in the hospitals of Saransk from the most serious wounds. At the Eternal Flame, on a pedestal, stands the figure of a grieving mother. The authors of the work are architect Danilenko and sculptor Kondratiev.

"Mordovian Compound"

The map of Saransk with sights includes one more interesting object - a historical and ethnographic complex. It was opened in August 2012. Visitors to Mordovia Podvorye can get acquainted with the peculiarities of the way of life and life that are typical for this region a hundred years ago. The object is a village, which includes six buildings. In the elements of the decoration of doors and windows symbols of the Mordovian people and national ornaments were used.

Conclusion

One of the most amazing settlements in Russia is Saransk. Attractions of the city attract many tourists every year. Go and you are in this amazing place for new impressions!