Located in the Republic of Mordovia of the Russian Federation, the city of Saransk is located on the bank of the river Insar. The year of foundation of the city is 1641. It was in this year that a fortress was laid in the southeast of the Russian kingdom, which was named after the Saransk island. However, by the beginning of the 18th century, the fortress had decayed and deteriorated. Therefore Saransk lost its military importance and eventually developed as a handicraft and trading city. One of the significant events was the visit of the city Emelian Pugachev during the uprising in the summer of 1774.
A large number of sights of Saransk were destroyed by multiple fires, since almost all the buildings in the city until the XX century were wooden. But even in spite of the fact that there are very few historical monuments in the city, there is something to see and what to spare in Saransk.
Mordovian Museum of Fine Arts. S.D. Erzi
The Erzi Museum in Saransk opened its doors to visitors in 1960 as an art gallery named after. FV Sychkova. And in 1995 the museum was given the name of the world-famous painter and sculptor Stepan Dmitrievich Erzy. This artist chose a pseudonym in honor of the people of Mordovia, which is called the Erzya. The master did not only in Russia, but also in the territory of South America, Italy and France. In the Saransk Museum collected a huge collection of Erzi, made of wood and not only - about two hundred exhibits.
In addition, the exposition of the museum is represented by masterpieces of such famous artists as Shishkin, Repin and Serov. A special attention deserves a collection of national jewelry and costumes.
Church of St. John the Evangelist
The St. John the Theological Church, founded in 1693, is one of the most ancient monuments of Orthodox architecture in Mordovia. This temple in Saransk is built in the classical style of stone architecture of the late XVII century and retains this look so far, despite the fact that in its long history the building of the church has been repeatedly reconstructed.
The Church of St. John the Divine became the Cathedral in 1991 and wore this title until 2006, when the Cathedral of St. Theodore Ushakov was built.
Cathedral of St. Fedor Ushakov
The decision to erect a new cathedral was made in 2000, when the Church of St. John the Theologian ceased to accommodate all parishioners. The temple of St. Fedor Ushakov in Saransk was consecrated in the summer of 2006. The building of the cathedral is one of the largest temple buildings on the territory of the Russian Federation. Its height is 62 meters, and the area of the temple can accommodate more than 3,000 parishioners. The viewing platform, located in the cathedral, allows you to admire Saransk from a bird's-eye view.
Monument to the builders of the Saransk fortress
Speaking of what to see in Saransk, you can mention the monument to the founders of the city, established in 1982 in the center of the city. The composition is located on the place where in the XVII century there was a defensive-guard fortress. The author of the monument is the sculptor VP Kozin.
Monument to the family
Another interesting monument of Saransk appeared in the city in 2008. A dynamic sculptural composition depicts a large family with a happy family moving towards the Cathedral of Saint Fedor Ushakov. The author of the sculpture is Nikolai Filatov.
Newlyweds traditionally visit this sculptural composition on the day of the wedding, because it is believed that it brings good luck. And among women there is a belief that touching the belly of the sculpture of a pregnant woman contributes to the rapid addition in the family.