Saransk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saransk (English)Саранск (Russian) Саранск ошсь (Moksha) Саран (Erzya) |
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[[File:
    .jpg) Clockwise from top: Cathedral of St. Theodore Ushakov, Regional museum, Saransk I railway station, Opera and Ballet Theatre of Saransk, Millennium square and main building Mordovian State University
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| City Day | June 12 |
| Administrative status | |
| Country | Russia |
| Federal subject | Republic of Mordovia |
| Administratively subordinated to | city of republic significance of Saransk |
| Capital of | Republic of Mordovia |
| Administrative center of | city of republic significance of Saransk |
| Municipal status | |
| Urban okrug | Saransk Urban Okrug |
| Administrative center of | Saransk Urban Okrug |
| Mayor | Pyotr Tultayev |
| Representative body | Council of Deputies |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 383 km2 (148 sq mi) |
| Population (2010 Census, preliminary) |
297,415 inhabitants |
| - Rank in 2010 | 64th |
| Density | 777/km2 (2,012/sq mi) |
| Time zone | MSK (UTC+04:00) |
| Founded | 1641 |
| City status since | 1780 |
| Postal code(s) | 430000–430013, 430015–430019, 430021, 430023–430025, 430027, 430028, 430030–430034, 430700, 430899, 430950, 995300 |
| Dialing code(s) | +7 8342 |
| Official website: http://www.adm-saransk.ru/ | |
Saransk is the capital city of Mordovia, Russia. It is also an important center for money and business. The city is located where the Saranka and Insar Rivers meet. This area is part of the Volga river system. Saransk is about 630 kilometers (390 miles) east of Moscow. It was one of the cities that hosted games for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
History of Saransk
Saransk started as a Russian fortress called Atemar in 1641. It was named after a nearby village of the Mordvins people. At that time, the fortress was on the edge of the Tsardom of Russia. The city's current name, "Saransk," comes from the Saranka river.
Soon after it was built, Saransk became a key trading spot for the Erzya villagers nearby. Over time, the city's administrative status changed several times. In 1780, Saransk officially became a town.
In 1928, Saransk became the main city for the new Mordvin National Okrug. This area later became the Mordovian Autonomous Oblast in 1930. During World War II, in 1941, Saransk was close to the fighting in the Battle of Moscow. However, the German army never reached the city. In the 1960s and 1970s, city planners rebuilt the old center. They added wide streets and planned large areas for homes.
Geography and Climate
Saransk is located in the Volga river basin. It sits where the Saranka and Insar Rivers join together. This spot is about 630 kilometers (390 miles) east of Moscow.
Saransk Weather
Saransk has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm, but not hot, summers. Winters are cold, with temperatures staying below freezing for five months. Spring and autumn are very short. Only April and October have average temperatures between 0°C (32°F) and 10°C (50°F).
| Climate data for Saransk | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 4.8 (40.6) |
14.0 (57.2) |
16.3 (61.3) |
28.9 (84.0) |
34.0 (93.2) |
36.1 (97.0) |
38.0 (100.4) |
39.4 (102.9) |
32.3 (90.1) |
23.0 (73.4) |
13.9 (57.0) |
7.1 (44.8) |
39.4 (102.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −6.7 (19.9) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
0.4 (32.7) |
11.7 (53.1) |
21.4 (70.5) |
23.6 (74.5) |
25.9 (78.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
17.8 (64.0) |
9.3 (48.7) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
10.0 (50.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.6 (14.7) |
−8.2 (17.2) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
6.1 (43.0) |
15.0 (59.0) |
17.7 (63.9) |
19.9 (67.8) |
18.4 (65.1) |
12.4 (54.3) |
5.4 (41.7) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
5.5 (41.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −12.4 (9.7) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
−6.8 (19.8) |
1.4 (34.5) |
9.1 (48.4) |
12.0 (53.6) |
14.2 (57.6) |
13.0 (55.4) |
7.9 (46.2) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
1.5 (34.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −44.0 (−47.2) |
−39.7 (−39.5) |
−31.5 (−24.7) |
−17.6 (0.3) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
4.9 (40.8) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−14.6 (5.7) |
−29.5 (−21.1) |
−36.0 (−32.8) |
−44.0 (−47.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 34 (1.3) |
29 (1.1) |
27 (1.1) |
36 (1.4) |
34 (1.3) |
47 (1.9) |
52 (2.0) |
57 (2.2) |
42 (1.7) |
42 (1.7) |
30 (1.2) |
40 (1.6) |
471 (18.5) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 15.0 | 12.2 | 13.0 | 11.3 | 12.8 | 16.5 | 15.7 | 13.5 | 11.9 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 14.9 | 162.2 |
Industries and Economy
Saransk has many different industries. These include making electrical cables and chemical products. They also produce textiles, food, and machines. The city also has metallurgy (working with metals). There are two power stations that produce heat and electricity. A well-known company is Lamzur, which makes sweets.
Other important businesses are:
- Lisma Electrical Factory: This factory employs almost 12,000 people.
- Biokhimik: A company that makes medicines.
- Rezinotekhnika: This company makes rubber products.
- Saranskkabel: A company that makes cables.
- Elektrovypryamitel: This company makes electronic parts and some television sets.
Population and People
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1897 | 15,000 | — |
| 1926 | 15,000 | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 41,146 | +174.3% |
| 1959 | 91,034 | +121.2% |
| 1970 | 190,575 | +109.3% |
| 1979 | 263,337 | +38.2% |
| 1989 | 312,128 | +18.5% |
| 2002 | 304,866 | −2.3% |
| 2010 | 297,415 | −2.4% |
| 2021 | 314,871 | +5.9% |
| Source: Census data | ||
Saransk is the biggest city in Mordovia. It has about 34.3% of the republic's total population. Most people in Saransk (about 85%) are ethnic Russians. Russian is the main language spoken in the city, not the two official Mordvinic languages. After the Soviet Union ended, Saransk's population went down. This was because people moved to bigger cities for work. However, the population started to grow again in 2009.
Culture and Religion
The Saransk Regional Museum teaches about the city's history. The Mordovian Museum of Visual Arts has art by famous Russian artists like Stepan Erzia and Fedot Sychkov.
Saransk is home to the Mordovian State University, which started in 1957. There are also several technical colleges.
The city has three Orthodox churches. There is also a small Lutheran church that opened in 2005. Saransk also has three mosques. The main church in Saransk is the Cathedral of St. Theodore Ushakov, finished in 2006.
Saransk has several theaters:
- The State Russian Drama Theatre: Opened in 1932.
- The Opera and Ballet Theater: Opened in 2011.
- The State Puppet Theater of the Republic of Mordovia.
- The Mordovia National Drama Theatre: Also opened in 1932.
Sports in Saransk
Saransk is a big sports center in the Volga region. It has many large sports places. These include the Republican Palace of Sports, the Ice Palace, and the Mordovia Sports Complex. There is also the Leonid Arkaev Gymnastics Center and many other sports clubs. The city has two large stadiums: Start and Mordovia Arena.
Mordovia has hosted many big sports events. In 2012, Saransk held the IAAF World Race Walking Cup. The city's football team, FC Mordovia Saransk, played in the Russian Premier League for three seasons.
In 2016, Mordovia was named the most athletic region in Russia. More people are doing sports regularly, with about 36% of locals participating. Saransk has over 2100 sports facilities, including:
- Mordovia Arena stadium: This stadium hosted group matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
- Athletics Sports School for Olympic Reserve.
- Mordovia Sports Complex.
- Ice Palace of the Republic of Mordovia.
- Palace of Sports.
- Olimp Sports Complex.
- Formula S Sports and Entertainment Complex.
- Mordovia Tennis Center.
- Skiing and Biathlon Complex of the Republic of Mordovia.
- Start Stadium.
- Palace of Water Sports.
- Saransk Stadium.
From June 16 to 28, 2018, Saransk hosted games for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Mordovia Arena held four group stage matches.
City Buildings and Landmarks
Saransk has many old buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. However, many parts of the city have Soviet-era apartment buildings. These were built mostly in the 1960s. They are similar to buildings in other cities that grew quickly due to industrialization. These buildings are getting old and need repairs or to be replaced. Factories are mostly in the north of the city center. The eastern part of Saransk, called Posop, is east of the Insar River.
An interesting detail is an old military base. It belongs to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is located along the railway lines. This shows a time when Saransk was a "closed city," meaning it was not open to visitors. Another city landmark is the Saransk TV Tower. It is a 180-meter-tall steel mast built in 1961.
Saransk has many monuments. Here are some of them:
- Monument to Sts. Cyril and Methodius.
- Monument to Patriarch Nikon.
- Monument to Pugachev.
- The Monument of Eternal Glory.
- Monument to Pushkin.
- Monument to Polezhaev.
- Monument to Heroes-stratonauts.
- Monument of The Plane.
- Family Monument.
The Family Monument is one of the most special monuments in Saransk. It is in the city center, near the Cathedral of St. Feodor Ushakov. It stands where Sovietskaya and Democraticheskaya streets meet. It was opened in 2008, which was called the Year of Family in Russia. The artist who made it is Nikolai Filatov. This monument shows the importance of family. The sculpture shows a large family: a father with a child on his shoulders, his pregnant wife, and two more children holding onto their parents.
Transportation in Saransk
Saransk has a public transport system with buses and trolleybus lines.
The Saransk I railway station is part of the Kuybyshev Railway. The city also has other stations for local trains to Ruzayevka and Krasny Uzel. There is a daily direct train service to Moscow.
Saransk Airport
Saransk has an international airport called Saransk Airport (SKX). In January 2017, the airport closed for updates. This was because Saransk was chosen to host 2018 FIFA World Cup matches. After the updates, the airport's runway was made stronger. A new main building was added, which can handle 300 passengers per hour for local flights. During the World Cup, it could handle 600 passengers per hour. There is also a temporary building for international flights.
The airport can now handle larger planes like Boeing 737 and Airbus A-319/320/321. In 2018, the airport had its first regular flight after the updates. You can get to the international terminal by car, public transport, or taxi.
Airport Bus Service
Bus No. 29 connects the airport to the city center. Buses leave the airport at specific times: 07:50, 09:30, 11:20, 12:50, 17:45, 19:45, and 23:10. During FIFA World Cup games, public transport for fans was free. Special shuttle buses also ran from the airport to the Fan Fest area (Ice Palace).
Parking at the Airport
The new airport terminal has two parking lots. You can use a free parking area if there is space.
City Public Transport
Saransk city transport includes trolleybuses, buses, and taxi buses. Trolleybuses have been running since 1966. They connect all parts of Saransk. For the FIFA World Cup, Saransk updated its buses and trolleybuses. Taxi buses are run by private companies. They use Russian-made and foreign-made buses. Some bus routes have buses every 2-3 minutes during busy times.
Road Transport
A new road was built to connect Saransk to the airport for the FIFA World Cup. This road is 3.5 km long. Part of it was rebuilt, and part was new. The total length of the road around Saransk is 17.5 km. It has two lanes, three road junctions, five bridges, and four overpasses. This road helps reduce traffic in the city center. It also connects the main federal highway to local roads.
Sister Cities
Saransk has "sister city" relationships with other cities around the world. This means they work together and share culture.
Botevgrad, Bulgaria
Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland- Sieradz, Poland
Kalinkavichy, Belarus
Famous People from Saransk
- Aleksei Artyomov: A retired professional football player.
- Mikhail Bakhtin: A famous thinker who lived and taught in Saransk from 1949 to 1969. A monument to him was put up in the city in 2015.
- Gérard Depardieu: A French actor who registered as a resident of Saransk in 2013.
- Dmitri Samarkin: A former professional football player.
- Doctor Mike: A Russian-American doctor and YouTube personality.
Images for kids
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The first train station, built in 1893
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Musical theatre named after I. M. Yaushev
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The Mordovia Arena hosted 2018 FIFA World Cup games
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Monument of Eternal Glory in memory of fallen soldiers
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Trolleybus on Pobedy Street in Saransk
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Saransk Airport
See also
In Spanish: Saransk para niños
