VICTORY SQUARE

There is the monument for those who perished in the Great Patriotic War in the center of Saransk near Soviet Square. It was opened on 9 May in 1970. The composition consists of Mother-Mordovia  gives a sword for son-soldier. There is inscription: "Eternal glory to the soldiers who died for the freedom and independence of the Soviet Motherland during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. You have died to save a life . Your heroic deed is forever in the hearts of a grateful nation".  The eternal light burns before this monument. Authors: sculptor N.V. Tomsky and architect A.N. Dushkin.

In 1985 five stelae of pink granite near were installed the monument, on which  you can find the names of natives of Saransk, who did not return from the battlefield:  more than six thousand people. In 2005 on the eve of the 60th of the Victory, the ensemble was complemented by the composition of the columns with arches connecting the entire complex. Architects: V.A. Brodovsky and I.V. Solovyev. (V.A. Brodovsky is the famous architect in our city. Also he is my father-in-law).
Location on map: https://www.google.ru/maps/place/Музей+Военного+И+Трудового+Подвига

In 1985 on the west side of the Memorial Military Museum there was a memorial composition of the five -lined pink granite stelae, where there were about 5000 names of soldiers of Saransk natives who died in the Great Patriotic War. However, this composition was rapidly destroyed and after several attempts to repair was dismantled . In 2005 in this place a monument to soldiers-internationalists and soldiers who died in local wars and conflicts (Sculptor N.M. Filatov, architect V.A. Brodovsky) was built. The monument is a figure of a soldier running attack with a gun in his hand, is lodged between two gray marble pillars. It symbolizes the vice of War and debt of soldier. It is engraving the names of dead soldiers, as well as the inscription: "It is to soldiers who performed their sacred duty. 1952-1989 with courage, fortitude and honor"and "The heroic deed is forever in the hearts of your sons, Russia. 1994-2003".

Obelisk "The Escape from the Hell". On the east side of the museum there is a monument dedicated to the heroic escape from a concentration camp a group of Soviet prisoners headed by native of Mordovia M.P. Devyataev:

On the west side of Victory Square the Chapel in the name of St. Alexander Nevsky was built in 2000. The building of the chapel (the project of Babakov) is octangle, with a diameter 4.5 meters, high 6 meters. It was decorated with white and red bricks. The total height of the chapel with the cross is 20 meters:

Interesting fact: a three-floored building behind the Memorial Military Museum was a prison. It was built in the XIX century. This building was surrounded by a high wall. The famous Russian writer P.N. Gorsky was prisoner in 1860 here. Now the city administration is located in this building.

  

THE FOXES OF SARANSK

The fox is a symbol of our city. You can find a fox on the coat of arms and the flag of Saransk. Why is this furry animal? Because a fox and arrows symbolizes hunting, because it was the main occupation of our ancestors. Many foxes live in forests of Mordovia. For the modern city and its inhabitants fox has become a symbol of the mind, wealth and enterprise. You can find different foxes in our city. This monument is located near the Park of Culture and Rest:

Location on map: https://www.google.ru/maps/place/Парк+им.А.С.Пушкина

This monument you will see on Lenin Avenue (location on map: https://www.google.ru/maps/place/Гимназия+№+12):

This fox on the bridge you can find near Erzya Fine Arts Museum:

On the wall of buildings:

On the coat of arms of Republic:

In the end you will find fox as keepsake of Saransk.

MUSEUMS

The most famous museum of Saransk is the Erzya Fine Arts Museum. It was founded as Mordovia Republican Art Gallery of  F. Sychkov, which opened on January 10, 1960. Gallery in 1978 was reorganized into the Museum of Fine Arts, which in 1995 was named after the sculptor S. Erzya. The museum has a large collection of works of famous artists of our republike such as  S. Erzya (more than 200 works),  F. Sychkov, I. Makarov and also modern and classical artists. You can also visit the Hall of folk art. Every year it is visited by more than 60,000 spectators. All information about this museum you can find on official website www.erzia-museum.ru

Location on map: https://www.google.ru/maps/place/Музей+имени+С.Д.Эрьзи

You can find some funny animal near museum. it is a fox. In 2009 "Fox bridge" was opened in Saransk and became the hallmark of the city. In the center of the composition there is the fox, because this animal is a symbol of Saransk. Also, there are balls of  predictions. Using them everyone has the ability to see into the future. 

Well, we will go to the Regional Museum of Republic of Mordovia. In the regional museum there are 3 sections: historical, contemporary history department and the department of nature Mordovia. In the main exposition you can see works of art and life (with the prerevolutionary period to the present day), the culture of the ancient world, flora and fauna of the Republic of Mordovia. The website http://www.mrkm.ru

Location on map: https://www.google.ru/maps/place/Краеведческий+Музей

The interesing fact: the museum is located in building of Trekhsvyatskyа church. It was built in 1761. The church was closed in  1935. After that the building was given to museum. There was a house of vaivode Kamenicky, where  Yemelyan Pugachev feasted. The house was demolished in the  XIX century, but stone storehouse stay here now.  Legend has connected it with the name of a popular leader, and this building is still called "Pugachevskaya tent":

Museum of  Mordovia Folk Culture.

In thematic halls of the museum visitors can find more information about  culture of Mordovia, festivals, ceremonies and wedding customs of Mordva.
Location on map: https://www.google.ru/maps/place/Музей+Мордовской+Народной+Культуры

A folk costume of Mordva:

Memorial Military Museum of Fame 1941-1945

In museum collections there are over 40 000 items related to the Great Patriotic War and the Republic of Mordovia documents, archives, weapons, photographs, awards and letters from the front. In the memorial museum also exhibited paintings and sculptures dedicated to war.
Location on map: https://www.google.ru/maps/place/Музей+Военного+И+Трудового+Подвига

There is Museum of military equipment on the open air:

HISTORY OF SARANSK

Let's talk about history of our city. Saransk was founded in 1641 as a military fortress. The river "Saranka" gave the name of our city. Throughout its history Saransk was witnessed of many events. In 1670 it became one of the major centers of the peasant uprising led by Stepan Razin (now we have street was named in honor of him) . After that Saransk was occuped by the forses of Emelian Pugachev . Now there is a monument of Emelian Pugachev   It became the province of Penza since 1801. By the middle of the XVIII century the city finally losed military significance and became a commercial and industrial center. There were many differents small enterprises which produced grain , hemp , leather, meat, honey and other. At the beginning of XVIII century there were more than 700 households 5500 people. In the XIX century devastating fires (1817, 1825 and 1869.) destroyed almost all city, but it was built again. At the end of the XIX century it was passed through Saransk line of Moscow-Kazan Railway. Construction of the road revived economic and political life of the city.There were school of painting of Makarov (1828), City Bank (1844), the first small power station (1866), Paid Public Library (1893), free public library (1899) in Saransk. In the city by the end of the century there were 10 schools. The population of Saransk was more than 14 thousand people. During the Civil War Saransk was one of the centers formed units of the Red Army. The war led to famine, unemployment, a drop in production. Many enterprises of Saransk did not work due to lack of fuel and raw materials. But even in such a difficult time for the city cultural life continued. Regional museum was  founded in 1918. Saransk became the capital of Mordovia ASSR in 1934. About 17 thousand people of Saransk fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, more than 8,000 of them died. In the postwar years the it was created new industries: electrical, engineering, medical, food industry, production of building materials. The Mordovia State University was founded in 1957. Saransk became the capital of  Republic of Mordovia in 1991. In 2012 Saransk  had the title " The most well-appointed Russian city". 

                                                 The picture of Saransk in XVII century:

The photo of old Saransk:

The first trolleybus in Saransk in 1966:

The Soviet Square:

The photo of Lenin Avenue (the central street of Saransk):