In the heart of the Republic of Mordovia, among the wild forest-steppes and mixed forests, there is a small cozy town - Ruzaevka, with a population of just over 45 thousand people. He received his name from the Kasim Murza Urozai T. more than five centuries ago.
General information
The city of Ruzaevka is the second largest city (after Saransk) in the Republic of Mordovia. The city stands on the Insar River (it is the Volga basin), the territory is 27 square kilometers.
The climate is temperate continental. Frosty winters and moderately hot summers are typical for these places.
The population of Ruzaevka is relatively small, but in terms of numbers it ranks second after Saransk.
The history of the city begins in 1637. Initially, it was a small settlement. From the second half of the 18th century, the village became the property of the Russian figure, poet and critic N. E. Struysky. In 1783, the first church was built, and Ruzaevka acquired the status of a village. During the industrial revolution, the village became an important railway junction in the Moscow-Kazan direction. Thanks to this, the populatedthe point is called "Railway gates of Mordovia". Ruzaevka acquired the status of a city in 1937. At that time, the population of Ruzaevka was only about 16,000 inhabitants.
Today, the city has a chemical engineering plant, railway transport enterprises, as well as a light industry plant, a knitwear factory and a dairy products factory. There are several higher educational institutions in Ruzaevka.
City population
Ethnic composition of Ruzaevka: Russians, Mokshans, Tatars, Erzyans. As for the number of inhabitants in the city, since 2000, there has been a constant decline.
| Year | Number of inhabitants |
| 2001 | 52,300 people |
| 2003 | 49,800 people |
| 2005 | 49,000 people |
| 2007 | 48 300 people |
| 2009 | 47,647 people |
| 2011 | 47,500 people |
| 2013 | 46,787 people |
| 2015 | 46 213 people |
| 2017 | 45,988 people |
The trend of reducing the population of Ruzaevka suggests that some part of the population is leavingcity in search of a better life. It seems natural. After all, the capital of Mordovia is located nearby, where more than 300 thousand people live. There is a more developed infrastructure and more jobs.
Of course, conditions for life in Saransk are much better than in a small town with 45 thousand inhabitants, and, as you know, "fish are looking for where it is deeper, and man - where it is better." Nevertheless, much depends on the municipal authorities: the more they develop the town, fight unemployment, improve the everyday life of residents, keep clean and tidy, the fewer people will want to leave their homes.
Also, in order to increase natural growth, it is necessary to improve the living conditions of the young population of the city of Ruzaevka: provide an opportunity to use the services of free medicine without complications, create jobs for citizens who do not have work experience, and make it affordable to purchase their own real estate.
Sights of Ruzaevka
Despite the fact that geographically the town occupies a relatively small area, there is also something to see here. Below are just some of the interesting places in Ruzaevka:
- Holy Trinity Cathedral. This temple was erected in 2009 and consecrated in 2012. One of the youngest cathedrals not only in Mordovia, but throughout Russia. The brick building is made in a very elegant and harmonious style. This is a real decoration of the city.
- Monument "Blacktulip". The monument is dedicated to the memory of the victims of the wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya, built thanks to the voluntary efforts of the entire caring population of Ruzaevka. It consists of three columns on which the bell is located, and at the bottom in the center of the base of the columns there is a bowl of black tulip, symbolizing the plane on which the soldiers committed last flight.
- Paigarmsky Paraskevo-Ascension Convent. The monastery was founded in the middle of the 19th century, at the initiative of local residents. Then the building was used for completely different purposes. So, during the revolution there was a headquarters for the military and a hospital, after the monastery became a state farm, then a hospital. Already at the end of the last century, the monastery was returned to Orthodox believers and clergy.
- Memorial locomotive L-2345 "Lebedyanka". Monument locomotives for the city, which was a major railway center, are not uncommon. "Lebedyanka" actively participated in the restoration and construction of the city in the postwar years. Its maximum speed reached about 100 km / h. This is one of the fastest steam locomotives of that time.
Conclusion
So, having walked around the second largest city of Mordovia - Ruzaevka, with a population, although small, but very friendly and benevolent, I would like to note that there is something to see, what to do.
