| Chelyabinsk |
| Founded in 1736 as one of three Cossack fortresses -- the Chelyaba, Miasska and Chebarkulska -- Chelyabinsk was a replacement for an earlier fortress that had lasted less than year due to the starvation of its garrison in a long winter. Instructions by founder A. I. Tevkelev for the rebuilding of the fortresses were simple and straightforward: "(1) The fortresses must not be more than 50 versts apart, (2) they must be built in a strong place (3) there must be enough water and food such that there are no shortages in the near future." |
| Kazan |
| The first city of Kazan, built in the late 13th century, was founded by the "Khan of the Golden Horde" Tudai-Menghe. The city, populated almost entirely by Tatars, stood for nearly 200 years until it was abandoned in the mid-15th century for the new Kazan, built some 45 km (28 miles) away. Formerly the capital of the Soviet Tatar Autonomous Republic, since 1990 Kazan has been the capital of the re-named Tatarstan. "Kazan" means "cauldron" in Tatar. |
