Penza Region
// GENERAL INFORMATION
Penza Region is located on the East European Plain, although most of its territory lies on the Volga Uplands. The region has an area of 43 200 km2, ranking 53rd among Russian regions in terms of size. It has a population of about 1.6 million people.
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Penza Region borders on Ryazan Region and the Republic of Mordovia in the north, Ulyanovsk Region in the east, Saratov Region in the south, and Tambov Region in the west. The region was formed within its present boundaries on February 4, 1936, and includes 28 districts, 10 cities, and 16 towns.
Penza Region has a temperate continental climate with hot summers and relatively mild winters with little snow. Annual precipitation averages 600 mm. The average summer temperature is +19 °C, and the average winter temperature is -12 °C. The southeastern part of the region is exposed to dry easterly and southeasterly winds with speeds up to 12-16 m/s. The hot winds are often accompanied by dust storms and air temperatures up to 40 °C.
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A network of roads and railways passes through Penza Region, connecting it with neighboring regions, Central Russia, the Urals, Siberia, and Central Asia. The region's favorable geographical location and its transportation resources play an important role in developing economic and cultural ties with other Russian regions and the CIS and other foreign countries.
The regional administrative center is the city of Penza, located at the confluence of the Penza and Sura rivers. The city's history began in 1663, when, like many cities in central Russia, it was constructed as a fortress to defend Russia's borders against nomad raids. Today, Penza is an attractive, comfortable city where modern multistory buildings exist side by side with 18th- and 19th-century architecture. It is divided into four administrative districts: Zheleznodorozhny, Leninsky, Oktyabrsky, and Pervomaisky. The population as of January 1, 1997, was 534 600 people. Penza is also one of Russia's major industrial, transportation, and cultural centers. The city's factories manufacture computer equipment, watches, and production equipment for a number of industrial sectors. More than 6000 companies of various forms of ownership operate in Penza, along with 10 banks, 29 hospitals, and many cultural institutions (museums, theaters, libraries, etc.).
Educational facilities include 6 higher educational institutions, 14 technical schools, 14 higher and vocational schools, and 9 gymnasia and lycees.
Famous Russian poets and writers, such as Mikhail Lermontov, A.I. Kuprin, and Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, and literary critic Vissarion Belinsky lived and worked in Penza Region. The eminent historian Vasily Klyuchevsky and the world-renowned theater director Vsevolod Meyerhold also lived here.
HISTORY
Penza was founded as a fortress, and to this day, remnants of the Lomovskaya sentry line built in 1640 have been preserved at the western edge of the city, and remains of earth ramparts dating from the mid-16th century are preserved in the city center. Until 1663, Penza was a wooden stockade with only a small settlement. Then in May 1663, the architect Yu.E. Kontransky arrived in Penza on the Tsar's orders to direct the construction of a fortress city. The initial construction consisted of a wooden Kremlin, a village, and quarters for the nobility, small tradesmen, and merchants.
In 1665, Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich bestowed the icon of the Virgin of Kazan on the city as a blessing. The icon saved the city from destruction during the Great Kuban Pogrom of 1717 and today is kept in Mitrofanovsky Church.
In 1719, Penza became the center of Penza District in Kazan Province; and in 1723, a city council was established that existed until 1866. Penza subsequently became the center of a governorship (1770) and then a provincial center (1796). Between 1797 and 1801, it was a district center of Saratov Province; then in 1801, the Senate once again proclaimed it a provincial center. Well-known governors of the time were F.L. Vigel (1801-1809), G.S. Golitsyn (1811-1815), M.M. Speransky (1816-1819), A.A. Panchulidzev (1831-1859), N.D. Seliverstov (1867-1873), and P.D. Svyatopolk-Mirsky (1895-1898).
The city underwent major architectural changes in the late 1780s, when the wooden buildings were pulled down and new white stone manors of nobles and merchants were built in their place. Construction was carried out according to an architectural plan rather than chaotically as in the past. To this day, the historical center of Penza located on the left bank of the Sura River and filled with buildings from the 18th and early 19th centuries preserves the regular planning of the late 18th century, with main roads running parallel to the river.
The construction of railways through Penza, starting with the Syzransk-Vyazemsk line in 1874, followed by the Moscow-Kazan line in 1895 and the Ryazan-Urals line in 1896, created the conditions for the city's rapid development as both an industrial and a cultural center. A monastery, a convent, 26 Orthodox churches, a Lutheran church, a Catholic church, and a mosque were also opened in this period. By the end of the 18th century, the children of nobles and merchants could attend a gymnasium, a practical school, or a theological seminary. A teacher's college and surveying, technical, railway, medical, and other schools were opened as well. There were banks and banking offices and annual trade fairs and markets, where the main trade items were grain, wood, and spirits. More than 160 small factories and plants were in operation, including 132 brickyards, 2 iron foundries and match factories, and 3 facilities for manufacturing farm equipment.
In 1928, Penza became the center of Penzensky District, first of Middle Volga (Srednevolzhsky) and then of Kuibyshev Territory, and then in 1937, of Tambov Region.
In 1939, Penza Region was separated from Tambov Region and organized as an independent political unit with its center in Penza.
The people of the region made a great contribution to the victory over the German occupiers during the Second World War. Only a few days after the war began, 5000 volunteers applied to go to the front. Four fighter battalions with total number of 460 people were formed in 1942, and all able-bodied people working in factories and on collective farms did whatever they could to strengthen the country's defensive capabilities.
Despite the difficult postwar years, educational, cultural, and medical facilities continued to open in the city and industry developed, as new factories started operations and old ones expanded production and manufactured new products. In June 1967, for successes achieved by its workers in developing industry, agriculture, and culture, Penza Region was awarded the Order of Lenin by Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet.
On February 14, 1985, Penza was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor by Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet.
Modern-day Penza is an important industrial and cultural center with a large number of cultural and educational institutions and companies of various industrial sectors.
RESOURCES
A large part of Penza Region's territory is located on the Volga Uplands composed of limestone, clay, marl, and sandstone. The terrain is dissected by many uplands, ravines, landslides, and lowlands.
Penza Region has abundant forest, water, land, and mineral resources. The region's soil and vegetation cover varies owing to the fact that three native zones-forest, forest steppe, and steppe-pass through it. The northern part of the region is in the forest zone, characterized by spruce and fir forests with some oak. Further south, the vegetation changes to deciduous forest and then to steppe in the southwest.
The predominant soils in Penza Region are sod-podzolic and gray and dark gray podzolic soils. Along the rivers, brown loams, vivid sandstones, clays of various colors and hues, and peat lenses underlie a thin upper layer of black earths (chernozems). Pine forests grow on the sandy river terraces. To the south are the steppes with dark chestnut soils. Agricultural land comprises 70.8% of all lands in the region; most of it (81.3%) is cropland.
Subsurface water is the main source of water supply for industrial and domestic use, except for the cities of Penza, Kolyshlei, and Zarechny.
The region's main waterway is the Sura River, which is a right-hand tributary of the Volga. It is 841 km long, has a flow velocity of about 0.75 m/s, and a drainage area of 67.5 km2. The Sura is the second-largest right-hand tributary of the Volga; its source is in the Volga Uplands. Terraces with clearly visible outcrops of flat-laying rock strata of various compositions are sometimes encountered above the flood plains along the banks of the Sura. The river's broad flood plain is covered with meadow and shrub vegetation; steppe vegetation is also encountered, mainly on the slopes of valleys and ravines. More than 1000 species of herbaceous plants grow in the meadows.
Another interesting river is the Moksha, which has a genuine treasure in the form of black (stained) oak deposited on its bottom. Black oak is an excellent finishing material and is noted for its varied color spectrum, strength, and durability. It can be used to make attractive items such as boxes, souvenirs, walking sticks, and parquet. The formation of black oak is a long process. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the river changed its course, eroding its banks and undermining the roots of ancient oaks. The trees fell into the water, sank to the bottom, and were covered with sand and silt. Then over a period of many years, the sap was washed out of the wood and replaced with mineral salts, resulting in changes in the chemical composition of the wood fibers so that the wood acquired a dark, almost black tint and unusual strength. At the same time, the stained wood was no longer subjected to decay processes. Presumably, there are black oak deposits in the Sura (over a 120-km stretch), Moksha (80 km), Vad, Khoper (25 km), and Vorona (50 km) rivers; however, these deposits are not currently being developed.
The region has sizable water resources for economic development but significantly smaller mineral resources compared to other areas of the Volga region. Mineral resources are generally in the form of deposits of raw materials such as clay, gypsum, glassmaking sand, marl, and chalk (the Surskoe deposit is the largest), coarse foundry sand (Chaadaevskoe deposit), and small accumulations of phosphorite suitable for milling.
Penza Region has no fuel resources of its own, and therefore imports coal and gas from other Russian regions.
ECONOMY
Penza Region is a member of the Volga economic district. The main industrial sectors are the engineering, forestry and woodworking, and flavoring industries. Other sectors, such as the textile, shoe, building material, food, and wool industries, are also expanding. Products manufactured by companies in the region are exported to 50 countries around the world and 10 former Soviet republics, as well as to many Russian regions. One hundred and seventy companies are involved in foreign trade activity. The inflow of investments and fixed capital has increased markedly. The region's industries account for about 1.2% of Russia's total production volume.
Engineering is the leading industrial sector in terms of output volume and also employs a large proportion of the workforce. Engineering companies specialize in the manufacture of metal-cutting and textile machinery, machinery for the shoe industry, spinning machines, chemical equipment, compressors, tractor-drawn seeders, car trailers, machinery for municipal services, computer devices, etc. There is a large agricultural machinery plant in the city of Kamenka.
Companies in the light industry sector manufacture clothing and carpeting, woolen and industrial fabrics, heat-insulated and bonded fabrics, outer wear, and leather shoes. The building material industry produce reinforced concrete structures and building brick.
Seven large research institutes with unique technologies and equipment and special test facilities develop flight simulators, radio systems, textile machinery, special computing systems and communications facilities, data acquisition, processing, and distribution units, electronic elements, optical instruments and devices, and physical quantity sensors.
Against an overall background of economic development, the forest industry has declined due to the uncertainty of forest ownership. A decision has been made to return the forests to government ownership. As a result of inefficient economic management and equipment deterioration, only 38% of deciduous forests and 90% of coniferous forests are being utilized. The forest, woodworking, and pulp and paper industries specialize in the production of lumber, prefabricated frame and panel houses, doors and windows, plywood, matches, parquet, pulp and paper products, and wallpaper.
Penza Region is one of Russia's leading producers of wheat, rye, oats, millet, buckwheat, cereal and forage crops, vegetables, potatoes, mustard, and meat.
There are 465 agricultural enterprises, more than 2000 farms, and nearly 100 companies in the food and processing industries. Agriculture accounts for approximately 20% of the region's GDP. The region produces more than 2% of all milk, meat, and eggs in the Russian Federation.
Agriculture is highly efficient as a result of very favorable natural conditions. About 3 million hectares of fertile land (75% chernozem) are used for agriculture. Eighteen percent of the population is employed in the agrarian sector. Fertile soil and a favorable microclimate make for large vegetable harvests, especially tomatoes, and allow the cultivation of wheat and rice. There are superb winter pastures on the Black Lands that are especially suited for raising sheep.
Crop cultivation is the leading agricultural sector, particularly grain, vegetables and melons, mustard, and sunflowers. Spring wheat is the main crop, although barley and industrial crops are widely grown. Vegetables and melons are other important crops that are exported to many regions of the country. Sixty percent of all agricultural land is used for grain crops, 5.1%, for industrial crops, and 3.5%, for vegetables.
In the livestock sector, there is particular emphasis on cattle breeding. Establishing a stable forage reserve, increasing the area sown in forage crops, and improving the condition of natural meadowlands are important objectives in expanding this sector. Beekeeping is also being developed in the region.
A basic option for developing agriculture is to increase its specialization with allowance for the ecological situation. Measures to expand the amount of irrigated land are necessary, but on a strictly scientific basis in order to prevent deterioration of the natural environment.
AUTHORITIES
The Governor and the Government represent executive power in the region. The Governor is elected for a four-year term in a general election.
The Governor has the power:
- to form the Regional Administration (Regional Government);
- to sign and declare regional laws;
- to call elections for the Penza Regional Legislative Assembly;
- to initiate new legislation and submit it to the Penza Regional Legislative Assembly;
- to represent Penza Region in all domestic and foreign affairs.
The Penza Regional Legislative Assembly is the region's legislative body, acting in accordance with Federal Constitution, federal laws, and the Charter of Penza Region.
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly is elected by a majority of deputies. Deputies are elected for a four-year term by majority vote.
The Legislative Assembly consists of the following permanent committees:
- budget/finances/taxes/economic and investment policy;
- local governance;
- industry/construction/transportation/communications/fuel and energy;
- health/education/social policy;
- agriculture/food.
The Courts of the Russian Federation and Justice of the Peace Courts represent judicial power in the region. The court system is structured in accordance with the Federal Constitution, the Federal Legislative Assembly, and regional and federal acts.
There are 2 main divisions:
- Federal courts (Penza Regional court, Penza city courts, district courts, court martial, arbitration court);
- Justice of the Peace Courts.
Court Martials exercise judicial authority in military forces, bodies, and formations. Economic disputes are tried in an arbitration court.
Justice of the Peace Courts give primary consideration to civil, administrative, and criminal cases.
CULTURE AND ART
Penza has long attracted attention for its beauty and unique landscape, where historical and architectural monuments of the 18th and 19th centuries coexist harmoniously with modern buildings. The city was originally built on the bank of the Penza River, but over time it expanded and now a second river, the Sura, flows through its territory. The city's interesting architecture and original layout give it a distinctive look.
For the first hundred years of its existence, Penza developed chaotically, and it was only after 1785 that its architectural style began to develop. Thanks to the efforts of restorers, the present generation can admire the works of outstanding masters who constructed these fine buildings. Architectural monuments include the institute of the nobility, the Tenishev manor, the second building of a group of offices, an art school, and a peasants' land bank.
The finest examples of church architecture that have been preserved to our time are the Trinity (Troitsky) Convent built in 1690, the Protection (Pokrovsky) Monastery, the Peter and Paul Cathedral (sobor Petra i Pavla; 18th century), the Transfiguration of the Savior (Spaso-Preobrazhensky) Monastery (18th and 19th centuries), Transfiguration (Preobrazhenskaya) Church, and the Church of St. Nicholas (tserkov sv. Nikolaya).
A sculpture called "The First Settler" (Pervoposelenets) has been placed on Kirov St. in commemoration of the early days, when construction of the city of Penza began in 1663 by royal decree. Not far away on the same street is the old Lermontov Library, named after Mikhail Lermontov, whose life was inseparably linked with Penza. He spent his childhood and youth in the village of Tarkhan in Penza Region, and his remains were reburied there. Today, Tarkhan is the site of the Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov museum, visited by admirers of his work from around the world.
Many other famous people in the arts and sciences have lived and worked in Penza Region at one time or another. Information about them and the rich history of Penza Region is stored in the region's numerous museums. There are ten museums in Penza alone. They include the Museum of Local History, the Meyerhold Museum of Stage Art, the Literary Museum, the Klyuchevsky and Academician N.N. Burdenko museum houses, the I.N. Ulyanov museum and lecture hall, the Folk Art Museum, and the unique One Picture Museum, with its collection of artworks from around the world.
In addition to museums, Penza has 3 theaters, one of which, the drama theater (1793), is the oldest in Russia; 2 philharmonics; the Savitsky Art Gallery; 10 cultural centers; 66 libraries; a circus; a planetarium; and 14 movie theaters.
Penza Region also has a wealth of original native talent. Craftsmen skilled in the arts of crystal cutting and "lacy" wood carving carry on the work of their fathers and grandfathers, just as they did hundreds of year ago, and the hand of local masters produce fantastically knotted down shawls.
The work of glass artists N.I. Prilepkin and E.V. Dubskaya will convince you of the boundlessness of the human imagination. These decorative compositions are so light and airy that it is hard to believe they are made of glass.
Art connoisseurs will be interested in learning about the work of Penza and Penza Region artists, as well as the work of photo artists A. Devyatov, S. Krasov, and E. Dremenkova.
The idea that beauty will save the world comes from the acts of committed people. Beauty is not only a concept of art, but is also of the soul.
Thanks to energetic people living in Penza Region, art galleries have been opened not only in cities, but also in small villages. One of these people is I.M. Manuilov, an assistant professor at the Penza Technological Institute and a connoisseur of Russian painting, through whose efforts the Rural (Selskaya) Tretyakovka art gallery has been opened in the village of Neverkino. Its collection includes works donated by artists of Penza, Moscow, Pskov, St. Petersburg, and other Russian cities.
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