Bolshoy cheremshan

The Bolshoy Cheremshan rises in the Bugulma-Belebey uplands and flows toward the Volga. Much of its water comes from melting snow, so the spring flood carries a large share of its annual flow. Coniferous and mixed woods cover many of its sandy banks, while islands and shallows interrupt the channel. Its tributary the Little Cheremshan passed the great Bulgar city of Bilyar, a trading center devastated by Batu Khan's army in 1236.