Gorodishche

Gorodishche stands on the Yulovka, a tributary of the Sura east of Penza. It was founded as a fortress in 1681, when the Muscovite state extended its defensive line eastward across the frontier. The earthworks formed one link in a chain of fortified positions intended to guard against raids from the steppe. The settlement survived the southward movement of the frontier and became a town in 1780, long after the original military works had been raised.