Krasnoslobodsk

Krasnoslobodsk stands on the high left bank of the Moksha, in the western Mordvin country. Originally known as Krasnaya Sloboda, it grew around an oak fortress on the Russian defensive frontier. Its walls and watchtowers protected the district against raids, and its garrison included service people from several communities. The settlement later became an estate of the ruling Romanov family. In 1780 it was made a district town and given the name Krasnoslobodsk.