Parfenyevo

Parfenyevo arose as a fortified place in the forest country east of Galich, on the approaches to the lands of Kazan. A Galich chronicle records a raid by Tatars and Cheremis on the district in 1523, when the grand prince’s outpost at Parfenyevo was devastated. The fortress was part of a defensive line intended to protect Moscow’s eastern lands. Its military role later faded, and in 1778 Parfenyevo lost its town status and became a posad.