Penza

Penza rose on the Sura River, near the mouth of the smaller river that gave it its name. Founded in 1663 as a fortress on Russia's southeastern frontier, it was part of a chain of fortified towns and defensive lines intended to protect the country against raids from the steppe. The wooden Kremlin stood above the river, with a settlement and quarters for soldiers, merchants and other townspeople around it. Its gates and walls helped determine the direction of the first streets.

The building of Penza followed the expansion of Muscovite power into the middle Volga lands after the conquest of Kazan in 1552. Yuri Kontransky arrived on the tsar's orders in 1663 to direct the construction of the fortified town; by 1666 it had around three thousand inhabitants. The Penza defensive line was built in the late 1670s and extended eastward in 1681, encouraging further settlement around the fortresses. As the frontier receded, the town became an administrative centre for a growing agricultural district. Catherine II approved a general plan for Penza in 1785. The old fortress and buildings adjoining its walls were removed, while streets and quarters were laid out or straightened according to the plan, giving the former frontier stronghold a new urban form.