Sorochinskaya

Sorochinskaya began as a fortress on the Samara River. In the spring of 1736 Pyotr Bakhmetyev arrived to build it near the mouth of the Sorochka, but high water forced him to select a site farther upstream. The fort retained the intended name and was garrisoned by service men, including Yaik Cossacks; its first ataman was Aleksei Sokolov. In 1773 Yemelyan Pugachev occupied the fortress during his rebellion and used it as a gathering and observation point for his forces.