Temnikov

Temnikov stands on the Moksha in a region where Mordvin, Tatar and Russian histories meet. Its wooden fortress guarded a river crossing and formed part of the defensive network along the southeastern frontier of the Russian state. The town grew above the river, surrounded by forests and settlements of the Moksha basin.

The first Russian fortress was established on the left bank in the 1530s, but its position proved inconvenient. In 1536 it was moved upstream to the higher right bank, where a new wooden fort was built. Temnikov was associated with the Kasimov realm and with the lines of forts and forest barriers that protected the frontier. As settlement spread and the frontier moved south, the town continued as a local administrative and market centre for the surrounding district.