Venyov

Venyov lies among the rivers and ravines south of the Oka, in a district that became part of Moscow's defensive frontier. An older Venyov stood on the Osyotr near a monastery; the later fortified town grew on a site protected by the Venevka and its ravines. Its wooden walls guarded an approach from the steppe.

In the sixteenth century Ivan Sheremetev built a fortress here known as Gorodensk. Ownership changed amid the politics of Ivan IV's court, and after the great Crimean raid of 1571 the fortress passed to the tsar. It received the name Venyov in 1572. Its garrison formed part of the network of forts and watch posts that protected the southern approaches to Moscow, while the rivers and steep ground made the position difficult for cavalry to attack.