Yershov

The dry steppe around Yershov lies near the headwaters of the Maly Uzen, east of the Volga. The river flows south through a broad, gently sloping plain toward the enclosed lakes of the Caspian lowland. Its headwaters and shallow valleys break the surrounding grasslands, where pastoral routes crossed the open steppe. This was part of the open country between the Volga and the Ural, crossed by peoples whose grazing grounds shifted with the seasons.