thumb|The Devil's Tower, a unique architectural monument surviving from [[Volga Bulgaria]]

thumb|Spasskaya Street

thumb|Gassara Street

Yelabuga (also spelled Elabuga; ; ) is a town in Tatarstan, Russia, located on the right bank of the Kama River and east from Kazan. Population:

Etymology

The name of the city of Yelabuga comes from the Turkic personal name Alabuga (, where buga — 'bull' symbolizes the strength and power of the bearer of the name). According to another version, the name comes from the Tatar name of the nearby lake Alabuga (translated as 'perch').

At the end of the 16th century, in official documents, in addition to the main name Yelabuga, the church name Tresvyatskoye or Tresvyatskoye also began to be added. This name should not be confused with the village of Trekhsvyatskoye, which was founded near Yelabuga in 1851. The last mention of Yelabuga with the addition of the church name Tresvyatskoye in official documents dates back to 1701. After that, and before Yelabuga was given the status of a county town, this settlement was called exclusively the palace village of Yelabuga.

In local historical literature of the 19th century, the history of Yelabuga was associated with the ancient cities of Gelon and . However, the historian A. Z. Nigamaev has contested these claims.

Geography

It is located on the high right bank of the Kama River at the confluence of the Toyma River, 215 km east of the capital of the republic, Kazan. The area of the city is 41.1 km2. Begishevo International Airport is 40 km from Yelabuga.

History

The former name of the city was Alabuga. Its history dates back to the 10th century, when a Volga Bulgar border castle, the so-called Alamir-Sultan castle was built by Bulgar Khan Ibrahim in 985 CE. The castle was built on the place of the legendary tomb of Alamir-Sultan (Alexander the Great "Macedonian"). The name 'Alabuga' originally referred to the tower of the castle, later the whole city was named Alabuga. The castle was later abandoned, and its remains are now known as Shaytan kalasy (Shaytan's castle). In the second half of the 16th century, a Russian village was founded on the same spot.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Yelabuga serves as the administrative center of Yelabuzhsky District, even though it is not a part of it. There is also a factory for the production of household appliances: domestic oil electric heaters, electric meat grinders Italian group De'Longhi.

Public transportation needs are served by a bus and taxi networks. Plans for a trolleybus route are being discussed.

Climate

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Notable people

The town is the birthplace of painter Ivan Shishkin. Nadezhda Durova, who, disguised as a man, was a highly decorated cavalry officer during the Napoleonic Wars died there in 1866. It is also where the Russian poet Marina Tsvetayeva committed suicide in 1941. The poet is buried at the municipal cemetery.

Miscellaneous

Near Yelabuga is the Nizhnyaya Kama National Park.

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Yelabuga is twinned with:

  • Safranbolu, Turkey
  • Aleksin, Russia
  • Beryozovsky, Russia
  • Weilheim in Oberbayern, Germany

References

Notes

Sources

  • Unofficial website of Yelabuga
  • Unofficial website of Yelabuga
  • Website about Yelabuga
  • Article about Yelabuga, Nizhnekamsk and the surrounding area
  • Population of Yelabuga by mother tongue in 1897