Ruzaevka

a city under republic (ASSR) jurisdiction and administrative center of Ruzaevka Raion, Mordovian ASSR. Located on the Insar River of the Sura River basin. Major railroad junction at the intersection of the Riazan’-Inza and Penza-Krasnyi Uzel lines.

Ruzaevka was founded in 1893 as a workers’ settlement during the construction of the Moscow-Kazan railroad in the Saransk District, Penza Province. During the Revolution of 1905–07, it was a center for revolutionary activity in Mordovia. Soviet power was established on Oct. 27 (Nov. 9), 1917. Ruzaevka has been under the jurisdiction of several administrative-territorial units: from 1928 it was in Middle Volga Oblast; from 1929 it was in Middle Volga Krai; from 1930 it was in Mordovian Autonomous Oblast; and since 1934 it has been in the Mordovian ASSR.

Ruzaevka is the republic’s largest industrial center after Saransk. It has railroad transport enterprises, plants for the production of chemicals and vacuum-tube machinery, knitwear and clothing factories, a brickyard, and a milk plant. A textile combine is under construction (1975). The general engineering department of Mordovian State University and a secondary specialized polytechnic are in Ruzaevka.