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Handbook for travellers in Russia, Poland, and Finland; including the Crimea, Caucasus, Siberia, and Central Asia
Handbook for travellers in Russia Poland and Finland including the Crimea Caucasus Siberia and Central Asia Author:John Murray This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1888 Excerpt: ...and Penza. Kasimof. Distr. t. in Eiazan prov. on 1. bank of r. Pop. 15,000. (Abt. 24 hrs. from Murom.) History.--The t. is remarkable as h... more »aving been the Beat of a small Tartar kingdom which existed until 1667. It was given by Vasili the Dark to Kasim, a Tartar who settled in Russia in 1446 and became the ally of the sovereign of Moscow. The horde of Kasimof did good service during the wars of the princes of Moscow with the Tartars, Novgorodians, Livonians, and Poles. Its Tsars assisted Ivan the Terrible in the capture of Kazan, 1552. The last Tartar ruler became a Christian and died in 1667, when his small dominions were incorporated with Russia. Peter the Gt. caused a considerable portion of the population to be removed to Voronej, where they were attached to the dockyards. Being in the centre of the water communication between Moscow and N.Novgorod, and on the high road from Astrakhan to both those cities, this is a place of very considerable trade. The corn of Tambof and Penza is brought there in large quantities for distribution over the less fertile parts of the provs. of Eiazan and Vladimir. The inhabs. are very industrious, and have such a high reputation for honesty that most of the waiters in the hotels at St. Petersburg and Moscow are " Kasimof Tartars." The principal industry of the t. is the tanning of hides and the dressing of sheepskins. The bells of Kasimof are also much prized by the uamstchiks (or postillions) throughout Russia. Topography.--The mosque, supposed to have been built by Kasim, is still extant, but the minaret, attributed to the game age, was rebuilt in the 18th cent. Near the mosque is a mausoleum erected by Shah Ali in 1555, and another, outside the t., was built in 1616 by the Tsarevitoh Orslan. Inscriptions in the...« less