Arsk

Arsk (Russian: Арск; IPA: [ˈarsk]; Tatar: Cyrillic Арча, Latin Arça, [ʌrˈɕa]) is a town and the administrative center of Arsky District in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, located on the Kazanka River, 65 kilometers (40 mi) from Kazan, the capital of the republic. Population: 18,114 (2010 Census); 17,211 (2002 Census); 13,938 (1989 Census).

Etymology

The Tatar name of the town ("Арча") can be translated as "Udmurt's" or "Udmurtian".

History

It was founded in the 13th century by Volga Bulgarians. The town was the seat of Archa Darugha (a type of subdivision) during the Khanate of Kazan period. Even though the town was located in the area mostly populated by Tatars, the larger part of darugha's population was Udmurt. It is possible that earlier population of this area was also Finnic, who later assimilated with the Tatars.

Arsk was one of the strongest forts in the khanate. In 1506, it was the site of the Battles of Arsk Field, in which Tatar forces were initially defeated by the Russians but later turned the tables and won one of their most significant victories in the course of the Russo-Kazan Wars.