city and administrative center of Alatyr’ Raion in southern Chuvash ASSR. A port on the Sura River, at its confluence with the Alatyr’ River. Alatyr’ has a railroad station on the Kanash-Ruzaevka line. It had a population of 43,000 in 1968. It is the second city in the republic, after Cheboksary, in economic importance and population. Industry consists of a steam-engine repair plant, an electromechanical plant, an electrical instruments plant, butter-and-cheese plants, a makhorka tobacco factory, a ski-goods factory, a shoe factory, a clothing factory, a knitted-goods factory, a paper mill, a piano factory, a meat combine, and a wood-processing combine. There are technicums for lumbering, rail transport, and agriculture. Alatyr’ is one of the oldest cities in the Chuvash ASSR. It was founded as a fortified point in 1552 and became a city in 1780. The economic importance of Alatyr’ began to grow in 1894 as a result of the construction of the Moscow-Riazan’-Kazan’ railroad.
a river in the Mordovian ASSR, Chuvash ASSR, and Gor’kii Oblast RSFSR; left tributary of the Sura. The Alatyr’ River is 296 km long, and its basin has an area of 11,200 sq km. It flows within the boundaries of the northern part of the Volga region elevation. The Alatyr’ is fed primarily by snow. It freezes over in November and opens up again in April. It is good for timber floating. The cities of Ardatov and Alatyr’ are located on the Alatyr’ River. At Alatyr’, the Alatyr’ River flows into the Sura.