Syzran

Syzran (sĭˈzränyə) [key], city (1989 pop. 174,000), S central European Russia, on the Volga River near its junction with the Syzran. The city is a major river port and rail center. Manufactures include leather, glass, chemicals, and wood products. Oil, asphalt, limestone, and slate are extracted in the area. Syzran was founded as a Russian military settlement in 1683 and was an important grain market from the mid-19th cent. until the 1920s.