Alena Arzamasskaya, also known as Temnikovskaya, was recognized as a national hero during her lifetime, but today her name is almost forgotten. Only in Mordovian folklore have some legends about her survived. She was a kind of Joan of Arc or a Russian Amazon, depending on preferences. According to some sources, Alena was born in the Cossack village of Vyyezdnaya Sloboda near Arzamas and dedicated her mature years to serving the church, becoming a nun. She possessed healing skills and even learned to treat festering sores with 'bath mold,' while in Europe they were cauterized with hot iron.

Her life changed dramatically during the Peasant War led by Stepan Razin. Alena joined his movement and gathered a detachment of 500 people. With this 'battalion,' she defeated the detachment of the Arzamas voivode, headed towards the city of Temnikov, and captured it by storm. For two months, she governed the occupied settlement, where dozens of men flocked to fight against the tsarist authority, and soon their number reached about 2000.

However, the voivodes did not remain idle. They learned from local residents that the rebels were commanded by a certain sorceress in a cassock and armor. A large army was gathered against Alena Arzamasskaya, which headed for Temnikov. On the fortress walls, she fought alongside men, defending against enemies until the last arrow. But the forces were unequal. When there was nothing left to defend with, Alena turned to the altar and lay prostrate before it in prayer. She was not killed on the spot but taken captive.

Voivode Dolgorukov ordered her to be tortured to extract information about her comrades, but she revealed nothing. In the end, she was sentenced to death, also accused of witchcraft. In the Bazaar Square of Temnikov, a scaffold in the shape of a chapel was erected and set on fire. Alena, exhausted, climbed onto the platform, turned to the crowd, silently listened to the verdict, asked for forgiveness from the people, and unexpectedly declared: 'If there were more of you, victory would be on our side.' Then she turned away, crossed herself, and stepped into the burning structure. The crowd gasped. Thus perished Alena Arzamasskaya, who later became a local legend.