Among local historians, there is an opinion that our city may be at least a hundred years older. According to legend, the site of the modern streets of Rabochiy Poryadok and Uritskogo was home to the Cherkassk fortress.

In the summer of 1552, Ivan the Terrible set out on a campaign against the Kazan Khanate, which was the main stronghold of the once-powerful Golden Horde. His route passed through sparsely populated Volga lands, and at key points, the tsar ordered the construction of watch defensive posts. Thus, the Cherkassk fortress was born. Its garrison consisted of Ukrainian Cossacks who had joined the Russians. Although the small fortress could not withstand large hordes of nomads, it successfully held off smaller detachments. The Cherkassk often also performed reconnaissance functions, in which they were quite skilled. The Cossacks could move underwater over significant distances, breathing through straw tubes. Overall, the descendants of the Zaporizhian Sich preserved their traditions and habits, wearing long pigtails and trousers. The exact duration of the existence of the Cherkassk fortress is unknown, but it became the predecessor of a more powerful fortress named Penza.

Later, a large district called Cherkassy was formed here, named after the Ukrainian Cossacks. However, today even the locals do not refer to this quarter as Cherkassy.