Location: Chistopolsky district, at Danaurovka
The place preserved the remains of a Volga-Kama Bulgar town that arose in the pre-Mongol epoch. Dzhuketau was one of the trade centres of the Bulgar State. The wealth of the town and its inhabitants attracted various conquerors and bands of brigands, especially the Novgorod’ ushkuiniki. In 1380 a band of Novgorod outlaws led by Anfal Mikitin captured the town and looted it. The local prince complained to the Khan and the letter charged the princes of Suzdal, Rostov, and Nizhnyi Novgorod with capturing the bandits and executing them which was done. But in 1391 the Tsarevich Berkut devastated the Russian villages along the river Vyatka. The people of Vyatka in revenge and again with the help of the river pirates once more looted Dzhuketau. In 1399, in response to the destruction of Nizhnyi Novgorod by the Golden Horde, the Moscow Prince Vasiliy the First organised a new raid on the town. In the end, the town could not withstand all these disasters and ceased to exist.
“Historical and cultural area Dzhuketau was established by the decry of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan from 20.08.1999, which declares the cultural complex Dzhuketau, a monument of archaeological significance, as a historical and cultural reserve-area, in order to preserve the remains of the one of the Volga-Kama Bulgaria and Ulusa Dzhuchi cities, and its further study, the stimulation of cultural and educational activities and enhance the cultural education of the population, and regulation of the control over land-use, urban development, economic or any other activities on the territory.
Historical and cultural reserve-area “Dzhuketau” includes:
- Ancient settlement “Dzhuketau” (the 10-15th centuries) – remains of cultural stratum of one of the largest feudal districts, craft and shopping centres the Volga-Kama Bulgaria, and the Bulgarian medieval city – the centre of the Dzhuketau principality. This is one of the few historically known and precisely localised Bulgarian cities. Dzhuketau was mentioned in the Russian chronicles as Zhukotin alongside the Bolgar city, and was pointed by the Western-European maps as Sacetim. The city was ravaged by the Batyi troops in 1236. In XIV-XV centuries had been repeatedly attacked by ushkuyniki (editor: river pirates) and fell into ruin. There are still some parts preserved: fortress’ site (citadel of the city) floor with three high ramparts and two moats. The settlement is currently occupied be an elevator and severely damaged.
- Settlement “Danaurovskoe” and burial ground (the second half of the 10th century) – at the western posad (trading quarter).
- Settlement “Krutogorskoe” (the 10-13th centuries) and burial ground (the 11th century) – at the eastern posad.
Nowadays the borders of the reserve-area Dzhuketau are approved alongside three modes of its maintenance and use: reservational (economiv use is forbidden), limited use, and common (all-purpose) use (use is not limited). In the future, it is planned to create the State historical and archaeological reserve on the base of Dzhuketau”.
Source: http://rt-museum.narod.ru (Kaporskyi Aleksey)
