The city of Kulebaki is located 190 km from Nizhny Novgorod, and 30 km from Navashino. Regular bus service connects it to the latter. The city is the administrative center of Kulebakskiy District, Nizhny Novgorod Region.
Population
The population of Kulebaki is 44,900.
History
A permanent settlement at the site of the modern city emerged no later than the end of the 17th century, situated along the Murom–Arzamas road and surrounded by Mordva villages. The earliest documentary mention of the settlement of Kulebaki is found in a cadastral survey book of 1791. The toponym derives from the words "kuley" ("beehive") and "baki" ("vessels") and is linked to the primary occupation of the Mordva inhabitants — beekeeping in hollow trees. The population of Kulebaki grew slowly; in 1858 only 542 people lived here. The main occupations of local residents were farming and various trades — woodworking, hunting, and beekeeping. In the 1860s, at the initiative of local landowner Fyodorov and Vyksa merchant Borodachev, a metallurgical plant was built in Kulebaki using local ore; it remains the city's largest enterprise to this day. In 1935, Kulebaki was granted town status.
Points of Interest
KULEBAKI MUSEUM. Vosstaniya St., 4a. This two-story terem (a traditional ornate wooden building) of unusual design, topped with a small tower, was relocated from Nizhny Novgorod by Kulebaki merchants and industrialists after the closing of the All-Russian Art and Industry Exhibition. It is undoubtedly the most beautiful building in the city! The museum houses exhibits chronicling the history of the city and the metallurgical plant.
Some 4 km from the city flows the strikingly beautiful Tyosha River — with its forested banks, a right tributary of the Oka River.