Balakovo
For a long time people thought that the city of Balakovo was founded in 1762, but later a document from 1738 was found in the archives of St. Petersburg. It mentions the Cossack meadow possession of Balakov Yurt. In 1762, Empress of Russia Catherine II wanted the Old Believers to return from Poland to Russia and settle on the lands between the Bolshoy and Maly Irgiz rivers. The Old Believers founded many new settlements, including Balakovo. In 1861, there were 2,700 people living in the village of Balakovo. The village grew quickly because of the wheat trade that went through it. Up to 10 million poods of grain were sent from Balakovo in one season. There were over 300 big barns near Balakovo to store the grain. The village also had a large forest nearby that helped its economy. In 1897, the population of the village reached 18,388 people.