Places & Areas

1. Шупашкар

   Shupashkar

   Cheboksary (capital of Chuvashia)

   Usage

   The capital of Chuvashia on the Volga; show it to a driver or ticket clerk as a destination. Russian signs write it Чебоксары.

   Grammar Note

   Шупашкар is the city's proper name. Place endings follow it: Шупашкарта "in Cheboksary", Шупашкара "to Cheboksary".

2. Чӑваш Республики

   Chăvash Respubliki

   Chuvash Republic (Chuvashia)

   Usage

   The official name of the republic, seen on documents and signboards. In speech it is also called Чӑваш Ен "the Chuvash land".

   Grammar Note

   "Чӑваш + noun in possessive form" means "Chuvash …". Республики is the Russian loan Республика with the ending -и.

3. Шупашкар кӳлмекӗ

   Shupashkar kÿlmekĕ

   Cheboksary Bay (waterfront recreation area)

   Usage

   A bay in the city centre with a promenade and parks; a standard place for a walk and views.

   Grammar Note

   "Place name + noun in possessive form" means "the bay of …". кӳлмек has front vowels, so the ending is -ӗ.

4. Хӗрлӗ лапам

   Khĕrlĕ lapam

   Red Square (central Cheboksary, near the Volga)

   Usage

   A square in central Cheboksary, not the one in Moscow; a common meeting point and landmark for a stroll.

   Grammar Note

   The adjective comes before the noun (Хӗрлӗ "red", лапам "square"). The name is used unchanged in addresses and signs.

5. Чӑваш наци музейӗ

   Chăvash natsi muzeyĕ

   Chuvash National Museum

   Usage

   The first museum to visit for costumes, embroidery and history; also the name to use when asking the way.

   Grammar Note

   музей takes the compound ending -ӗ. The museum was founded in 1921.

6. Чӑваш патшалӑх оперӑпа балет театрӗ

   Chăvash patshalăkh operăpa balet teatrĕ

   Chuvash State Opera and Ballet Theatre

   Usage

   The formal name of Cheboksary's opera and ballet house, for buying tickets or telling a taxi driver.

   Grammar Note

   оперӑпа балет means "opera and ballet"; -па is the "with, and" ending. This is the official name, so read it out as it stands.

7. Шупашкар аэропорчӗ

   Shupashkar aeroporchĕ

   Cheboksary Airport

   Usage

   The city's civil airport; give it to a taxi or shuttle as the destination.

   Grammar Note

   Final т becomes ч before the possessive ending (аэропорт → аэропорчӗ). Without an ending the word is Аэропорт.

8. Ҫӗнӗ Шупашкар

   Çĕnĕ Shupashkar

   Novocheboksarsk (satellite town of Cheboksary)

   Usage

   A town about 20 km from Cheboksary. Russian signs write it Новочебоксарск.

   Grammar Note

   Built as "new (Ҫӗнӗ) + Cheboksary", the same idea as the Russian name. Ҫ is a separate Chuvash letter with a soft, sh-like sound, not plain с.

9. Канаш

   Kanash

   Kanash (railway junction town in Chuvashia)

   Usage

   A town whose name turns up on train changes; check it on departure boards and tickets.

   Grammar Note

   Канаш is a proper name. Endings follow it: Канашра "in Kanash", Канашран "from Kanash".

10. Улатӑр

    Ulatăr

    Alatyr (old town in south-western Chuvashia)

    Usage

    A town in the south-west of the republic. Russian signs write it Алатырь.

    Grammar Note

    The Chuvash name Улатӑр corresponds to Russian Алатырь. A river of the same name also exists.

11. Атӑл

    Atăl

    The Volga river

    Usage

    The Chuvash name of the Volga; seen on riverside promenades and boat-trip signs.

    Grammar Note

    Атӑл is the proper name of the river; "on the bank of the Volga" is Атӑл хӗрринче.

12. Шупашкар шыв усравӗ

    Shupashkar shyv usravĕ

    Cheboksary Reservoir

    Usage

    A large reservoir formed by damming the Volga; seen on maps and boat-trip notices.

    Grammar Note

    шыв усравӗ is built as "water-keeping place"; the place name comes first.

13. Ҫеҫпӗл Мишши музейӗ

    Çeçpĕl Mishshi muzeyĕ

    Mishshi Sespel Museum (Chuvash poet)

    Usage

    A Cheboksary museum about the life and work of a leading Chuvash poet.

    Grammar Note

    Ҫеҫпӗл is the poet's pen name and Мишши the given name; музейӗ after a personal name means "the museum of …".

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