PENZA  , a

town of Russia, capital of the government of the same name, 492 M. by rail S.E. from Moscow . It stands on a plateau 567 ft. above the sea, at the confluence of the Penza with the navigable Sura . Pop . (1897), 61,851 . The older parts of the town are constructed of wood, but the newer parts are well built . The cathedral was erected in 182o-1821 . Penza has technical schools, public libraries, a museum of antiquities, and a theatre which has played some part in the history of the Russian stage . The bulk of the inhabitants support themselves by agriculture or fishing in the Sura . An imperial botanical garden is situated within two miles of the town . Apart from paper-mills and steam flour-mills, the manufacturing establishments are small . There is a trade in corn, oil, tallow, timber and spirits, and two fairs where cattle and horses are sold .