MORSHANSK, a district town of Russia, situated in the government of Tamboff, 58 miles (187 miles by rail) to the north of the capital of the province on the Tsna river, a tributary of the Oka, and on the railway between Moscow and Orenburg. The village Morsha was founded only in the middle of the 17th century, and received municipal institutions in 1779 ; but a hundred years ago it was already a wealthy town, owing to its situation in a most fertile district. Since it was brought into railway communication with Riazhsk (on the railway between Moscow and Riazan) it has acquired still more importance, and has become the chief centre for trade in wheat raised in the governments of Tamboff, Penza, Saratoff, and in the eastern districts of the government of Riazan. Merchants from Moscow, Yaroslav, Vladimir, St Petersburg, and the Baltic ports come to Morshansk to make large purchases of grain, flour, hemp-seed, tallow, and potash. These are sent, either to the Shilovskaya loading-place, or by rail to Moscow. There are in Morshansk several steam flour-mills, distilleries, and large store-houses for grain ; the town, though built of wood, is cleaner than most of the towns of the black-earth region. Morshansk has also some importance for the import of manufactured ware brought from the north and sent thence to the villages of the neighbouring districts. Population, 20,000.