Institute of Archaeology of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences and the Bolgar State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve studied the condition of sites at the Kuibyshev Reservoir

At the end of April 2025, the Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Khalikov TAS continued jointly with the Bolgar State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve the multi-year reconnaissance surveys in the Spassky district of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The expedition was aimed at monitoring the condition of archaeological sites located on the islands and coastal areas of the Kuibyshev Reservoir. Approximately 100 sites are at risk of destruction due to seasonal fluctuations in water levels. Regular monitoring enables the timely detection and prevention of damage.

During reconnaissance surveys, archaeologists inspected deteriorating monuments, collected surface finds, cleaned shoreline exposures, and refined the topographic plans. Elevated water levels restricted access to certain areas.

The burial equipment from a destroyed burial was discovered at the Komintern II burial ground, dated to the VI–VII centuries AD. The burial set included a torque and buckles made of non-ferrous metal, a copper bracelet, a sulgama (a type of brooch), and intact pottery. Along the shoreline of Semyonovka island, known for its monuments from various periods, iron artifacts associated with the Imenkovo culture and pre-Mongol Volga Bolgaria were identified.