External Lines of the Early Bolgar Fortification

The second part of the article deals with the issues of tracing and dating the external line of the fortifications of the city of Bolgar, which existed in pre-Mongol times. The task of this line was to defend the territory adjacent to the citadel and inhabited by craftsmen and tradesmen. Until now, it was assumed that there was only one such line. However, excavation materials indicate several lines (at least two). The problem is aggravated by very approximate dating of the ditches discovered during excavations and the absence (or extremely low degree of preservation) of embankments, which are no longer visible in the relief. Lack of reliable information about the fortification of the Bolgar at the beginning of the 13thcentury casts doubt on the catastrophic destruction of the city by the Mongols in 1236.