NIKOLAIEVSKAYA SLOBODA, a village of Russia, in the government of Astrakhan and district of Tsareff, 3 miles from the Volga, on its left bank, opposite Kamuishin. It dates from about the end of the last century, when a number of Little-Russians settled here for the transport of salt from Lake Elton. Although still but a village, it has about 30,000 inhabitants, and is one of the chief centres on the lower Volga for the trade in corn and salt.