Penza, the largest city and administrative center of Penza Oblast, Russia, lies on the Sura River, 625 km southeast of Moscow. During the Russian Civil War, when its population was around 79,000, Penza was the site of major events, including Lenin's 1918 telegram advocating severe measures against a kulak uprising and an anti-Bolshevik revolt by the Czechoslovak Legion.
It is the final mission of Chapter 2 in Last Train Home: when the train arrives in Penza, the city is already under the control of the Red Army. While the Provisional Government has tried to negotiate passage, they have failed, leaving the Major and his men no choice but to confront the Red garrison. The Major and his men defeat the Reds and secure passage through the city.