Zasechnaya cherta (, loosely translated as
Great Abatis Line or
Great Abatis Border) was a chain of fortification lines, created by
Grand Duchy of Moscow and later the
Tsardom of Russia to protect it from the raids of the
Crimean Tatars who, rapidly moving along the
Muravsky Trail, ravaged the southern provinces of the country during a series of the
Russo-Crimean Wars. It also served as a border between the Muscovite State and the steppe nomads. As a fortification line stretching for hundreds kilometers, the Great Abatis Border is analogous to the
Great Wall of China and the Roman
Limes.