Kazan miraculously managed to preserve its historical appearance in its original form. Walking through its streets you can get acquainted with the thousand-year history of the capital of Tatarstan, see the ancient mosques, cathedrals and town hall. In this article we will tell about the most interesting places that are worth visiting for everyone who comes to Kazan.
Kazan Kremlin
This is not only a business card of Kazan, but also one of the most beautiful sights of Tatarstan. Its territory is shaped like a polygon of irregular shape and contains a large number of buildings of cultural and historical value, including temples and other spiritual objects of the past century.
Here are the restored buildings of the very first settlements, on the site of which Kazan was built. In the center is the President’s Palace, built in the 19th century.
If we talked about the territorial features of the Kazan Kremlin, then a lot of historical, cultural and architectural sites are gathered on its square.The Kremlin itself is located on the banks of Kazanka and the Volga, which allows tourists to look not only at the historical, but also at the natural sights of the city.
Peter and Paul Cathedral
This is a unique monument of history in the Baroque style erected in the XVIII century. During its existence, all Russian emperors managed to visit it. Among his guests were many famous personalities, among them Pushkin, Shalyapin, etc.
The history of the cathedral has many difficult moments. There were often fires here, and during the Pugachev Uprising, it was almost completely looted. Parishioners and philanthropists who donated money for restoration work helped to save it.
In Soviet times, a planetarium and numerous workshops were opened here. The church building was again transferred in 1980.
Among the features of the Peter and Paul Cathedral is a huge iconostasis from the time of Peter the Great, which miraculously survived to this day. The walls of the building are decorated with mosaics and stucco.
Azimov mosque
Everyone calls this mosque the most majestic and beautiful in Kazan. Every day hundreds of parishioners and guests of the city come here. The Azimov mosque was built in 1890. At first it was a wooden building, but later merchant Azimov ordered to demolish a wooden building, and instead build a stone mosque.
During the years of Soviet rule, when anti-religious policies were pursued, many religious buildings, including the Azimov mosque, were closed. After which the building was renovated, and a cinema was opened there. The only thing that gave out the religious purpose of this place was the minaret.
The local authorities decided to revive the Azimov mosque only in 1990. And after 2 years it was opened for believers. Over time, the building was completely renovated and today we can see the mosque exactly as it was originally.
Kul Sharif Mosque
This mosque has a long history and has always been one of the main ones in the Kazan Khanate. But during the attack on the city of the army of Ivan the Terrible, it was destroyed. It was succeeded to restore it only several centuries later in 1996. Huge funds were allocated for its reconstruction and in 2005 the first parishioners visited it.
The facade of the building is completely decorated with marble, which was specially brought from the Urals, and interior details, such as paintings, candlesticks and carpets, were brought from Iran. Today there can be more than 1,500 people at a time here.
Temple of all religions
Another name for this temple is the Baha'i church. Parishioners call it a special spiritual platform of the Republic of Tatarstan. The temple managed to combine in itself almost all known world religions. This beautiful building is an ensemble of different spiritual centers, united among themselves.
In the Baha'i church, you can see pieces of Orthodoxy, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism.
Palace of Farmers
The construction of the palace was carried out on the site of an old wooden building in 2008. And already after 2 years, it received its first visitors. Today there are various state institutions within its walls, including the Ministry of Food, Veterinary and Agriculture of the Republic of Tatarstan.
This is one of the modern architectural landmarks of Kazan, consisting of two symmetrical wings, numerous columns and a classical dome. The building is very harmoniously fit into the landscape of a large metropolis.
Red Gate
Locals are accustomed to call this landmark Anniversary Arch, built in the XIX century. Its construction was timed to the centenary of the local powder plant.
The red gate is made of red and white bricks. Today, the landmark has historical and architectural significance for the city. After all, this is the only thing that remains to this day from the plant itself in the past providing the whole of Russia with powder. In 1917, a large fire occurred on its territory that destroyed production facilities.By happy coincidence, the fire did not hit the huge warehouses, since with their explosion the entire city would have suffered.
Old Tatar Sloboda
This old part of Kazan differs from others in that the architectural and historical complex is located on its territory. Sloboda is known for its spiritual buildings that still work today. This complex includes: Apanaevskaya, Golubaya, Azimovskaya, Burnaevskaya, Galeevskaya and Mardzhani mosques.
In the past, the Old-Tatar settlement was one of the districts of Kazan. And today it is one of the revered places not only locals, but also all Muslims.
National Museum of Tatarstan
The museum was opened to visitors in 1895. Among his expositions, a special place is occupied by the private collection of the archaeologist Likhachev, who advanced the theory of the origin of the entire Tatar people.
Today the museum fund has about 800 thousand unique exhibits of historical and cultural value not only for Tatarstan, but also for the whole country. Among other things, there are collections of gold jewelry and coins, ancient manuscripts and scrolls, as well as other items found during the excavation of the Ananyinsky burial ground.
The museum is located in the old building of the Gostiny Dvor, the appearance of which was formed during the XIX century.
Pedestrian street Bauman
This street is a kind of local "Arbat". Before the city was conquered by Ivan the Terrible, it was called Nogai, but after that it was called Prolomna. The street got its current name in the first half of the last century in honor of one of the Kazan revolutionaries.
In 1986, she was granted pedestrian status, and after a few years, local authorities seriously began to reconstruct and improve it. Thanks to this, today you can see a huge number of historical and architectural monuments, shops and entertainment venues.
Kazan is a unique city with a long history. Its peculiarity is that it managed to unite all world religions in itself and preserve the existing historical, cultural and architectural sights.
