The capital of Tatarstan - one of the oldest centers of civilization - many call the "city of unique monuments." Indeed, in the land of Kazan rich in sights and traditions, more than one generation of scientists and enlighteners, poets and craftsmen, generals and just heroes has grown. The history of the city is connected with the fate of Derzhavin, Pushkin, Chaliapin, L. Tolstoy, Lobachevsky and others.
general information
Kazan in terms of historical values and the preservation of cultural heritage is practically not inferior to such megacities as St. Petersburg or Moscow. After all, it is not for nothing that it is considered the third Russian capital. Its architectural monuments are of great value for the history of Russia. And such masterpieces as Syuyumbike - the leaning tower, the oldest building of the times of Ivan the Terrible, the Cathedral of the Kazan Kremlin that has been preserved to this day, the complex of the Cannon Courtyard (dating back to Peter's time), amaze with their architectural forms. Moreover, the Governor's Palace with the Kul-Sharif Mosque received the status of world heritage.
Under the auspices of UNESCO, the only Tatar fortress existing in the world today was taken, built many centuries ago and retaining its original features. This is the Kazan Kremlin, the photo against which every tourist who has visited this city brings home.
The pearl of Tatarstan
The very first buildings on the territory of the fortress appeared at the beginning of the eleventh century. It was then that on the hill, on which the ancient building now flaunts, the Bulgarian tribes settled, who began to erect a wooden military outpost - the Kazan Kremlin.
Kazan developed, and the citadel with its mausoleums and mosques lasted until the middle of the sixteenth century. But in 1552, the city was completely destroyed by Ivan the Terrible. In the same year, construction began on another, new Russian fortress on the banks of the Volga. It was built by the Pskov masters, who were led by Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Shiryem.
Architecture
The Kazan Kremlin is framed by an ancient fortress wall. It is completely erected from white Volga limestone. The towers of the Kazan Kremlin in the amount of eight pieces date from the sixteenth century. At the same time, the Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral was built. A little later - in the eighteenth century - Suyumbike - the leaning tower - was built. The complex of buildings at the Cannon Yard and the Junker School were erected in the nineteenth century, and the Kul-Sharif mosque - in our time.
The hill on which the Kazan Kremlin is built is surrounded on three sides by water. It was an ideal place to build a fortress. The very first fortifications of the Bulgarian nomadic tribes appeared on the banks of a small river at the turn of the tenth and eleventh centuries, although some archaeological finds are evidence that the settlement on this site existed much earlier.
History of the Kazan Kremlin
A stone fortress was erected with the aim of defending the northern borders of the Volga Bulgaria. By the middle of the thirteenth century, the Mongol troops, led by Khan Batu, had substantially advanced eastward into Europe. The domination of the Golden Horde was established not only over Russia and the Crimea. At the same time, Bulgaria fell, turning into a Mongolian province.
After the destruction of the city of Bulgar, the new capital was moved to Kazan. The local Kremlin became the residence of the ruler, and the city itself was renamed. But local residents did not accept the new name, so the principality was called Kazan ulus.
After the death of the Golden Horde in 1438, an independent khanate was founded. Active work began to strengthen the stone walls of the Kremlin. They, according to the chroniclers, became "impregnable military."
A palace and mosques were erected on the territory - stone Nur-Ali and wooden Khanskaya, which was later named after the seid Kul-Sharif. It was he who in 1552 defended the Kazan Kremlin from the soldiers of Ivan the Terrible.
Russian fortress
Until today, not a single khan's building has survived. Moreover, when in the middle of the sixteenth century the Kazan Kremlin turned into a Russian fortress, Orthodox churches began to be built in the places of Muslim constructions - “centers of infidelity”. Even Syuyumbike, right up to the nineteenth century, mistakenly attributed to the buildings of the Khan period, was built much later, already in Russian times. And proof of this are many elements, their architecture, especially pilasters and places for images.
After the conquest of the city, Ivan the Terrible sent architects there. They started a new building. First, the main structures - temples and towers - were built of wood. It is believed that the first of the stones was built a small church in honor of Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Imperial residence
In the first half of the nineteenth century, Nicholas I made the decision that the governor of the city would carry out the functions of the tsar's governor. It was then conceived that the Kazan Kremlin, a photo of which testifies to the monumentality of this architectural complex, will become an imperial residence. In this regard, construction began on the governor's palace. The construction was designed by architect Konstantin Ton. It was he who owned the idea of creating a smaller analogue of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Kazan . The course of construction work was closely monitored personally by Nicholas I. The result was a building that became a vivid example of a mixed Russian-Byzantine style that adorns the Kazan Kremlin.
Excursion
Over its thousand-year history, the complex of architectural monuments has repeatedly changed its appearance. But the foundations of the foundations of ancient mosques and towers, preserved deep underground, as well as many burials have remained to this day. Now in the territory for visitors are open museums of the Kazan Kremlin, dedicated not only to this ancient fortress, but also to the history of the people, Islamic culture and the nature of this region. There is also a memorial to the Great Patriotic War in memory of three hundred and fifty thousand Tatarstan people who did not return from the front.
The Spasskaya Tower
The first thing that tourists see coming to the Kazan Kremlin is the Spasskaya Tower. It is made in the Bulgarian style and is crowned with a double-headed eagle. The tower was built in the 1660s. It was repeatedly updated and rebuilt.
In addition to the Spasskaya Tower, seven more similar structures remained on the territory of the fortress - Voskresenskaya, Preobrazhenskaya, Southeast and Southwest, Consistory, Bezymyannaya and Tainitskaya.
Syuyumbike
The main attention in the ensemble is attracted to this structure. Two meters higher than the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, this tower began to roll immediately after construction. By 1930, the angle of its inclination reached a critical mark of one hundred twenty-eight centimeters. And if it were not for restoration and strengthening work, her roll would be much larger.
The Syuyumbike tower is called the recognized architectural symbol of the capital of Tatarstan. It is already impossible to imagine Kazan without it, just like Egypt without the pyramids, and Paris without the Eiffel Tower.
The graceful silhouette of this building attracts the attention of tourists, and the legends and myths told about it are truly fascinating. Here is one of them. Ivan the Terrible, who conquered Kazan, liked the beautiful tsarina. However, the beautiful Syuyumbike, who received a marriage proposal from the Russian sovereign, set the condition: to build such a tower in seven days, above which there would be no city. At the indicated time, her wish was fulfilled. And Syuyumbike herself, who allegedly decided to say goodbye to her beloved people, rose to this building and rushed from it. Since then, the tower began to roll downwards ...
Governor's Palace
This pompous building is not only cultural value. Today it, as in ancient times, performs political and administrative functions. Being at one time an imperial palace, today the palace is the residence of the President of Tatarstan. Many neighboring buildings have ministries and various departments.
Blagoveshchensky cathedral
It truly is one of the most ancient monuments of Russian architecture preserved in the capital of this republic. The Annunciation Cathedral of the Kazan Kremlin was founded on October 4, 1552, by order of Ivan the Terrible. A wooden church was cut down in just three days in a vacant lot. And already on the sixth day of the same month she was consecrated in honor of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. With this unique cathedral, the main part of the activities of many Kazan saints is connected, here they are also buried. The cell of the first bishop of the diocese, Archbishop Guria, was also well preserved. And on the eastern part of the wall, by some miracle, the oldest fresco depicting the image of the Holy Savior was preserved.
Kul Sharif Mosque
The monuments of the Kazan Kremlin include a modern, but very beautiful building in their list. This is the Kul Sharif mosque. For the first time the solemn prayer in her sounded on the twenty-fourth of June 2005. She bears the name of Said Kul-Sharif. It was the imam of that mosque called Al-Kabir, which existed here in the era of the Kazan Khanate and was destroyed by the soldiers of Ivan the Terrible.
Today, Kul-Sharif is considered a tribute to memory and respect for distant ancestors. The mosque is a very original synthesis of architectural styles and traditions, the most common in the Islamic world.
Kul-Sharif was built and today it is positioned as the main mosque for all Tatars living on the planet. This is a festive Friday Muslim church, so prayer is read in it no more than once a day. Mostly crowds of tourists come to the mosque for whom there are no weekdays or holidays.
How to get
The Kazan Kremlin is located on the left bank of Mother Volga. You can get to it by buses 6, 29, 37, 35, 47 and other routes, by trolley bus, as well as by metro. The Kremlin station was built next to it. Those who arrive by public transport can get off at the TsUM stop, st. Bauman "," Sports Palace "or" Central Stadium ".
Entrance to the territory of the Kazan Kremlin is free. You can go through the gate from the side of the Spasskaya Tower.
Reviews
After the revolution, the complex of architectural structures was badly damaged. But when in the nineties of the last century the Kazan Kremlin received the status of the residence of the President of Tatarstan, restoration work began here. Today, tourists call this ancient fortress the first attraction of the city, every centimeter of which is riddled with history.
At the end of the last century, work began on the reconstruction of the Kul-Sharif mosque. And today it is considered one of the largest in Europe. And in 2003, a symbolic sculpture was installed in the park next to the Annunciation Cathedral. It was called the "Architect of the Kazan Kremlin." From the sculpture, architects - Russian and Tatar - look at their works. After all, the fruit of their work - a unique architectural ensemble - was created and revived by the efforts of these two peoples.
Tourists complain: one or two days are not enough to explore all the sights of the Kazan Kremlin. Some, limited in time, choose a sightseeing tour. It lasts one and a half to two hours and costs about six hundred rubles for a group of up to ten people. Most of all visitors are impressed by the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kazan Kremlin. This snow-white building with blue-blue domes, according to many believers, literally turns their worldview around.
The beginning of this millennium the Kazan Kremlin met included in the heritage of UNESCO. This unique value of the complex - a witness to the downfalls and ups of entire nations that at different times inhabited the Volga region - is mandatory for those who have been here in their reviews.