How many attractions in Kazan? Enough for the tourist to be interesting here. They talk about quite a lot, others are not considered with due attention. We will correct this drawback and get acquainted with one of the most beautiful places in the ancient capital of the Tatar Khanate. Tukay Square is located on the main thoroughfare of the city. Arriving in this area, you can immediately pay attention to the large number of buildings that are located in the ring. Today it has many department stores and shopping centers, which is very convenient for both the local and tourist.
The architecture here intertwines both old buildings and new ones. Thanks to such decisions, the city of Kazan preserves the historical “footprint”. Tukai Square is a clear confirmation of this, since it demonstrates not only Russian, but also classical Asian architecture.
Historical beginning
Until the 16th century, this central part of the city was surrounded by swamps and Lake Gruzeevo. Moreover, at that time this Kazan square was considered the outskirts of the city. Closer to the 18th century, it shifted significantly, due to the fact that local authorities decided to fill up the lake, and a fish market was built on the new territory.
But all the same, the foundation was loose, and technology did not allow to make any large-scale buildings in the form of shops.
Times of the empress
Since 1767, architects who obeyed the command of Catherine II began to work actively in the city. At their head was the most important professional - Vasily Kaftyrev. He bribed the All-Russian Empress with his mind and extraordinary imagination. According to her decrees, Vasily had to make the main site of the city a diamond-shaped, as well as build recreation areas for the population.
Soon, this place became the main shopping center of all that Kazan could offer. Tukai Square contained a large number of food rows and fish stalls. Because of what, at first it was called Rybna.
Towards the end of the 19th century, a ring jumping (horse-railway) was opened on the square, which was later turned into a tramway.
Great XX century
At that time, the “fish” territory was considered the busiest and dirtiest, although Kazan was generally considered quite clean. Tukay Square is located in the low part, and therefore melt and rain water flowed down it, which significantly aggravated the situation.
Already in 1935, food rows gradually began to be cleaned, and the territory acquired a much better look. Monuments and new buildings began to be built here. One of the first was a monument to N. E. Bauman, and the area at that time was called "Cooperative".
Soon, in 1937, the monument was moved to Yershov Street, and by 1940 local authorities ordered the ring tram line to be changed to a straight line.
1948 may consider the city of Kazan revolutionary. Tukaya Square acquired the first trolleybus line, and in the 70s - and an underground passage.
Grand opening of the subway
In the summer of 1997, a big festive event took place: a modern metro station was opened. It is decorated with white and green marble, and also contains on the walls 22 mosaic panels, which are made in the Roman style. It depicts the main characters of the works of Gabdulla Tukay, his portrait image, as well as paintings by famous Kazan creators.
Turning into the southern lobby, you can get to St. Petersburg Street and the shopping center "Boulevard".
If you go to the northern part of the subway, then it will lead you to the lowest floor of the Kolk shopping center.
Hotel complexes
Tukaya Square (Kazan), the photo of which you can see in the article, includes not only department stores and shopping centers, but also places where tired tourists can relax.
Hotel “Grand Hotel Kazan” is a modern complex that contains 17 floors and 215 rooms, as well as a restaurant, conference rooms, a congress hall, a parking and a helipad. Initially, the project assumed a larger area and twice as many floors, but since the area was previously on the water and the soil is still not quite stable, the architects abandoned this idea.
Hotel "Tatarstan" is a reconstructed building, which was built in the 70s, with 431 rooms, it also contains several restaurants and banquet rooms. There are luxury apartments on the top floor, after repair the number of rooms decreased to 368.
Gabdulla-Tukai Square, although it contains only two hotels, but they are impressive in size and can take a large number of comers.
Trading part
As previously stated, since ancient times, this area has developed in the food channel. Today, Gabdulla-Tukai Square (Kazan), in its ring accommodates several shopping centers, a department store and an entertainment complex, namely:
GUM Shopping Center was opened at the beginning of the 21st century, in 2002. Earlier in this building there was a Muslim dining room and ordinary shops, but after its popularity decreased significantly, they decided to renovate the building and make a reconstruction. After the opening in 2002, the situation repeated several years later, and in 2011 they made a complete update of the stores and repairs.
Shopping and entertainment center "Ring" is a project that was planned in 2002 in the European style. The five-story building has terraces from which the whole area of Gabdulla Tukay is visible. The metro station is nearby, so it will be very convenient for future customers to return home with hard purchases.
Department store "Children's World". His project was created in 1963, it provided for a huge three-story glass building designed exclusively for children's goods. But after some time, tenants decided to change the installed “system” and gradually began to introduce broad-based products. In March 2014, a Moscow company bought it and built new shopping malls in a department store.
The Arena entertainment complex is a four-story building that was designed in the 60s of the last century. It was originally built as a huge grocery store where there would be products at the lowest prices. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, this plan was translated into reality. Further times changed, and various entertaining elements were added there.
Memorials
Tukay Square is also rich in memorial pedestals that were erected in different centuries. These include:
The pedestal of Lev Gumilyov - initially on the St. Petersburg street there was a monument to Peter I, which was erected in the distant 18th century. But in 2005, many protests were held against this memorial, and by decree of the authorities it was replaced by Lev Gumilyov.
Mullanur Vakhitov Memorial - this pedestal was erected relatively recently, in 1985, to a man who was an avid revolutionary and activist. On the high slope to the monument are beautiful granite stairs, along which there are flower beds. In front of this monument, many social events are being held today, since there is a huge platform.
The rotunda, dedicated to the construction of the subway - a granite-stone memorial, was opened on Sverdlov Street in 1997, when the first modern "underground kingdom" was built in Kazan - Tukaya Square metro station.
Travel system
A lot of city buses and trolley buses go along the roundabout. There is also a parking for taxis and intercity minibuses.
In 2014, they began to build a five-kilometer highway from the Orenburg Highway to the Farm Highway, it will simplify transport to all suburbs and to the main areas of the city.
Also, active movement occurs underground in the previously described metro.
Kazan, Tukay Square, which is the main center of this magnificent city, will be an indispensable discovery for you and will provide new sensations, especially to those people who are interested in history. After all, the architecture on the "ring" is really impressive.