Kazan Kremlin

You can’t just come to Kazan and miss the Kremlin. It stands on a mountain where, according to legend, the fire-breathing dragon Zilant lived, guarding the underworld. Today it houses the residence of the President of the Republic, administrative buildings and the Kazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve with an area of ​​150 thousand sq.m.
In 2000, this architectural and historical monument was included in the UNESCO List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites.
The Kazan Kremlin complex is the Kazan Kremlin settlement (X-XVI centuries), stone-brick Kremlin (XVI-XVIII centuries), architectural structures (XVI-XIX centuries) and a complex of defensive structures of eight towers (XVI-XVIII centuries).
In the pre-Mongol period until the 13th century, the Kazan Kremlin was a military-trade settlement on the northern border of the Volga Bulgaria. From the second half of the 13th century to the first half of the 15th century, the Kremlin turned into the center of the Kazan principality as part of the Golden Horde.
After the capture of Kazan in 1552 by the troops of Ivan the Terrible, it became the administrative and military center of the annexed Volga region.
Since 1708, the Kremlin is the center of the Kazan province, since 1922 - the Tatar Autonomous Republic, since 1992 - the state center of the Republic of Tatarstan as part of the Russian Federation.

Bauman street

The main pedestrian artery of Kazan begins at the foot of the Kazan Kremlin and ends with the metro station on Tukaya Square. The architectural look of the street is formed by buildings of the 17th – 20th centuries, for example, the Press House in the form of an open book or the bell tower of the Epiphany Cathedral. The unique historical color is given by unusual sculptures - the carriage of Catherine II, fountains with pigeons, zero kilometer of Kazan and a monument to Fedor Chaliapin. The most striking sights of the street are Epiphany, Nikolsky Cathedrals and the John the Baptist Monastery.

Kazan Federal University

The main building of the architectural ensemble of Kazan Federal University, built in 1825 a kilometer from the Kremlin, was considered at that time one of the best in the city by its looks. Since then, it has undergone many changes: an astronomical observatory, an anatomical theater, a rector’s house, and other buildings surrounding the university campus have appeared behind the building. The main role in the design of the building was played by the famous Russian mathematician Nikolai Lobachevsky. During the time of its work, the university has trained hundreds of leading world-famous scientists, and scientific schools that have received international recognition have arisen within its walls. Now in the main building of the university, which is the embodiment of the student spirit of Kazan, there is a law faculty of Kazan University.

Kul Sharif Mosque

In 2005, the Kul Sharif mosque was erected in memory of the legendary mosque of the Kazan Khanate on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. The mosque and the Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral symbolize the community of two religions on the same land. The interior of the mosque is designed for 1,500 people. The dome of the building resembles the “Kazan cap” worn by khans, the interior decoration is complemented by an extraordinary chandelier weighing two and a half tons, made in the Czech Republic according to sketches of Tatarstan artists, and the floors are covered with luxurious Persian rugs. The spectacular night illumination of the mosque is impossible not to admire. The five-story mosque houses a museum of Islamic culture.

Cathedral of the Annunciation

The Annunciation Cathedral is the largest of the Kazan Kremlin structures. Initially, the cathedral was a classic cross-domed temple with a five dome and two aisles. The main shrine of the cathedral, preserved to this day, is a shrine with the relics of the high priest of Kazan Guria, the cathedral walls were erected during his time. The majestic cathedral remembers famous and historical figures who visited it - emperors Peter I, Paul I, Nicholas I, Catherine II, Alexander Pushkin, Alexander Radishchev and Sergei Rachmaninov. Fedor Chaliapin repeatedly sang in the cathedral’s choir. On the cobblestones near the Annunciation Cathedral, a “hearth” is laid out in a semicircle, where until the 1920s there was a five-tier bell tower. Twice a year, a procession takes place here from the Annunciation Cathedral to the place of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

White mosque

The White Mosque is a young architectural monument, but today it has become an integral part of the culture of the Great Bolgar. It was built in 2012 near the entrance to the city. The grandeur and scope of the structure attracts travelers, and the oriental flavor and interior decoration of the mosque create an atmosphere of an oriental tale. The best works of world Islamic architecture served as a model for construction. The ensemble of the White Mosque is a prayer square with a refined arcade of 88 eastern columns, sophisticated minaret towers and a main dome with elaborate stained glass windows. The interior is no less inspiring: the prayer hall is surrounded by tall columns with crescents, and on the walls you can see an elegant Arabic script - quotes from the Koran.

Tour "Elabuga"

Elabuga is a small ancient town, conveniently located among the forests on the right bank of the Kama River, 215 km from Kazan. A city surrounded by greenery with a panorama of churches, with ancient stone mansions is a unique example of merchant architecture of the 19th century, which has preserved its unique appearance and unique landscape to this day.
Marina Tsvetaeva, one of the most prominent figures in the literature of the Silver Age, was evacuated to Yelabuga in August 1941. In this town, she lived only 11 days, and on August 31, unable to withstand life circumstances, committed suicide. Here the cultural center of her name is located.
Ivan Shishkin, a landscape painter, on the contrary, was born and spent his childhood and youth in Yelabuga. The Shishkin Museum includes a house museum, an art gallery and a monument, which are located in the most picturesque place of the district Elabuga - on Naberezhnaya Street. The art gallery features one of the artist’s largest collections.

Tour "Island-town Sviyazhsk"

Sviyazhsk Island is a monument of medieval Russia. A piece of land at the confluence of Sviyaga into the Volga was turned into an impregnable fort on the orders of Ivan the Terrible. Ancient monasteries with cathedrals have survived to this day. In the middle of the twentieth century, the village was used as a colony for political prisoners, a monument to the victims of political repression recalls this.
Tourists come to Sviyazhsk to see interesting architecture, buildings built by the hands of architects of antiquity. It is convenient to get to the place by river ferry. A bus with a tour group is also an excellent choice, since Sviyazhsk is connected to the coast by road. The capital of Tatarstan is 30 km away from the town, bus tours start from here.

The hotel fund of the Republic of Tatarstan is represented by more than 500 hotels, of which in Kazan - 230 hotels and hostels that can receive about 20 thousand guests at a time. Hotels of world brands - Hilton, Marriott, ParkInn, Ibis and others are successfully operating in the Republic.

Information on hotels and hostels in the cities of the Republic of Tatarstan can be found at:
https://visit-tatarstan.com/en/hotels/