White-stone Kazan Kremlin. Kazan: Kremlin, description and photos of the Kremlin, history and architecture, excursions to the Kazan Kremlin, Syuyumbike Tower and Kul-Sharif Mosque - travel agency Another dimension

There are so many interesting and memorable places in our country that life is not enough to see all of them. Today we will go to Tatarstan. An attraction that the capital of the republic is proud of is the Kazan Kremlin, the oldest part of the city, a unique complex of historical, archaeological and architectural monuments that reveal the centuries-old history of the Tatar people, the ancient city and the republic as a whole.

The entire territory of the complex is now a museum-reserve, which has been under the protection of UNESCO since 2000. The Kazan Kremlin (Tatarstan) is the main attraction of the republic. Tatar and Russian cultural traditions are harmoniously combined on a huge territory.

After Kazan was taken by the troops of Ivan the Terrible, most of the Kremlin's structures were damaged, and almost all mosques were destroyed. The tsar ordered to build a white-stone Kremlin here, and for this purpose architects were sent from Pskov to erect the Moscow Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed. The fortress was significantly expanded, and wooden defensive structures were replaced by stone ones in the first half of the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Kazan Kremlin (Tatarstan) lost its military function and became the cultural and administrative center of the Volga region. In subsequent centuries, the construction of the Governor's palace, the cadet school, the bishop's house, the spiritual consistory, the building of public places was carried out here. In addition, the Annunciation Cathedral was reconstructed.

After the October Revolution (1917), the bell tower of the Annunciation Cathedral, the Church of the Spassky Monastery, the chapel at the Spasskaya Tower and other unique objects were destroyed in the Kazan Kremlin. In the nineties of the XX century, the Kazan Kremlin (Tatarstan) became the residence of the president of the republic. At this time, large-scale restoration work began.

Since 1995, work began on the construction of the Kul-Sharif mosque. Today it is one of the largest in Europe. The Kazan Kremlin (Tatarstan) is a unique vivid example of the synthesis of the Russian and Tatar architectural styles. It is also the northernmost distribution point for Islamic culture in the world.

Today many tourists from different countries of the world visit Tatarstan. The sight of the republic, which arouses the greatest interest, is the Kazan Kremlin. It should be noted that in order to inspect all its structures, it will take at least two days, and the sightseeing tour lasts only an hour and a half. But, since we are not limited in time, we will get acquainted with the sights of the Kremlin in more detail.

Kremlin buildings

The Kazan Kremlin (Tatarstan) is a museum-reserve covering an area of ​​13.45 hectares. The perimeter of the walls is about 1.8 thousand meters. This vast territory houses the WWII Memorial Museum, the Museum of Islam, the Hermitage-Kazan Center, the Museum of the History of Tatarstan and other institutions.

Spassky Tower

This tower houses the Main Gate to the Kremlin. Architects Shiryai and Yakovlev built the tower in 1556. The height of this structure is 47 meters. The four-sided base has a straight arched opening. The octagonal tier has arched openings on each side and is a belfry where the alarm bell is located.

Above is a brick cone, which is crowned with a five-pointed star. Another octahedral cone houses a striking clock. They glorified the Kazan Kremlin (Tatarstan). The interesting design of the first watches, which were installed in the 18th century, attracted the interest of many foreign masters who produced such movements. This was explained by the fact that the watch was arranged in a very unusual way - the dial revolved around the fixed hands.

They were changed to their traditional counterpart in 1780. The clock, which is located on the walls of the Spasskaya Tower today, was installed in 1963. It is noteworthy that with the beginning of the chiming clock, the snow-white walls gradually turn into a rich crimson color.

Official places

The project of the provincial chancellery was developed by the architect from Moscow V.I.Kaftyriev. The building appeared in the Kremlin at the end of the 18th century. There were offices (for receptions) and living rooms for the governor's family. The second floor was set aside for a luxurious throne room with choirs for orchestra. A guardhouse was built in the middle of the 19th century on the place where the Tsar's yard was located in the 15th-17th centuries.

Today, the premises of the former chancellery houses the Department of Foreign Relations of the President of Tatarstan, the Central Election Commission and the Arbitration Court.

Transfiguration monastery

The Kazan Kremlin, a description of which can be seen in almost all advertising brochures of the city, is famous for another object. In the southeast of the Kremlin, there is a monastery complex. In its center are the remains of the Transfiguration Cathedral, destroyed in the twenties of the XX century. At the foot of the main wall of the cathedral, you can see a small cave, which since 1596 was the burial place of the Kazan miracle workers.

The fraternal corps is bordered by the fence of the monastery. In 1670, monastic cells were built here. A gallery and a treasury house were erected much later. The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, as well as the chambers of the archimandrite, are located at the western wall of the complex. The building of the church was reconstructed according to the project of A. Schmidt in 1815. It is interesting that during the reconstruction the basement of the 16th century was preserved in its original form.

Junker school

On the territory of the Kremlin there is an arena, which was built according to a project previously built in St. Petersburg. This structure was intended for drill training. Today it houses the Institute of Literature and Art. Ibragimov. The school building is located behind the arena. It was created by the architect Pyatnitsky as barracks for the cantonists.

The building was transferred to the military department in 1861, later a cadet school was opened in it.

Kul Sharif Mosque

The most beautiful mosque in the city is located in the courtyard of the school. Four minarets soared into the sky fifty-seven meters. The capacity of this grandiose structure is 1500 people. The minarets are painted in turquoise color, which gives the structure a surprisingly light appearance. In addition to the mosque, the complex includes a huge open library-museum, a publishing center and the imam's office.

A rounded small beautiful building with a turquoise dome, located to the south of the mosque, is a fire station, which is stylistically connected with the architectural complex. Kul Sharif was recreated in 2005. Funds for its construction were donated by the townspeople, as well as the enterprises of the capital.

Blagoveshchensky cathedral

This is the oldest stone building in Kazan, which has survived to this day. It was consecrated in 1562. In the architecture of the cathedral, the trends of Pskov, Vladimir, Ukrainian and Moscow architecture can be traced. The helmet-shaped poppies, located on the side chapters, were replaced by bulbous ones in 1736. The central dome is made in the Ukrainian Baroque style.

In the main basement of the church, a museum of the Orthodoxy of the Volga region was created. A little further is the house of the bishop, which was built in 1829 on the site where the palace of the Kazan bishops was located earlier. The ensemble ends with a consistory. This building was rebuilt from the bishop's stables.

Artillery yard

Behind the mosque and the school is the Cannon Yard, more precisely, its southern building. This is the oldest building in the complex - it was built at the very beginning of the 17th century. An artillery factory began operating here in the 19th century. And last year, restoration took place here. The creation of the exposition of the Cannon Yard Museum began.

Nowadays, permanent exhibitions, fashion collections, and chamber performances are held on the territory of the complex. Next to the southern building, you can see a fragment of a brick building on a stone foundation. In terms of depth, this object belongs to the khan era of the Kremlin. In those days, dwelling houses were built here.

Governor's palace

It was built in 1848 for the governor of Kazan with the royal chambers for special guests of honor. The work was supervised by K. A. Ton, who is known for his amazing works. This is the Cathedral of Christ and the Bolshoi in Moscow. This place used to be the location of the khan's palace ensemble.

The passage is connected with the palace church on the second floor of the palace. It was named Vvedenskaya and was built in the 17th century. The Museum of the History of Statehood operates inside the church today, and the President of Tatarstan with his family lives in the governor's palace.

Tower Syuyumbike

This is a symbol of Kazan. The tower was named after the Tatar queen. As the legend says, Ivan the Terrible, having learned about the beauty of Syuyumbike, sent messengers to Kazan with an offer to a beautiful girl to become a Moscow queen. But the messengers brought a refusal from the proud beauty. The angry tsar captured Kazan. The girl was forced to agree to the proposal of Ivan the Terrible, but she put forward a condition: that in seven days there should be a tower in the city, which eclipsed all existing minarets in height.

Ivan the Terrible fulfilled the wish of his beloved. During the festive feast, Syuyumbike said that she wanted to take a goodbye look at her hometown from the height of the newly built tower. Climbing to the upper platform, she rushed down.

Outwardly, this building is very reminiscent of the Moscow Kremlin. Unfortunately, no exact data has been preserved about the time of the creation of this attraction.

The tower consists of five tiers, which are decreasing in size. The last levels are octahedrons, which are crowned by a tent in the form of an octahedral truncated pyramid and a spire with a crescent moon. From the spire to the ground, the building is 58 meters high. In the last century, three reconstructions took place here, since it was recorded. Today, the deviation from the vertical of the spire is 1.98 meters.

Taynitskaya tower

Below Syuyumbike are the Taynitsky entrance gates. This name was given to them in honor of the dungeon that leads to the source. During the siege of the city, local residents used it. Previously, the tower was called Nur-Ali. The Russian inhabitants of the city called her Muraleeva. It was blown up during the capture of the Kremlin. It was through these gates that Ivan IV entered the city.

The tower was restored, but the architectural decoration was completed in the 17th century. Now on the upper tier there is a cafe "Muraleevy Vorota".

Kazan Kremlin: excursions, prices, opening hours

The Kremlin excursion department invites guests of the city and local residents to take a walk through the museum-reserve, accompanied by professional staff. Tours are conducted in Tatar, Russian, German, English, Turkish, Italian and French.

The entrance through the Spasskaya Tower is open daily. The entrance to the Kazan Kremlin (Tatarstan) is also made through the Taynitskaya Tower. Opening hours: in summer - from 8:00 to 22:00, and in winter - until 18:00.

The cost of an excursion for a group of six people is 1360 rubles. For a group of more than six people - 210 rubles per adult.

How to get there?

Kazan Kremlin (Tatarstan), whose address is Kremlevskaya, 2, is located on the left bank of the Volga. You can get here by buses No. 6, 29, 37, 47, trolleybuses No. 4, 10, 1 and 18. Stop "TSUM", "Ul. Bauman "or by metro - stop" Kremlin ".

History of the Kazan Kremlin
A thousand years ago, Finno-Ugric tribes settled on a high hill at the confluence of rivers. After the emergence of the state of the Great Volga Bulgaria on the territory of modern Tatarstan in the 10-13th centuries, Kazan was a small fortress on the border with Russia.
After the Mongol invasion of 1236, the Bulgar population came under the walls of Kazan from the Volga Bulgaria devastated by the Mongols, the city became a commercial and political center.
Then, after the collapse of the Golden Horde, the Kremlin became the center of the Kazan Khanate, which existed for about 100 years, from 1438 to 1552.
In the middle of the 16th century, conflicts with the Moscow principality escalated, and the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible went to war against the Kazan Khanate. In October 1552, Russian troops conquer Kazan and destroy its kirman (fortress). For the construction of the new Kremlin, architects from Pskov and Novgorod are invited under the leadership of Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Shiryaev. The white-stone fortress, which can be seen now, was built after the middle of the 16th century by Russian architects from the white Volga stone.
Today, the Kremlin serves as the residence of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan and is valuable as the southernmost example of the Pskov architectural style in Russia.

The Kazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The architectural ensemble of the Kazan Kremlin is interesting because today it retains the features of all the centuries that have passed over it.

What to see in the Kazan Kremlin
- The very walk along the high white-stone walls makes an impression, and if you climb the Preobrazhenskaya Tower under the very roof - the whole city center is in full view! The only and main street of the fortress remembers the Bulgar emirs, Golden Horde khans and Russian tsars. This is the first street in Kazan, paved with cobblestones, it still has a historical look today.
- On the territory of the fortress there is the famous "falling" tower of Queen Syuyumbike.

It deviates from its axis by 2 meters. The tower is named in honor of the last Kazan queen. Legend has it: Ivan the Terrible, having learned about the beauty of the queen, wanted to marry her. Having been refused, Ivan the Terrible attacked Kazan. Wanting to save her besieged city, Syuyumbeki agreed to become his wife, but set a condition: let the chosen one build a seven-tiered tower in a week. And when the request was fulfilled, the queen threw herself down from her. In fact, the fate of Syuyumbeki was different: the 29-year-old daughter of the Nogai Murza was taken to Moscow and separated from her young son there.

In 2005, the new Kul Sharif mosque was opened, which became the main mosque of Tatarstan. Kul Sharif was the name of the chief priest of the Kazan Khanate, a Muslim theologian and enlightener. He died in 1552 during the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible, at the same time the cathedral mosque was burned to the ground. The cult building in the Kazan Kremlin was recreated almost five hundred years after its destruction. The main dome resembles the shape of the "Kazan cap" - the crown of the Kazan khans, which was taken to Moscow after the fall of Kazan and is now exhibited in the Armory. Kul Sharif was built by Turkish builders, chandeliers for it were made in the Czech Republic, granite and marble were brought from the Urals. More than two thousand square meters of the mosque are covered with Persian carpets - a gift from the Iranian government. In addition to the prayer halls of the mosque, in the building of Kul Sharif you can visit the Museum of Islamic Culture located in the basement.

- By the millennium of Kazan, a branch of the St. Petersburg "Hermitage" was also opened, located in the building of the former Junker School. In the same building there are museums - a memorial museum of the Great Patriotic War, a natural history museum, an art gallery "Khazine" ("Treasury").
- The Kremlin houses the first Orthodox cathedral in the Middle Volga region - the Cathedral of the Annunciation, built immediately after the capture of Kazan. It was built in the middle of the 16th century by Pskov craftsmen.

Its architect Postnik Yakovlev was the author of the famous St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square. According to ancient sources, the cathedral was built a day before the attack on Kazan by the soldiers of Ivan the Terrible. Over its long history, the temple has gone through many reconstructions. In May 1836, the cathedral was visited by Nicholas I. After imperial orders, the cathedral was expanded and turned into a winter cathedral. It was attended by Peter I, Catherine II and almost all members of the imperial house, as well as Radishchev, Pushkin, Rachmaninoff. Fyodor Chaliapin sang here more than once in the church choir.

Special offers on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin
In the center "Hermitage-Kazan" school excursions are offered the quest "In Search of the Treasure". This is an alternative to the traditional tour of the Kazan Kremlin, a walk with riddles and competitions around the ancient fortress.
In the Museum of Islam in the Kul Sharif mosque, you can visit the master class "The Art of Wearing a Headscarf" and learn what beauty means in a Muslim way, how Kazan Tatars wore headdresses at the end of the 19th century, why Muslim women leave only their face and hands open, which 15 there are ways to tie a scarf.

How to get to the Kazan Kremlin
The citadel can be seen in the city center from all sides. Since the 16th century, the Kremlin has stood on a hill surrounded by a strong white-stone wall. At the foot of the hill there is a metro station "Kremlevskaya", next to the bus stop "Circus".

Visiting rules
To enter the Kremlin, you need to go to the Spasskaya Tower on May 1 Square. Here you can order an excursion, or buy a guide to the fortress and walk on your own.
The Kremlin is open to individual visitors free of charge.
The cost of an excursion to the Kazan Kremlin in Russian and Tatar languages: for a group of up to 10 people - 500 rubles (each subsequent one - 50 rubles).

The history of the creation of the Kazan Kremlin dates back to the XI-XII centuries. Initially, the fortress was built as a defensive structure of the Volga Bulgaria to defend against enemy attacks. It housed a shopping arcade, a mosque was built, the main decoration of the square was the Kremlin. But everything was destroyed and burned in 1552 during the attack of the troops of Ivan the Terrible. After the conquest of Kazan, the new ruler ordered to rebuild the Kremlin building on the Kazan Hill and restore the appearance of the administrative center.

In the 18th century, the Kazan Kremlin accepted the last enemy attack - by Yemelyan Pugachev in 1773 and defended its position. The enemy retreated, but archaeologists still find the consequences of the destruction today.

After the creation of the Republic of Tatarstan in 1992, the Kazan Kremlin became the first residence of the president. Active work began to restore the cultural and historical heritage: buildings were restored, museum complexes were opened. In 2000, the unique open-air museum was included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list.

The main sights of the Kremlin

The Kul Sharif Mosque has become one of the striking sights of the Kazan Kremlin. Built of snow-white marble, the mosque is adorned with blue domes and minarets. The mosque got its name in honor of the national hero of Tatarstan - Imam Khul Sharif. The imam took a direct part in the defense of the mosque during the attack by the troops of Ivan the Terrible and was killed. The mosque was burned down and rebuilt for the 1000th anniversary of Kazan. The construction took 9 long years and became the main event in the anniversary year of the capital. The Kul Sharif complex covers an area of ​​about 19 thousand square meters. and consists of a mosque, a foundation stone and an administrative building. The mosque can accommodate 1,500 people, and the surrounding area - up to 10,000 people.

The Transfiguration Monastery and the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kazan Kremlin were built in the middle of the 16th century, the latter was rebuilt, reconstructed and restored several times. Currently, work is underway to join these complexes to the Museum of Archeology of Tatarstan.

Another attraction of the Kazan Kremlin is the Siyumbike Tower, which is part of the Presidential Complex. The tower, 58 meters high, has a peculiar slope to the side by 1.8 meters from the axis. Thanks to the fortification works carried out in 1998, it was possible to stop the fall of the tower.

Excursions in the Kazan Kremlin

The Kazan Kremlin is located in the central part of the republic's capital. You can get here by public transport to the TSUM stop, or by metro to the Kremlevskaya station.

The entrance to the territory of the Kazan Kremlin is free for all visitors. Here you can order both group and individual excursions. You will be taken to all significant places and will tell you a lot of interesting information from the history of the fortress.

Today, architectural monuments of different eras and cultures coexist here. In 2000, the Kazan Kremlin was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The history of Kazan begins with the most ancient fortifications of the Bulgar tribes, built on the high bank of the Kazanka River at the turn of the 10th – 11th centuries. The Kremlin hill, surrounded on three sides by water, was well suited for the construction of a fortress.

Kremlin during the Mongol-Tatar yoke

The stone Kremlin was erected in the XII century to defend the northern borders of the Volga Bulgaria. Already by the middle of the XIII century, the Mongol hordes led by Khan Batym advanced significantly into Eastern Europe. The domination of the Golden Horde was established over Russia and Crimea. Bulgaria also fell. It became a province of the Mongol Empire. After the destruction of the former capital, the Bulgar city, the new one was moved to Kazan. The local Kremlin became the seat of the rulers. And the city was named New Bulgar. But among the local residents, this name did not take root. The previous name returned, and the Golden Horde principality began to be called the Kazan ulus.

After the collapse of the Golden Horde in 1438, Chingizid Ulug-Muhammad founded the independent Kazan Khanate. Work began to fortify the capital, the stone walls of the Kremlin were strengthened to such an extent that, according to Russian chroniclers, they became "military impregnable." A khan's palace and several mosques were erected on the territory, including the stone Nur-Ali and the wooden Khan. Subsequently, the Khan mosque received the name of the seid Kul-Sharif, who in 1552 led the defense of the Kazan Kremlin against the invasion of the troops of Ivan the Terrible.

Kazan as part of Russia

Not a single khan building has survived to this day. When the Kazan Kremlin became a Russian fortress in the middle of the 16th century, Orthodox churches were built on the places of “the focus of infidelity,” in other words, on the ruins of Muslim structures. Even the famous Syuyumbike tower, which until the 19th century was mistakenly attributed to the Khan's time, was erected much later, already in the Russian period - "the proof of this is the architecture, especially the pilastrium, unknown to the Tatars, and the place for the image."

After the conquest of Kazan, Ivan the Terrible sent Pskov architects to the city. They started building up the Kremlin. At first, the main part of the structures - towers and temples - was erected from wood. It is believed that the first built of stone was the small church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, erected around 1558. The main cathedral of the Annunciation Cathedral appeared four years later, the Church of Cyprian and Justina - in 1596 on the site of a wooden church.

In the first half of the 19th century, during the reign of Nicholas I, a decision was made to create an imperial residence in the Kazan Kremlin, where the governor plays the role of the tsar's governor. In this regard, a special role is assigned to the construction of a governor's palace with premises for imperial apartments on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. The palace was designed with the participation of the architect Konstantin Ton, who conceived to create a smaller copy of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Kazan. Nicholas I personally supervised the progress of construction. The resulting building is a vivid example of the so-called Russian-Byzantine style.

Kazan Kremlin today

Over a thousand-year history, the appearance of the Kazan Kremlin has changed several times, but deep underground the masonry of ancient fortresses, mosques and burials has been preserved. Now on its territory there are several museums dedicated not only to the fortress itself, but also to the history of the Tatar people, Islamic culture and nature of Tatarstan. There is also a memorial museum of the Great Patriotic War, in memory of 350 thousand Tatarstan people who did not return from the front.

"In order to preserve historical continuity" in 1995 it was decided to recreate the main shrine of the Kazan Khanate - the Kul-Sharif mosque.

And in 2003, in the park near the Annunciation Cathedral, a symbolic sculpture "Architects of the Kazan Kremlin" was unveiled - Russian and Tatar architects look at the fruits of their labors. After all, a unique architectural ensemble was created by the efforts of both peoples. However, the unique Kremlin complex is not only a place of pilgrimage for tourists, but also a center of administrative management. On the territory of the Kremlin, in the former building of the Governor's Palace, today is the official residence of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The Kazan Kremlin is one of the most beautiful and unusual in our country. It reflects the multifaceted history of the city; mosques and monasteries, old and new buildings, museums and exhibitions of contemporary art coexist in it. The Kazan Kremlin, restored and finished for the 1000th anniversary of the city, has become one of the most attractive tourist sites in the country.

Fortress history

The very first settlements on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin belong to the Mesolithic. But present-day Kazan dates back to the Bulgar settlement of the 10th century - its remains were found in the northern part of the Kremlin hill. A stone fortress stood here already in the 12th century. After the Golden Horde disintegrated, Kazan became the center of one of the states that formed on its basis - the Kazan Khanate. In 1552 the city was taken by Ivan the Terrible.

The current walls and towers of the Kazan Kremlin were built almost immediately after the conquest - in 1556-62. on the basis and using materials of the Tatar fortress, which was dilapidated during the assault. Initially, there were 13 towers, and a drawbridge across the moat led to the city from the Kremlin. Ammunition rooms were arranged in the six-meter walls. This fortress was built in such a way as to withstand and conduct artillery fire.

Five of the towers were dismantled in the 19th century - now their foundations are open for inspection, but in general the Kazan Kremlin is very well preserved. The last restoration took place here at the end of the XX - beginning of the XXI century to celebrate the millennium of the city: the towers were returned to the wooden sheds, and this returned the appearance of the fortress, close to the historical one.

Kul Sharif Mosque

The main attraction of Kazan and the architectural dominant of the Kremlin complex is the beautiful Kul-Sharif mosque. Once at about this place in the capital of the Kazan Khanate there was a legendary mosque with many minarets, which was considered the most beautiful - in any case, this is exactly how it is mentioned in written sources. But the mosque was destroyed in 1552, and no images or drawings remained of it. In memory of her, a new mosque was built in 1996-2005. It was named after Kul Sharif, the spiritual leader of the Kazan Khanate in the 16th century.

This is one of the tallest and largest mosques in Russia. The height of its minarets is 58 meters, and the height of the dome is 39 meters. It is faced with Ural granite and white marble, richly decorated inside and out, and the evening lighting makes it especially impressive.

There is a Museum of Islamic Culture at the mosque, which occupies two halls. One room tells about Islam in general - for example, there is a model of Mecca, and the second tells about the history of Islam in Tatarstan. The museum organizes exhibitions, excursions and master classes.

Tower Syuyumbike

The second building in the Kremlin, which cannot be missed, is the seven-tiered Syuyumbike tower - it is almost the same height as the minarets and is "Leaning", that is, it stands at a noticeable slope.

There is no exact dating of its construction; scientists hesitate between the 16th and 18th centuries. The legend of the 19th century connects it with the name of Queen Syuyumbike, who ruled Kazan at the time of the capture of the city by Ivan the Terrible and threw herself from the highest tier of the tower so as not to get the Russian tsar.

The tower is not connected with the Kremlin walls - it is a rather rare type of watchtower, which is located not outside the fortress, but inside it.

Blagoveshchensky cathedral

Kazan is a city of two faiths, so not less impressive, but more ancient Cathedral of the Annunciation, is located not far from the mosque. It was built in the 16th century. Initially, the Moscow Assumption Cathedral was taken as a model, although it is difficult to guess the prototype from the current appearance of the main Kazan temple. This temple was built by the famous Moscow architects Barma and Postnik - the same ones who built St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. A fragment of the painting has survived since that time - the Kazan icon in the altar of the cathedral.

The temple received its current forms, with the baroque completion of the central dome, during the rebuilding in the 18th century, and in the 19th century it was still significantly expanded. Its five-tiered bell tower has not survived. Valuables from the sacristy of the cathedral, confiscated by the Bolsheviks - precious frames for icons, the Gospels, decorated with rich miniatures - were mostly plundered. What has survived is now in the National Museum of Tatarstan, located not far from the Kremlin. During the Civil War, the cathedral was badly damaged - the Red Army men fired at the city, several shells hit the cathedral. In Soviet times, the building belonged to the State Archives.

In 1970-80. the cathedral was restored - as it was in the middle of the 19th century, and since 2005 it has been handed over to believers again. The main shrine of the cathedral before the revolution was the relics of St. Guria, the first Kazan archbishop, has now restored his cancer here, and a particle of the holy relics has been returned.

The Museum of the History of the Annunciation Cathedral operates at the cathedral. This is an interactive exhibition that tells about the history of Orthodoxy in Kazan and the decoration of the cathedral - the way it was before the revolution, and the way it is now. Some relics are kept here: for example, the staff of St. Gury, a model of the carriage of Empress Catherine II, icons and books from the lost cathedrals of the Kremlin, and much more.

Spaso-Preobrazhensky monastery

Another important part of the Kremlin is the complex of buildings of the Transfiguration Monastery. It was founded immediately after the capture of Kazan, in 1556.

The Transfiguration Cathedral was built at the end of the 16th century. Under his altar was the burial vault of Kazan bishops and nobility. At the same time, the Church of Nikita Ratny appeared, and at the beginning of the 19th century, the famous Kazan Theological Seminary moved to this monastery. The Transfiguration Cathedral has not survived to this day - only a part of the basement remained, but the Church of Nikita Ratny was restored. Now this complex is being restored and should become a museum of archeology.

Administrative buildings and Cannon yard

In the 18th century, a public office building appeared in the Kremlin. It was built in 1756 by the architect V. Kaftyrev. It is a two-story building with vaulted cellars, which is divided into three sections, separated by driveways. At the same time, in the 17th century, the house of the chief commandant was built on the site of the former khan's palace. By the 19th century, it had become dilapidated.

Already in the 1840s, a new pompous building appeared here. This is the house of the military governor, built according to the project of the most famous architect of the Nikolaev time - K. Ton. Its architecture combines classicism with oriental and Byzantine motives. It has always retained its administrative function: in Soviet times, the Council of Ministers was located here, and now it is the residence of the President of the Republic.

Once upon a time in Kazan was located one of the largest arsenals in Russia - centers for the manufacture and repair of weapons. By the middle of the 19th century, its activities ceased, but the complex of its buildings remained. After restoration, one of its buildings became a museum center - events, performances and temporary exhibitions are held here, and it is positioned as the Museum of Weapons. The remains of the foundry have been preserved here.

Museum of Statehood of Tatarstan

Not far from the governor's house there was a house church - first Vvedenskaya, and after restructuring in the middle of the 19th century - the church of St. Spirit. Now it has been restored, and it houses the Museum of Tatarstan Statehood.

The first floor of the building is occupied by exhibitions, mainly from the funds of the National Museum, telling about the history and culture of the country, and on the second is the main exposition - about the formation of statehood, Bulgaria, the Golden Horde, the Kazan Khanate and Russia. It is decorated with modern interactive elements: here you can listen to audio information, watch videos, there are installations and touch panels.

Junker School and Art Gallery

In 1866 the Kazan cadet school was organized. It is located in the Kremlin - in a building that previously housed the cantonists' barracks. Then the building was two-story, in Soviet times a third was added to it. Now the art gallery of the republic is located here. Here are collected works of Kazan artists from the 19th century.

The museum occupied three floors: two floors for the main exposition and a floor for temporary exhibitions. The gem of the exposition is the largest collection of works by the most famous Kazan artist, Nikolai Feshin. He taught at the Kazan Art School, but in 1923 he emigrated to the United States and lived there for the rest of his life, so Americans consider him their artist. According to his will, he was buried in his homeland - in Kazan. In addition to his works, there are works of the Kazan avant-garde school, and many paintings by contemporary artists on national themes.

Museum of Natural History of Tatarstan

An interesting natural science museum that tells about the history of the formation of the Earth and the emergence of life on it is also part of the Kazan Kremlin. Here is a collection of minerals from the Geological Museum of Kazan University, paleontological exhibits - for example, the colorful skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus, models of volcanoes and much more.