Kazan Kremlin (Tatar name Kazan kirmane, Qazan kirmane) is the oldest part of Kazan, a complex of architectural, historical and archaeological monuments that reveal the centuries-old history of the city and the Republic of Tatarstan. The entire territory of the Kazan Kremlin is a museum-reserve.
The Kazan Kremlin has its own official website, where you can find a description, history, architecture and other interesting information about the Kremlin, as well as the time of excursions and events organized on the territory of the Kremlin: http://www.kazan-kremlin.ru .
We visited Kazan in September, the weather was cool and overcast. However, this did not spoil the impression of the city and its main attraction - the Kazan Kremlin.
Undoubtedly, no tourist can visit Kazan without visiting its main building, so to speak, the very heart of Kazan - the Kremlin, so the first thing we did on arrival was to go to see the Kazan Kremlin.
View of the Kazan Kremlin
The territory of the Kremlin is large, with a whole complex of buildings of beautiful and unique architecture, which includes churches, temples, museums, administrative buildings and buildings, the main square and the white stone Kremlin itself. All this is enclosed by a wall that used to serve for the defense of the Kazan Kremlin. All objects located on the territory of the Kremlin have great historical, architectural and cultural value, therefore they are strictly protected by the government of the Republic of Tatarstan. Of course, since 2000, the Kazan Kremlin has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The territory of the Kazan Kremlin and its buildings are the official residence of the President of Tatarstan. Therefore, visiting the Kremlin during working hours on the territory of the complex, you can see a lot of people in suits and with diplomats hurrying about their official business.
Entrance to the Kremlin is free and free. The entrance to each individual museum is paid separately at the entrance to a particular museum. There are days when the entrance to the Kremlin museums is free, so if there is an opportunity, do not miss the chance and come to the Kremlin on these days. These days are January 22, April 18, May 18, September 1 - for first-graders, October 1-10 - for pensioners, November 30 - for mothers with children. Of course, the days of "open doors" may change, check on the website, we gave the site address at the beginning of the article.
Opening hours for visiting the Kazan Kremlin:
daily,
- from October 01 to April 30: from 8:00 to 18:00 through the Spasskaya Travel Tower and the Tainitskaya Tower of the Kazan Kremlin. From 18:00 to 8:00 hours through the Spasskaya travel Tower;
- from May 01 to September 30: from 8:00 to 22:00 through the Spasskaya Travel Tower and the Tainitskaya Tower of the Kazan Kremlin. From 22:00 to 8:00 hours through the Spasskaya travel Tower.
We spent more than three hours in the Kremlin, walking and exploring every corner of it.
The entire territory of the complex is an irregular polygon, repeating the outlines of the Kremlin hill, on which the Kremlin itself is located, stretched from the northwest, from the Kazanka River, to the southeast, to May 1 Square. It is located on the promontory of a high terrace on the left bank of the Volga and the left bank of the Kazanka River. That is why the Kremlin grounds offer a beautiful view of a part of the city of Kazan.
You can get to the Kremlin from any part of the city, by buses, trolleybuses or metro - Kremlevskaya station.
Now we will list the architectural objects located on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin, and below we will post photos and descriptions of objects, temples and churches.
So,
the ensemble of the Kazan Kremlin includes:
- a complex of defensive structures. It consists of the south-western tower, the Spasskaya Tower, the south-eastern tower, the Transfiguration Tower, Consistorskaya, Nameless, Taynitskaya and Voskresenskaya towers;
- the complex of the Governor's Palace. It includes the Presidential Palace, the palace church, the Syuyumbike Tower, the ruins of a building from the Khan's Palace complex and the ruins of the mausoleum of the Kazan Khans;
- the complex of the Annunciation Cathedral. It includes the Annunciation Cathedral, the Bishop's House, the Bishop's Consistory and the monument to the architects of the Kazan Kremlin;
- a complex of public places. It includes offices and a guardhouse;
- the complex of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery. It includes the Church of St. Nicholas, the Cathedral of the Savior and the Fraternal Building;
- the complex of the Cadet School. It includes the Junker School and the Manege;
- Cannon Yard complex. It consists of the Main (Eastern) building, northern, southern and western buildings;
- the Kul Sharif Mosque complex. It includes the Kul Sharif Mosque itself, a memorial stone dedicated to the laying of the mosque and an administrative building.
And, of course, the museums of the Kazan Kremlin: the Museum of Natural History of Tatarstan, the Museum of Islamic Culture, the Museum of the History of the Statehood of Tatarstan, the Hermitage-Kazan Center, the Manege exhibition hall, the Museum of the Cannon Yard and the Museum of the History of the Annunciation Cathedral.
And now, as promised, about everything in order, accompanied by photos
In the photo below, the main street of the Kazan Kremlin and its main attraction is the white-stone Spasskaya Tower. It is through the gates of this tower that the main entrance to the Kremlin territory passes. The tower is called the Main Tower. In general, all the buildings of the Kazan Kremlin are its sights and architectural and historical values.
The main street is named after Yakov Semyonovich Sheikman. The whole street is paved with cobblestones. It is on this street that locals love to walk and newlyweds take pictures.
Spasskaya (Main) Tower
The leaning tower of Syuyumbike. This is not a photo taken crookedly, the tower is exactly the way it stands at an angle, which is why it is called a leaning tower.
There is a legend and belief about this tower.
Let's start with the legend. According to legend, Prince Ivan the Terrible of Moscow and All Russia fell in love with the beautiful Queen Syuyumbike and asked her to marry him. The tsaritsa could not reciprocate the prince and in response to his proposal promised to become his wife, but the tsar had to build a tower from which she wanted to say goodbye to her beloved city for the last time. The tsar was a man of words and deeds and ordered the tower to be erected as soon as possible. The tower was built in 7 days. They built a tier per day, from which the tower has seven tiers. The queen was stunned by such a rapid construction of the building, after which she ascended to the very top of the tower and threw herself off it. Her love for her hometown was so strong. In the direction where the queen fell, and the tower tilted. In honor of the queen, the tower was named - Syuyumbike.
Now the belief. There is a belief among the masses of citizens that if you rub a yellow coin on the tower and throw it over your back, making a wish at the same time, the wish will certainly come true. They say people's wishes come true. We learned about the belief after visiting the Kazan Kremlin, so we could not check it in personal practice. Maybe you can. We will be glad if you share your experience in the comments.
Tatarstan Government House. View from the backyard.
Kul Sharif Mosque. It is also called the pearl of the Kazan Kremlin. So it is, this tall beauty is visible from anywhere in the Kremlin, and serves as its main decoration.
On the square at the main entrance to the mosque there is a memorial stone dedicated to the laying of the mosque, and behind the mosque there is an administrative building. It is here that the east merges with the west.
The bright building on the left near the Kul Sharif Mosque is the Junker School
One of the towers of the Kazan Kremlin is an unnamed round Tower. Next to the buildings of the cannon yard. The white building in the photo is the Southern building of the Cannon Yard.
The main (Eastern) building of the cannon yard
Part of the Kremlin wall is a defensive wall. Previously, the walls served as a support and protection of the entire courtyard.
This is what the wall looks like when you look at it from inside the Kazan Kremlin
And this, the white building in the background of the photo, the building of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tatarstan and the square in front of it. This building of charming architecture is clearly visible from the observation deck of the Kazan Kremlin, behind the Annunciation Cathedral.
And finally, a photo of a panorama of a part of the city of Kazan from one of the viewing platforms of the Kazan Kremlin. In the photo, the Kremlin embankment and the Kazanka River.
On the opposite side of the Kazanka River is the residential part of the city of Kazan with sleeping areas
