[RUSSIA] Kazan

23:38 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

Branding itself as the “Third Capital” of Russia, Kazan is a unique city which is located between Europe and Asia. Having both Russian and Tartar populations, Kazan peacefully blends Muslim and Christian cultures.



From Moscow, it’s about 1.5 hours flight to Kazan. The easiest way to get into the city is by taxi.



The first place I head to is the Kazan Kremlin.



Built from 10 to 16th century, the Kazan Kremlin is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in November 2000.



The map of Kazan Kremlin. Kazan Kremlin includes many buildings such as Soyembika Tower, Spasskaya Tower, Qolsarif Mosque, Annunciation Cathedral and etc.



An overview of Kazan Kremlin.



Once a Tartar fortress, it was largely destroyed by Ivan the Terrrible. The Russians reconstructed the Kremlin with new fortifications and Russian institutions such as the Annunciation Cathedral during the 16th and 17th centuries.



An example of traditional Tartar costume on displayed.



The pyramid shaped building as seen from the Kremlin walls is new to Kazan skyline. It houses a 1130 seat concert space, bar, cafe, restaurants and etc for culture and entertainment purpose.



Looking down from one of the towers in Kazan Kremlin.



Qolsarif Mosque was built in the 16th century. It has 1 dome and 4 minarets.



Visitors trying out archery in the complex.



The Kremlin defensive walls.



The mosque was built in the 16th century but it was destroyed by Ivan the Terrible. Since 1996, the mosque has been rebuilt.







Interior of Qolsarif Mosque.



The mosque can accommodate up to 6,000 worshipper.





View from the observation balcony.




An Imam reciting the Quran.







Next, Soyembika Tower, also called Khan’s Mosque is constructed in six tiers to the height of 58 meters.



It was once the tallest structure of Kazan and is still the most familiar landmark of Kazan.



Legend has it that the Tartar princess, Soyembika was betrothed to Ivan the Terrible but she consented to marry him only if he could build the highest tower in Kazan in seven days. When Ivan accomplished the task, Soyembika threw herself down from the highest tier, hence the name. It has nothing to do with the real history – the queen never threw herself down from the tower, she was forcibly detained by Muscovite forces in 1551 and moved to the city of Kasimov and died years later. The tower is not open to climb the stairs.



Annunciation Cathedral with blue domes and gold tower was the first Orthodox church within the walls of Kazan Kremlin.





Through the centuries, the cathedral was ravaged by fire many times. The most destructive fire happened in 1815 when together with the city the cathedral was largely destroyed.



Restoration works began from 1995 when the cathedral was transferred to the management of State Kazan Kremlin History Architectural Museum.





The cathedral was finally open for church service in 2005.





Monument of the Kremlin’s architect.



Spasskaya Tower at the southern end of the Kremlin also serves as its main entrance.





It is named after Spassky Monastery which used to be located nearby. The monastery’s buildings were destroyed by the Communists during Stalin’s rule.





The external walls of Kazan Kremlin.



A Zilant statue near the Kremlin. Zilant is a dragon like mystical creature of Kazan.





This impressive white building is called Farmer’s Palace.



The Palace is official residence of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Republic of Tatarstan.



It was erected in 2010.





The central element of the facade is the bronze tree that represents fertility and prosperity.





Walking around the Kremlin’s surrounding area.









St Peter and Paul Cathedral was built to commemorate Peter the Great’s visit to the city in 1722.



The ceiling of the church.



Interior of the church.



The view of the town from the church.



Nikolskiv Kafedralnyy Sobor is a Cathedral which is located at Bauman Street.



Bauman Street is a pedestrian street in the heart of Kazan. It starts from the Kremlin till Tukay Square.



A metro station at the street.



Bauman Street is one of the oldest street in Kazan city. The total length of the pedestrian zone is 2 kilometers.



Bauman has existed since the 15th Century and if you look beneath the drainage, you will find the original walls.



The Epiphany Cathedral’s bell tower which dates from the late 19th century is the tallest ancient building in the city.



The bell tower can be climbed for impressive views of downtown Kazan.





A replica of Catherine the Great’s carriage at Bauman Street.



In the middle of the street, you can calculate the distance from Kazan “zero kilometer” to Moscow or Rome.













Bauman Street is a very nice street to stroll along.



At the end of Bauman Street, you can find the Kazan mermaid monument – “Su Anasy”.



The clock faces where citizens usually assign their meetings, show characters of the Gabdulla Tuqay’s tales.







Time for dinner. Found a restaurant which offers Tartar cuisine along Bauman Street.



Shurpa soup with lamb is a traditional Tartar style bouillon with onions, lamb and vegetables.



Main dish is Kazan style lamb which is a rack of lamb stewed with potatoes and onions in sour cream sauce.









Time to head back to the hotel. This is Kazan railway station.



Passengers can travel from the station to the airport.



Hotel Polyot is just 500 meters away from the main entrance of Kazan International Airport. Since I had an early flight on the next day, I chose to stay at this hotel so that I could just walked over to the airport without worrying about transport.



The reception area of the hotel has a security scanner which is no longer in use, I presumed. Just take note that Hotel Polyot accepts only cash and no credit card. I had to exchange some rubbles at the airport before I could check in to the hotel. The price per night was around 4,000RUB.



The room was spacious with 2 beds.



Standard room comes with a kitchen / dining room. Surprise, surprise, I later discovered that the seat at the dining area has secret compartment underneath the seats. You can lift up the seat and store things inside!



Overall, Kazan is a beautiful city which is worthwhile to visit in Russia. It is also my last stop in Russia. With this, my journey in Russia ends.