Buildings on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. The main attractions of the Kremlin. Museum-Memorial of the Great Patriotic War

An architectural monument from which the history of Kazan began, the main attraction and the heart of the capital of Tatarstan, which tells its history to tourists. All this - the Kazan Kremlin - huge complex, combining the history and traditions of two different peoples.

History of the Kazan Kremlin

The historical and architectural complex was built over several centuries. The first buildings date back to the 12th century, when it turned into an outpost of the Volga Bulgaria. In the 13th century, the Golden Horde sat here, which made this place the residence of the entire Kazan principality.

Ivan the Terrible, together with his army, took Kazan, as a result of which most of the structures were damaged, and the mosques were completely destroyed. Grozny called Pskov architects to the city, who proved their skill in Moscow by designing. They were given the task of developing and building a white-stone Kremlin.

In the 17th century, the material of defensive structures was completely replaced - wood was replaced with stone. A hundred years later, the Kremlin ceased to play the role of a military facility and turned into a large administrative center region. In the next two centuries, new buildings were actively built on the territory: the Annunciation Cathedral was reconstructed, a cadet school, a consistory and the Governor's Palace were erected.

The revolution of the seventeenth year led to new destruction, this time the Spassky Monastery was subjected to it. In the nineties of the twentieth century, the president of Tatarstan made the Kremlin a residence for presidents. 1995 was the beginning of the construction of one of the largest mosques in Europe - Kul-Sharif.

Description of the main structures

The Kazan Kremlin stretches over 150 thousand square meters, and its total length of the walls is more than two kilometers. The walls are 3 meters wide and 6 meters high. A distinctive feature of the complex is a unique combination of Orthodox and Muslim symbols.

It was erected in the 16th century and was originally much smaller than the current temple, because it was often expanded. In 1922, many ancient things disappeared from the temple forever: icons, manuscripts, books.

Built in the forties of the nineteenth century in a style that is called pseudo-Byzantine. It is located in the northern part of the complex. Here in the 13th-14th centuries stood the palace of the Kazan khans.

- the most famous and largest mosque of the Republic, built in honor of the millennium of Kazan. The goal was to recreate the appearance of the ancient mosque of the Khanate, located here many centuries ago. Kul-Sharif looks especially beautiful in the evening, when the backlight gives it a fabulous look.

The Kremlin is also famous for its famous authentic towers. Initially, there were 13 of them, but only 8 have survived to our time. The most famous among tourists are Spasskaya and Taynitskaya, built in the 16th century and acting as gates. front part Spasskaya Tower facing the main street of the complex. It burned and was restored several times, it was built on and reconstructed until it acquired its present form.

It has such a name due to the presence of a secret passage that led to a water source and was useful during sieges and military operations. It was through her that the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible entered the Kremlin after his victory.

Another famous tower, popularly often compared with its Italian "sister" -. The reason for this is the almost two-meter slope from the main axis, which occurred due to subsidence of the foundation. Rumor has it that the tower was designed by the same builders who built it, which is why it is so similar to the Borovitskaya tower. It is built of brick and consists of seven tiers and is 58 meters long. There is a tradition of making a wish by touching its walls.

Nearby on the territory of the Kremlin is located, in which two Kazan khans are buried. It was discovered quite by accident when they tried to sewer here. After some time, it was covered from above with a glass dome.

- This is one of the largest places that manufacture and repair artillery pieces. Production began to decline in 1815, when a fire broke out, and 35 years later the complex ceased to exist altogether.

- Another interesting Kremlin object, which in the 18th century served as an arsenal, in the 19th century as a cannon factory, and in our time serves for exhibitions. Here is a branch of the St. Petersburg "Hermitage" and the gallery "Khazine".

Value is monument to architects, which is located in a square surrounded by flowers.

Museums of the Kazan Kremlin

Apart from historical buildings, on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin there are many museums. Among the most interesting are:

• , clarifying the geological history of the planet and Tatarstan in particular. Here you can find out your weight on space scales, take part in excavations, communicate with prehistoric animals and feed ancient fish.
  
• demonstrates the cultural characteristics of the Tatar people living in the Volga region and their contribution to Islam.
  
• tells about the formation of traditions and culture of Tatarstan, development and changes from antiquity to the present day. Exhibitions are held here, replacing each other every two or three months.
  
• "Hermitage Museum"- a branch of the famous museum, exhibiting paintings, historical and cultural collections, regularly holds graphic exhibitions.
  

Excursions

Excursions to the Kazan Kremlin are an opportunity to get to know the history, culture and customs of the entire Tatarstan. The complex contains many interesting facts, mysteries and secrets, so do not miss the chance to unravel them and take memorable photos.

Each museum located on the territory of the complex has its own cash desk. For 2018, there is an opportunity to purchase single ticket for 700 rubles, which will open the doors to all museum-reserves. Ticket prices for schoolchildren and students are lower.

The opening hours of the attraction vary for several reasons. You can enter the territory for free all year round through the Spassky Gates. A visit through the Tainitskaya Tower is possible from 8:00 to 18:00 from October to April, and from 8:00 to 22:00 from May to August. Please note that photography and video shooting is prohibited in the temples of the Kazan Kremlin.

How to get to the Kazan Kremlin?

The attraction is located on the left bank of the Kazanka River, a tributary of the Volga. There are many ways to get to the main highlight of Kazan. Buses (No. 6, 15, 29, 35, 37, 47) and trolleybuses (No. 1, 4, 10, 17 and 18) go here, you need to get off at the stops "Central Stadium", "Palace of Sports" or "TsUM". Near the Kazan Kremlin there is the metro station "Kremlevskaya", to which paths lead from different parts of the city. The exact address historical complex in Kazan - st. Kremlin, 2.

The stone Kremlin appeared on this site in the 12th century. In 1552, the troops of Ivan the Terrible captured Kazan: the old fortress, including the mosque located on its territory, was destroyed. The construction of new fortifications, which have survived to our time, began in 1556. The work was supervised by the builders of the Moscow Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed - Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Shiryai.

In 2000, the architectural complex of the Kazan Kremlin was included in the List of objects world heritage UNESCO.

Photo of the Kazan Kremlin

Historical and architectural complex

The modern complex of the Kazan Kremlin occupies an area of ​​150 thousand square meters, the length of the walls of the Kremlin is almost two kilometers, the width reaches three meters, and the height is more than six meters. Behind the walls of the Kazan Kremlin there are many interesting objects- both historical monuments and modern sights. - the symbol of the Kazan Kremlin. By official version, it was built at the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th century as a watchtower and the entrance to the courtyard of the chief commandant. However, there are different opinions about the age of the tower. One of them says that it was built at the end of the 15th century and survived the ruin of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible.

The tower has five tiers. The first three are tetrahedra, the last are octahedrons. The height of the building is about 58 meters, it is crowned with a spire. The Syuyumbike tower is tilted to the side. The deviation from the vertical axis is almost 2 meters. - the youngest and most luxurious building of the Kazan Kremlin. It was erected in 1996-2005 for the millennium of Kazan. Part of the building performs religious functions, part of the museum - it houses the Museum of Islamic Culture.

The Kul Sharif Mosque has five floors. The plan consists of two crossed squares. The building is faced with white marble and covered with a blue dome. Around there are four minarets 55 meters high with the same blue tops. Stained-glass windows are inserted into the windows of the mosque, the building is partially covered with ornaments.

The monument has its own history. Until the 16th century, when Kazan was taken by the troops of Ivan the Terrible, there was a mosque of the same name, named after its last imam. So the construction of a new building is not only a symbol of the equality of religions in the republic, but also a tribute to history.

Also on the territory of the Kremlin (in its southeastern part) is Spaso-Preobrazhensky monastery complex, which has its own buildings. The monastery is not active today.

The main temple of the monastery was Transfiguration Cathedral built in the late 16th - early 17th century. The cathedral was blown up in the 1920s. Now only the basement remains. Near the wall of the cathedral there is a small cave in which wonderworkers were buried.

Also included is Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. This church, built in the second half of the 16th century and rebuilt several times later, survived in Soviet times. At the moment, restoration is underway. The last building included in the monastery complex is fraternal corps built in the second half of the 17th century.

In addition, in the Kazan Kremlin are located:

• Presidential palace(former governor's palace)
• bishop's house
• cannon yard
• Junker School(the building houses museums and art Gallery)
• Arena

The pearl of the Kazan Kremlin is built in the middle of the 16th century - the main Orthodox building of the Kazan Kremlin. It began to be built in 1556 and was completed by 1562. The reason for the construction was the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible. Tradition says that the king himself even chose a place for laying the foundation of the cathedral. Until 1922, the temple had a bell tower, which was later blown up.

Spasskaya Tower

The Spasskaya Tower of the Kazan Kremlin was erected in the 16th century, it is located on the side of May 1 Square. This is the main tower of the Kremlin with an entrance gate, adjacent to it is the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands, from which the tower got its name. The tower was completed more than once, rebuilt and repeatedly burned. In the 18th century, a clock was installed on it. After the revolution, the double-headed eagle that crowned the bath was replaced by a golden star - it remains on the tower to this day.

Taynitskaya tower

The Taynitskaya tower was erected in the 16th century on the site of the destroyed Nur-Ali tower, from which Ivan the Terrible entered the captured Kremlin. The tower got its name later: all because of the secret passage that went from here to a clean source. Here it was possible to take water, even when the Kremlin kept the siege. The source has not been preserved to this day.

The Spasskaya and Tainitskaya towers were built at the same time, initially they were very similar. However, over time, due to numerous reconstructions, their appearance began to differ.

Museum-reserve

Museum Reserve "Kazan Kremlin" was established in 1994, all historical buildings on the territory of the Kremlin are under its jurisdiction. They house expositions of several museums, as well as exhibition halls.

Among them, the Museum of Natural History of Tatarstan stands out, in which you can see the skeletons of prehistoric animals and finds from the era when the ancient sea was located on the territory of Kazan.

The Museum of Islamic Culture located in the mosque is also interesting.

The Museum of the History of the Statehood of the Tatar People and the Republic of Tatarstan is located on the territory of the Khan's court. Here you can see a coin that is about 1000 years old, ancient jewelry and other items that tell about the material culture of the people and their way of life.

cannon yard

The Cannon Yard complex, which consists of four buildings, dates back to the 17th century, various reconstructions were carried out until the middle of the 19th century. The Cannon Factory, one of the largest in the empire, worked here. After a major fire, they stopped making weapons here, the School of Battalions of Military Cantonists was opened in the buildings of the Cannon Yard, in 1866 it was replaced by the Junker Infantry School.

In 2014, the restoration of the Cannon Yard was completed, temporary exhibitions are held in the buildings and a permanent exhibition is being prepared.

Monument to architects

The monument to the architects of the Kazan Kremlin was opened in 2003, it is located in front of the Bishop's House. The idea of ​​the composition is as follows: to celebrate the merits of both Russian architects, whose creations have survived to this day, and the talent of Tatar architects who built the Kremlin destroyed by Ivan the Terrible. Today, the fragments excavated by archaeologists help us to appreciate the grandeur of this original building - they are specially open for viewing.

Embodying the idea of ​​friendship between peoples, the sculptures created the figures of two men - one of Slavic appearance with a drawing of the Spasskaya Tower, and the second - Tatar, with a drawing of the Khan's Palace. The pedestal is surrounded by Russian and Tatar national ornaments.

Excursions

In the Kremlin, you can order a number of exciting excursions that are held not only on the territory of the Kremlin itself, but also in its environs - Kremlin Street, for example. The duration of the sightseeing tour of the Kremlin is about 1.5 hours, it also includes a visit to the Kul Sharif mosque and the Cathedral of the Annunciation.

Scheme and map of the Kremlin

Working mode

The Kazan Kremlin is the main attraction of the city. Not to visit the very "heart" of the capital is a serious omission for any tourist. Museums, architectural monuments are located on a vast territory, and most importantly, here you will find a combination of two cultures that have been “living together” for several centuries. In our review, we will tell you how to get to the Kazan Kremlin, show some of the sights and the best routes so as not to miss anything.

How to get to the Kazan Kremlin?

On public transport the path will be as follows: you need to get to the stops "Central Stadium", or "Palace of Sports", or "TsUM". You can also take the metro - to the station. Kremlin.

Pervomaiskaya Square

After that, you need to climb to Pervomaiskaya Square, one of the oldest squares in Kazan. Once it was the public center of the city, where decrees were announced, solemn ceremonies were held and public punishments were held. During its time, the square changed its name several times: Spasskaya (according to the corresponding tower of the Kremlin of the 16th century), Aleksandrovskaya (on it once stood a monument to Alexander II, which was demolished), “Tash Ayak” (translated from Tat. - “stone leg” ), etc. Now this is the starting point of departure for all excursions around the Kazan Kremlin. The entrance to the Kremlin starts from the Spasskaya (central) tower of the complex.

A little more about Spasskaya tower. Initially, it and the front part of the wall, which is shown in the photo, were built by Pskov craftsmen before the rest of the objects. If you come closer, you can see the massive cobblestones from which the walls and the tower are made. There used to be a church there. For a long time there was a large ditch in front of it, which was filled up in the 18th century. The entrance was on the side, because it is better to defend yourself from the invaders.

We will show and tell the main objects of the Kremlin so that you do not miss the most interesting.

Kremlin walk route

We offer one of the possible routes for visiting the historical complex.

Especially for you, we made a visual route around the Kremlin on the layout:

Monument to Musa Jalil

In front of the entrance to the Kremlin there is a monument to Musa Jalil. You won't miss it. Musa Jalil- one of the great and highly revered poets of the Tatar people. Known for the collection of front-line poems "Moabit Notebooks", which he wrote while in the Moabit concentration camp (Berlin). The collection can be viewed in what is inside the Kazan Kremlin

After passing through the Spasskaya Tower, you will come to Sheikman street, the main street of the Kremlin. It is named after Yakov Sheikman, who led the defense of Kazan from the White Czechs. During the capture of the city in August 1918, he did not have time to evacuate, was captured and shot.

The street is paved with cobblestones and is a favorite place for Kazan citizens to walk. Those who wish can ride around the Kremlin in a carriage. On the same street is the Hermitage-Kazan Center, the only branch of the museum located not in St. Petersburg, but opposite the Office Building.

Kul Sharif Mosque

There is an exposition of sculptures near the mosque. Tourists do not miss the opportunity to take pictures on horseback or just next to them.

Entrance to the mosque is free. 5 rubles for shoe covers. Women should use handkerchiefs, which are distributed free of charge at the entrance.

At the top of the tower is a UNESCO badge

Presidential palace

Bypassing the Syuyumbike Tower and the Palace Church, you will see the former Governor's, and now the President's Palace. It will not be possible to assess the internal situation, since the palace is the residence of the President of Tatarstan.

From here you can walk to another lookout point from where they open gorgeous views- this is either the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tatarstan.

There you can continue your journey around the city. The attraction is quite controversial, but to appreciate it, you should see it with your own eyes. can also be a continuation of your walk.

Finally, let's leave a list of all the museums operating on the territory of the Kremlin:

• Museum of Natural History of Tatarstan. Located in the building main street Kremlin - Junkers School
• Museum of the Great Patriotic War 1941-45 (Junker School)
• National Art Gallery (Junker School)
• Hermitage-Kazan Center (Junker School)
• Museum of Islamic Culture. Located on the ground floor of the Kul Sharif Mosque
• Museum of the History of the Annunciation Cathedral (in the cathedral building)
• Museum of the Cannon Yard (Located in the southern risalit of the eastern (Main) building of the Cannon Yard)
• Museum of the History of Statehood of Tatarstan (Palace Church)
• Kremlin Exhibition Hall "Manege" (building located next to the Junkers School)

So, if a sightseeing tour is not enough for you, take a look at these museums as well. Fans will surely love this. As for our review, we note that all the sights are worth seeing with your own eyes, come to Kazan and be sure to look into the Kremlin.

Opening hours: daily from 08:00 to 20:00.

History of the Kazan Kremlin

One of the most beautiful cities in Russia lies in the oarlock of the Volga and Kazanka rivers - Kazan. The beginning of the history of the city is associated with the growth of the Bulgar kingdom and the development of the Volga-Kama basin by the Bulgars. In a strategically advantageous place, on the Kremlin hill, the first fortifications at the turn of the X-XI centuries. The fortifications were a palisade of logs pointed at the top and a four-meter ditch dug in front of it, more than fourteen meters wide and an earthen rampart three meters. The Bulgar city was called upon to protect against the raids of the Russian principalities on the Volga trade route. Over the next 250 years, the importance of the outpost of the Bulgar state increased many times, which led to the expansion of the city. Settlements began to appear outside the walls of the fortress. During the Golden Horde, Kazan lost the function of a border bastion, becoming the center of the intersection trade routes the middle Volga region.
Having survived the collapse of the Golden Horde, Kazan turns into the Kazan Khanate. It's not the same anymore small settlement within the fortification walls. The city spilled out beyond the boundaries of the fortress, surrounding the Kremlin hill with trading settlements, settlements of artisans. The number of residential buildings increased rapidly along with the number of townspeople. Architects were in a special position, whose hands created the uniqueness of the ancient city.Numerous mosques, high minarets, magnificent palaces of rulers in their beauty combined the traditions of the Bulgar era and elements of Turkish and Italian architectural mastery. Muslim traditions served as the basis of the cultural life of the khanate. At that time, Khan's Kazan was major city with a highly developed culture.

In 1552, the army of Ivan IV, after a long siege, turned the flourishing city into ashes. The surviving townspeople were evicted behind the fortress walls. The city and its environs were settled by Russian settlers. On the remnants of former glory, a completely different one quickly appears. Kazan. By the beginning of the 17th century, the area of ​​the settlements had doubled, and the walls of the Kremlin would forever take on today's outlines. The city turns into the administrative center of a large assigned territory. Kazan becomes one of the most impregnable citadels of the now Russian Empire. Ivan IV sent Yakovlev and Shiryai to restore the city, who built St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. By the end of the 16th century, there were no more wooden defensive structures left - stone ones were rebuilt instead.
As the Russian Empire grew Kazan Kremlin lost the military component, acquiring the administrative one. The Pugachev uprising delivered the last military upheavals to the Kazan Kremlin. The rebels shelled the Kremlin with artillery for two days, but they were never able to capture it. The city architecture, as well as the internal buildings of the Kremlin, were finally formed by the middle of the 19th century - in this form they have survived to this day.

The complex of buildings of the Kazan Kremlin

Spasskaya Tower

The front gate to the fortress is located in Spasskaya tower. The same architects Yakovlev and Shiryay erected the tower in 1556. Its height is 47 meters. There is a straight arched opening in the tetrahedral base. The fourth octahedral tier, with arched openings on each side, is a belfry in which an alarm Kremlin bell. From here - from a height of 30 meters - a wide view of the whole of Kazan opens. A brick cone with a five-pointed star is laid out on top. In the third - also octahedral - tier there is a chiming clock. It is noteworthy that the first clock, installed in the 18th century, was arranged on the contrary - the dial rotated around static hands. In 1780 they were changed to a traditional counterpart. The clock now on the walls of the Spasskaya Tower was installed in 1963. While the chimes begin to beat, the snow-white walls are painted crimson.

Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery Complex

In the southeastern part Kremlin there is a monastic complex, in its center is the skeleton of the destroyed in the 20s of the last century Cathedral of the Transfiguration. At the foot of the central wall of the cathedral is the cave of the monastery, which has served since 1596 as the resting place of the Kazan wonderworkers. The fraternal building borders the monastery fence. Monastic cells were built in 1670. Later, the treasury house and the gallery were completed. The church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of the Armed Forces and the chambers of the archimandrite are located near the western fortress wall. The church building was reconstructed in 1815 according to the project of A. Schmidt, while the basement of the 16th century was preserved.

Presences

The provincial office, the project of which was developed by the Moscow designer V.I. Kaftyriev, appeared on the land of the Kremlin at the end of the 18th century. There are offices for receptions and living rooms the governor's family. On the second floor at one time there was a chic throne room with choirs for musicians. In the place where in the XV-XVII centuries there was the Sovereign's Court, in the middle of the XIX century a guardhouse was built. Today, the rooms of the former chancery house the Department external relations President of the Republic, the Court of Arbitration and the Central Electoral Commission.

Junker School

To the left of the court building there is an arena built according to the same project as in St. Petersburg. The building was used for military training. Today, the Institute of Literature and Art named after Ibragimov is located within its walls. Behind the arena is the school building itself. The architect Pyatnitsky built it as a barracks for cantonists. In 1861, the building was transferred to the military department, which opened a cadet school on its basis.

Hermitage-Kazan

The exhibition center is located on the third floor of the school. Exhibits of painting, graphics, arts and crafts, historical and cultural collections are exhibited here. The Center has a signed cooperation agreement with the State Hermitage Museum. Cycles of thematic lectures are held in the lecture hall of the center.

Museum of Natural History

In the halls of the museum there are expositions that tell about the diversity of the fossils of our planet, the history of the evolution of vertebrates. Also, the exhibits allow you to see the path of the Earth from the moment of birth to the end of the Carboniferous period, to replenish basic knowledge in the field of astronomy.

Museum-Memorial of the Great Patriotic War

The museum will tell about the contribution of Tatarstan to the victory over Nazi Germany. There are expositions of personal belongings of the heroes, captured weapons, finds of search expeditions to the places of fierce battles. There is an electronic database of 430,000 countrymen who were captured and died on the battlefields.

Khazine Gallery

The National Art Gallery occupies most buildings of the former Junker School. Works of the Kazan art school are exhibited within the walls of the building. The exhibits of the founder of Tatar professional art Baki Urmanche and the Soviet artist Haris Yakulov occupy a special place in the gallery. In the works of artists, a two-century period of the historical development of the region can be traced.

Kul Sharif Mosque

The main mosque in Kazan is located in the courtyard of the school. Four minarets are directed to the sky at 57 meters, and the capacity of the building is one and a half thousand people. The minarets are made in turquoise color, which gives the complex a light image. In addition to the mosque, the complex houses a large open library-museum of Islam, the imam's office and a publishing center. A small rounded building with a turquoise dome on the south side of the mosque is nothing more than a fire station, stylistically related to the architectural ensemble. Kul Sharif was created in 2005 - as a recreation of the legendary multi-minaret shrine of the Kazan Khanate. The amount needed for the construction of the mosque was donated by the citizens and enterprises of the city. In 1552, the last defenders of Kazan died in a battle with the Russian army near its walls. The name of the last imam Kul Sharif, he defended his city to the last breath and died.

Artillery Yard

Behind the school and the mosque is the Cannon Yard, namely its southern building. It is the oldest building of the ensemble - it appeared at the beginning of the 17th century. In the 19th century, an artillery factory began to operate here. Restoration was carried out here last year. The creation of the museum exposition has begun Cannon Yard A. Now the complex hosts permanent exhibitions, chamber performances and demonstrations of fashion collections. Next to the southern building there is a fragment of a brick building on a stone foundation. The depth of the object corresponds to the Khan era of the Kremlin. In those years, houses and buildings were erected here.

Blagoveshchensky cathedral

Blagoveshchensky cathedral is the oldest stone building in Kazan, which has come down to our times. It was consecrated in 1562. The lines of the cathedral clearly trace the trends of Vladimir, Pskov, Moscow and Ukrainian architecture. Initially, the helmet-shaped domes on the side domes were replaced in 1736 with bulbous ones. The central dome is made in the Ukrainian Baroque style. In the basement of the main part of the temple organized a museum of Orthodoxy of the Volga region. A short distance away is the house of the bishop - it was built on the site of the palace of the Kazan bishops in 1829. The ensemble is closed by the consistory, which was rebuilt from the bishop's stables. In the center there is a small cozy square, where after the inclusion of the attraction in the World Heritage List international organization UNESCO erected a monument to the builders of the Kazan Kremlin.

Governor's Palace

The complex was built in 1848 - as a monastery for the Kazan governor with royal chambers for distinguished guests. Supervised the construction of K.A. Tone, who became famous for his work of the Cathedral of Christ and the Great Kremlin Palace in the capital of Russia. On this very spot stood the Khan's palace ensemble. The second floor of the palace has a transition to the Palace Church. Previously, it was called Vvedenskaya, it was built in the 17th century. A museum of the history of the statehood of the Tatar people has been opened inside the church building, and the president of the Republic of Tatarstan now lives in the governor's palace.

Tower Syuyumbike

Tower Syuyumbike is a symbol of Kazan. The name belongs to the Tatar queen - the wife of the last two khans of Kazan. According to legend, Ivan the Terrible, having heard about unearthly beauty Syuyumbike, sent his messengers with a proposal to become the queen of Moscow. Having been refused, the formidable tsar captured Kazan. The proud girl agreed to the proposal of the king, but put forward a counter condition: that in seven days there should be a tower that would dwarf all the minarets of the city in height. Ivan the Terrible fulfilled the desire of his beloved. During the feast, Syuyumbike wished goodbye to take a look hometown from high new tower. Climbing to the highest platform, the proud girl rushed down like a stone. This story may explain the fall of the tower - the builders were in a hurry, and they calculated the foundation incorrectly.
Outwardly, it resembles the Borovitskaya tower of the Moscow Kremlin. Reliable data on the time of appearance of the attraction has not been preserved today. The tower consists of five tiers, decreasing in size. The last levels are octahedrons topped with a tent in the form of a truncated octahedral pyramid and a spire with a gilded crescent. From the ground to the spire - 58 meters. In the last century, three large-scale reconstructions were carried out due to the fall of the tower. The deviation of the spire from the vertical today is 1.98 meters.

Taynitskaya tower

Down from Syuyumbike stand Taynitsky entrance gate. This name was given to the gate because of the dungeon leading to the source, which was used by the inhabitants during the siege of the city. Previously, the tower bore the name of Nur-Ali (the Russians called it "muraleeva"), it was blown up during the capture of the Kremlin. It was through these gates that Ivan IV entered the Khan's monastery lying in ruins. The tower was restored, but received architectural processing in the 17th century. Now on the upper tier there is a cafe "Muraleevy Vorota".

Kazan Kremlin can not leave indifferent any of its visitors! The interweaving of cultures and epochs here comes out and takes on a material form that you can touch, and therefore feel belonging to.