Kazan churches: description, photos, addresses

Kazan is a city in the architecture of which two civilizations have intertwined, because throughout its long history the present capital of Tatarstan was a mediator between the west and the east and played an important role in the formation of international cultural and economic ties.

In what other city are Muslims and Orthodox religious buildings so harmoniously neighbors? This largely determines the color of this place.

Kazan is one of the largest Russian cities and the capital of Tatarstan, located on the bank of the Volga (on the left). In the capital of Tatarstan there are many temples and Orthodox churches. And every year the ancient ones are restored and new churches of Kazan appear. In this article, we will be able to present you only a few of them.

The churches of Kazan (addresses, description) are presented in almost all city guides, we'll tell you about the most interesting of them.

Peter and Paul Cathedral of Kazan (Musa Jalil St., 21)

During the reign of Peter the Great, many wonderful temples were created in Russia. The Peter and Paul Cathedral of the capital of Tatarstan is one of the brightest examples of architecture of that period, although for regional architecture it can be considered exceptional.

This cathedral has always been the most impressive, occupying an honorable place in the necklace of city temples. It was visited by all Russian emperors (except for Nicholas II) and, regardless of their religion, many famous people who visited Kazan. Descriptions of this unique structure can be found in the works of Alexander Dumas and Alexander Humboldt, there was Alexander Pushkin, and in the cathedral choir sang FI Shalyapin.

The Kul-Sharif Mosque (13 Kremlyovskaya Street)

This is the main mosque not only in Kazan, but also in Tatarstan. Its construction was completed in 2005, and the ending was timed to the millennium of Kazan. Architects and builders planned to recreate the ancient mosque of the Kazan Khanate, which was destroyed in 1552 by the troops of Ivan the Terrible. And, I must say, they coped with the task posed brilliantly.

The mosque was named after the last Imam. The winners of the republican contest were engaged in design and construction. Opening in a solemn atmosphere took place in 2005.

The composition of the temple is symmetrical. On its sides are two pavilions, which connect it with the architecture of the adjacent building of the Junker school.

The mosque can seat fifteen hundred people at a time. Its interiors were designed by A. G. Satarov. In the decoration were used marble and granite. Carpets are donated to the temple by the Iranian government. Crystal chandelier, diameter more than 5 m, made to order in the Czech Republic from colored glass. Its weight exceeds 2 tons.

The Church of the Great Martyr Paraskeva (Bolshaya Krasnaya, 1/2)

The churches of Kazan are all very different both in architectural decision and in interior decoration. This church was erected in 1730 at the expense of IA Miklyaev. Often it is called Pyatnitskaya, after the name of the left side chapel in honor of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa.

The temple is a tall octagon, located on the squat square, which occupies the upper section. Above the vault is a small glavka, sitting on a blank faceted drum. A large semicircular apse below the quadrilateral covers it from the east. A one-story refectory descends down the slope, to which adjoins the northern side-chapel. The preserved lower tier of the bell tower is buried in the volume of the refectory.

The decoration of this church in Kazan is rather laconic. The walls are fixed at the corners by the enveloping blades. They seem to cut through the rare, symmetrically arranged rectangular windows, decorated with figured platbands.

The temple of all religions (the village of Old Arakchino, 4)

I am glad that the modern religious buildings of the city are no less beautiful than the buildings created by the ancient masters. In the village of Old Arakchino, located on the bank of the Volga, is an amazing temple, which is considered one of the unique structures of Russia. The temple has one more name - the Temple of the Seven Religions.

This is a unique complex of buildings, which consists of Catholic and Orthodox churches, Buddhist and Muslim mosques, a synagogue, a Chinese pagoda and even altars of religions that have already disappeared. It was not created at all in order to gather representatives of various confessions under one roof. The temple is a testament to the fact that it is possible to unite all beliefs in one building.

The author of the project is Ildar Khanov, who is a well-known public figure of Tatarstan, an architect, an artist and a healer. He traveled extensively, visited Tibet and India, where he got acquainted with the cultural heritage of the East, studied ancient Chinese and Tibetan medicine, Buddhism, yoga. After returning from the trips, he felt the gift of the doctor.

Church of the Yaroslavl Wonderworkers (25, Mykola Yershov St.)

This church of Kazan was given the name of the holy princes Feodor, Constantine and David in 1796. The chapel of the church was consecrated in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The left chapel, consecrated in the name of the saint, the patriarch of Tsaregrad, was added in 1843. A year later (1844) the right side-chapel was rebuilt.

It is interesting that from 1938 to 1946 this church remained the only one in the city, so it was considered a cathedral. During the war years, they collected clothes and funds for the soldiers of the Soviet Army. The church remained the only one that was not closed in the Soviet period. Today it is one of the most revered in the city.