Sights of Tatarstan - from antiquity to our days. What to see in Tatarstan - in Kazan, Sviyazhsk and other cities of the republic?

Today Tatarstan is considered one of the most rapidly developing regions of the Russian Federation. It is also famous for its multifaceted and rich culture. Rapid popularity of the Republic of Tatarstan was after the Universiade in 2013, which was attended by athletes from around the world. The capital of the Republic of Kazan is a city with a centuries-old history, as well as a cultural, commercial and economic center. To see the numerous attractions of Tatarstan, hundreds of travelers come here annually. And here there is definitely something to see!

Short characteristic of Tatarstan

It is located at the confluence of the Kama and Volga rivers . The Tatar Autonomous Socialist Republic was established in 1929, in 1990 it was transformed into the Republic of Tatarstan as part of the Russian Federation. The capital of Kazan is an ancient year, which was founded in 1005.

About 3.8 million people live in this region. And 75% of them are residents of cities. In Tatarstan, the two official languages are Tatar and Russian. In general, there are 115 different nationalities living here. The head of the republic is the president. In Tatarstan there is a hymn, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Constitution and the State Council.

Geographical position of the republic

The region is located on the East European Plain, in the forest-steppe and forest zones. The climate of the region is moderately continental with quite pronounced seasons. Attractions of Tatarstan are best visited from April to October, when the snow does not lie and pleasant warm weather has established. Snow usually falls in mid-November and lasts until the end of March, and sometimes until early April.

In addition to such large rivers as Kama and Volga, the region has about 500 small rivers. There are also reservoirs: Kuibyshev, Zaim, Nizhnekamsk and Karabash. About 15% of the territory of Tatarstan is occupied by deciduous forests. Under protection are more than 1500 valuable objects of nature, the largest of them are the Volga-Kama Reserve Zone and the National Park "Lower Kama".

Sights of Kazan

Kazan is considered to be the pearl of the republic. A myriad of historical monuments are represented here. Nevertheless, the Kazan Kremlin is considered a visiting card of the city , which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The view of the Kul-Sharif Mosque and the Kremlin from the side of the Kazanka River is perhaps the most famous image of Kazan. The capital of Tatarstan is a unique color of cultures of the west and east, Christianity and Islam. The mosques here harmoniously coexist with the Orthodox cathedrals.

An unforgettable impression is made by walking along the historic quarter of the city - along the streets of Bauman, Tukaya and Gorky, the Bulak canal, Staro-Tatar Sloboda. One of the most important modern symbols of the city can be called with certainty the Millennium Bridge, which was built in part of the 10,000th anniversary of Kazan. The Kazan Circus, which in shape resembles a flying saucer, can also surprise . The water park "Riviera" was also very popular. Quite often, tour operators offer bus tours to the capital of Kazan with a compulsory check-in at this institution.

The sights of Kazan do not end here. The city has a lot of interesting places to visit. It is the Chatyr-Tau mountain (the highest mountain of a single mountain range in the region), the Ascension Monastery, Kara-Kul Lake, etc.

Museums

To learn more about this region, visit the museums of Tatarstan: the Museum of Military Glory, the Circus Museum, the National Art Gallery, the Museum of Fire Protection, the Museum of the 1000th Anniversary of Kazan, the Museum of Islamic Culture, the Botanical Museum, the Vasilyev Art Gallery and other equally fascinating institutions .

Orthodox shrines

The most important Orthodox shrine of Kazan and Russia in general can be called the Church of Our Lady of Kazan. Here are the most revered icons in Orthodoxy. No less picturesque is the Peter and Paul Church, which proudly rises above Kazan.

Epiphany Cathedral is one of the most important symbols of the capital of the republic. The city also houses the ancient temple of the Yaroslavl Wonderworkers, which is located in the Arskoye cemetery. In addition to all these shrines, you can visit the monasteries of Tatarstan: Zilatnov Uspensky female, Raifa and Ioana-Predtechny masculine and others.

Not far from Kazan, in the village of Voznesenskoye, there is a unique temple of the Mother of God of the Tikhvin Icon. Here there used to be a rather well-known image of "The Joy of All Who Sorrow". In the village of Borisoglebskom there is a church of the Great Martyrs Boris and Gleb. It was erected in 1600. In 1888, its building was restored again after a fire.

The mosques of the republic

The main religious building of Tatarstan is the Kul Sharif mosque. This majestic structure is a real treasure of the white stone Kremlin and the capital of the republic. In the old part of the city there are other amazing mosques of Tatarstan. Among them - the mosque Bulgar. It was founded in honor of the 1100th anniversary of the conversion to Islam of the Volga region. One of the sleeping areas of Kazan is decorated with the Blue Mosque. A whole block is also dedicated to the wooden "Kazan Nura". In the Novotatar Sloboda there is a mosque with a very strange name - No. 11. It was built by the philanthropist al-Uranbashi.

Sviyazhsk

The city of Sviyazhsk is a picturesque place of Tatarstan and a monument of local importance. This city-fortress was founded by Ivan the Terrible in 1551 at the confluence of the Sviyaga and Volga rivers . During the years of Soviet rule, hundreds of thousands of prisoners were sent here. After the creation of the Kuibyshev reservoir, Sviyazhsk turned into an island. You can get to it on the dam by car or by river transport.

Since 2011, a grandiose program has begun to transform this place into a museum-preserve. Now in Sviyazhsk there are works on the reconstruction of various monuments, some of which were founded in the 16th century.

This island-city is considered one of the most popular holiday destinations for both tourists and residents of the republic. In Sviyazhsk often there are various contests, folk festivals, festivals.

Bulgar

We continue to closely study the sights of Tatarstan. On the banks of the Volga lies the picturesque town of Bolgar. It was built in the place where the ancient Bulgar used to be. At that time the city was a major economic center and the largest settlement of the Golden Horde. Bulgar was destroyed in the 15th century.

The most notable construction of the town is the hillfort of Bulgar. This complex consists of numerous monuments of the 13-15 centuries: the Small Minaret, the Cathedral Mosque, the Khan's Tomb, etc.

Elabuga

Elabuga is one of the oldest cities in the republic, whose age has long exceeded a thousand. True, the exact date of its occurrence is not clear, it is known only that it was founded at the turn of the 9-11 centuries. The main historical monument of Yelabuga is Chertovo hillfort. All major attractions of the village were merged into a museum-reserve. It included memorial museums of various figures, which are related to Yelabuga (Durova, Bekhterev, Tsvetaeva). Here is also the art gallery Shishkin.

In general, Yelabuga is a very beautiful city, however the rapid economic development has somewhat spoiled the characteristic architectural ensemble, which must be imbued with the spirit of antiquity.

Sights of Tatarstan is a symbiosis of past and future, East and West. To feel the unique atmosphere of the region, you definitely need to visit here!