Kazan
Overview
Kazan is one of the largest cities in Russia, and more than a million people call it home. Kazan is considered one of the cultural and economic centers of the Volga region. Kazan was founded more than 1000 years ago by the ancient Bulgars at the intersection of trade routes between Europe and Asia.
In the 16th century, Ivan the Terrible captured Kazan and annexed it to the territory of Russia. Today, Kazan positions itself as the third capital of Russia. Kazan is a student city with many universities and research institutes. The city is home to the third oldest University in Russia, built in 1804. Recently, many sports facilities have been built in the city, as Kazan received the right to host the 2013 summer Universiade, the 2015-world aquatics championship and the 2018 world football championship. Every year the city attracts more and more tourists who come to admire the architecture, visit the Opera and ballet festivals at the Kazan state theater, relax in one of the largest water parks in the Volga region, and try the national cuisine.
Sights
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KAZAN KREMLIN
Built under the order of the grand prince of Moscow Ivan IV the Terrible, today the Kazan Kremlin is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Kazan Kremlin is the only remaining Tatar fortress in Russia. The complex encompasses the office of Tatarstan’s President and his administration, the magnificent Kul Sharif Mosque (the main mosque of the Republic of Tatarstan), the falling Syuyumbike tower, the Presidential Palace, the buildings of Government Offices and the Consistory, the Cannon Courtyard, and other highlights that make it the most visited attraction of the city.
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BAUMAN STREET
This pedestrian street is immensely popular among both travellers and locals, somewhat resembling the iconic Old Arbat street in Moscow. It stretches from the Kremlin and passes through the city center. Previously, it was a Nogai road leading to the walls of the city. It was dangerous to approach since it was from the side of the city that the enemy would attack Kazan. Starting from the sixteenth century, that area became more peaceful, and the street was gradually built up. If you’re not sure where to start your sightseeing tour of Kazan, we highly recommend Bauman Street.
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KUL SHARIF MOSQUE
This magnificent mosque was built on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin and is truly the symbol of the city. Nonetheless, the contemporary building is a product of modern architecture, since the original mosque was completely destroyed by the troops of Ivan IV the Terrible in 1552. Unfortunately, the original project was lost, and there were no other documents confirming what the old mosque looked like. So, in 1996, the best architects of the country created the new image of the temple. A great number of talented masters worked on its appearance and interior. The building is a complex featuring a large prayer hall for men, and a smaller one for women, a room for ablutions, a dressing room, a museum of Islam, observation decks, and a library. Although anyone can enter the mosque, most tourists only visit observation decks that offer views over the inside of the mosque and the surrounding panorama.
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SYUYUMBIKE TOWER
Russia has its own leaning tower, the Suyumbike watchtower. Its spire deviates from the vertical by 1.98 m, while the total height of the tower is 58 m. It was erected between 1645 and 1650 inside the Kazan Kremlin. In the entire history of the Kazan Khanate, the regent queen Syuyuk, was the only woman who headed the state as she was forced to rule for her young son after the husband’s death. The people praised Syuyuk for abolishing a number of taxes for merchants, peasants, and artisans. In gratitude for alleviating the tax burden, she was called Syuyumbike, translated from Tatar as “beloved mistress”, and this tower as well as many streets in other towns and villages were named after her.
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KAZAN FAMILY CENTER
The Kazan Family Center, which is also a registry office, is situated on the other side on the River Kazanka. According to legend, the name of the city comes from the word “kazan”, which means a “cauldron,” and the building really does resemble a big cooking pot, symbolizing abundance and fertility. Along its perimeter one can see winged leopards and Zilant dragons guarding the Kazan Center. Thirty-two meters up on the eighth floor, there is a platform that offers a panoramic view of the city’s historical part. The view is particularly beautiful after sunset: all of the Kremlin buildings and the embankment are magnificently illuminated, and the lights are reflect in the river.
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ASSUMPTION MONASTERY OF SVIYAZHSK
Sviyazhsk is located in the area of three rivers, the Volga, the Sviyaga and the Schuka, and is based as a powerful fortress. The city has preserved numerous monuments of Ancient Russia’s architecture, the Orthodox history and culture. The Assumption Cathedral is a male monastery, included in UNESCO World Heritage list. It was built in 1555, at the same time as Diocese of Kazan was established, and was the main educational center of the region during the XVI—XVIII centuries, being part of the agenda of the Russian tzar Ivan IV the Terrible to colonize Volga region. In particular, it had one of the first printing presses in Russia, along with the Moscow Print Yard. The frescoes of the monastery are among the
best ones in Russia. -
CITY TOUR
The capital of Tatarstan republic which had 1000 years anniversary in 2005 is one the most extraordinary cities of the country. Kazan has unique ability of blending two different sides of its life: antiquity and modernity, Asia and Europe, islam and orthodoxy. Russian and Tatar cultures do not confront but merge in this beautiful city. Kazan city tour is an entertaining trip with sightseeing of such famous places of Kazan as Kazan Kremlin with its beautiful Kol Sharif mosque, the magnificent Blagoveshenskiy Cathedral (the Cathedral of Annunciation) and Soyembika tower, which has many legends and tales. After Kazan Kremlin pay a visit to National Cultural center “Kazan”, the Marcani mosque, Kazan university complex and the Church of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, the place where the Kazan Icon of God’s Mother was found.
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TEMPLE OF ALL RELIGIONS
The Temple of All Religions or the Universal Temple is a unique architectural complex in the Staroye Arakchino Microdistrict of Kazan. It consists of several types of religious architecture including an Orthodox church, a mosque, a synagogue and many more. Eventually the structure should have 16 cupolas, corresponding to the 16 major world religions, including past religions that are no longer practiced. The complex is not an active temple of any religion, but rather, a “temple of culture and truth”. It has become a popular landmark in the city of Kazan, which takes pride in the peaceful combination of different cultures , often visited by locals and overseas tourists.
Hotels
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KAZAN PALACE BY TASIGO
Number of rooms: 66
Distance to the city centre: 3 km
Distance to the airport: 24 km
Address: 3B Kalinin street, Kazan, Tatarstan Republic, Russia, 420043An award-winning designer hotel built in 2018 by an internationally-renowned Polimeks construction company. In the 2019 edition of European Property Awards, Kazan Palace by TASIGO won the prestigious “Best New Hotel Construction & Design” and “Best New Hotel Construction & Design, Five Stars” awards. This traditional on the outside, state-of-the-art on the inside hotel is located in the historic building of the former Shamovskaya hospital, and hosts the Kazan Palace Museum that pays homage to the city’s proud and multi-cultural history. On display in the one-room gallery guests will find snapshots of Kazan everyday life, history of benevolent Shamov family and the hospital they helped to built, which, in its reincarnation, became home to Kazan Palace Hotel.
The hotel offers free Wi-fi, 24-hour room service, daily cleaning, wheelchair access, 24-hour reception, two restaurants, a lounge and a bar, SPA with a hammam, a fitness centre, meeting rooms and a congress hall.
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MIRAGE HOTEL
Number of rooms: 109
Distance to the city center: 1 km
Distance to the airport: 26 km
Address: 5 Moskovskaya street, Kazan City, Tatarstan Republic, Russia, 420202The hotel is conveniently located within a short distance to major Kazan’s attractions (the Petropavlovsk Cathedral, Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Blagoveshchen Cathedral, Kul-Sharif Mosque and the State Academy Theatre) and right opposite the Kazan Kremlin. The airport is within 45 mins drive. The hotel has 109 rooms, a restaurant, a brewery bar, a fitness centre with a swimming pool, Finnish and Turkish sauna, a beauty salon, a business centre and a karaoke club.
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KORSTON ROYAL HOTEL
Number of rooms: 202
Distance to the city center: 5 km
Distance to the airport: 28 km
Address: 1A Yershova str., Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, 420045Korston Royal business hotel is located in the business area of the city, close to state and business structures, as well as scientific, educational and exhibition centres. The hotel is an easy access from any part of the city. Each room includes is comfortably furnished, has satellite and cable TV, IP-telephone, central climate control system, Wi-Fi Internet access, a safe box, a mini bar, a bathroom with hair-dryer and full set of necessary toiletries, bathrobes, and slippers.
Some of the rooms meet accessibility standards. The hotel has multiple dining options: an Italian restaurant EVOO with a panoramic view, a Viennese café, several bars, a
pizzeria, a food-court and a sushi bar. It boasts of an extensive scope of services and facilities: a swimming pool, sauna, gym, cinema, a playroom for kids, billiards and bowling club, a night club, boutiques and shops, pharmacy and optics, a car wash, a mini market, and more. -
BILYAR PALACE HOTEL
Number of rooms: 124
Distance to the city center: 2 km
Distance to the airport: 24 km
Address: 61 Ostrovsky str., Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia, 420107Bilyar Palace Hotel is a modern business conveniently located in the downtown of Kazan and also in the zone of tourist and business activity in the surroundings of famous history and culture attractions such as the Kazan Kremlin, Musa Dzhalil Academic Opera and the Ballet Theatre, 1000 years of Kazan Park. Bilyar Palace Hotel is a 10-storey high-tech complex with interiors designed in Tatar national style. Its amenities include a restaurant, a conference room, a beauty salon, a fitness centre, a bar/lounge, dry cleaning services, and other features of a modern 4-star hotel.
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GRAND HOTEL KAZAN
Number of rooms: 215
Distance to the city center: 2 km
Distance to the airport: 25 km
Hotel Address: 1 Peterburgskaya str., Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia, 420111The Grand Hotel Kazan occupies a modern 17-storeyed building and has a well-developed infrastructure. The hotel is located in the very centre of the city. It has 215 spacious rooms of various categories with a magnificent panoramic view over the city. There is a shopping and entertainment center adjacent to the hotel, with its entrance leading directly into
the hotel hall. Also, here the guests will find the only observation deck in Kazan. The Grand Hotel is well-equipped for hosting business and social gatherings. The meeting areas include a big hall for 350 seats, a smaller hall for 100 seats, and a meeting room for 25 persons. All rooms feature a screen or a flip chart, mineral water, stationery, and office supplies. List of available equipment includes a PC, a printer, a fax machine, a TV-set, audio and video equipment, a copying machine, sound amplifying systems, microphones, etc. -
KORONA CLUB HOTEL
Number of rooms: 38
Distance to the city center: 3 km
Distance to the airport: 25 km
Address: 35 Ovrazhnaya str., Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia, 420012Korona Club Hotel is located in the city centre of Kazan, just a few minutes away from the railway station. Here, tourists that wish to explore local attractions and people who come on business feel equally comfortable. This stylish hotel building catches the eye with its unique architecture. It offers accommodation in 38 rooms of various categories. Each room is fitted for the most pleasant stay, and includes convenient furniture, a TV, household appliances, and a bathroom with all the necessary accessories, slippers and bathrobes.
The hotel features the following services and facilities: a bar, a restaurant, a conference hall, transfers, a safe box at the reception, laundry and dry-cleaning services, wireless Internet connection, booking air and railway tickets and guided tours, car parking. -
AMAKS SAFAR HOTEL
Number of rooms: 233
Distance to the city centre: 2 km
Distance to the airport: 33 km
Address: 1 Odnostoronka Grivki str., Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia, 420066One of the main reasons AMAKS Safar Hotel stands out among the rest of Kazan’s hotels of the same class is the combination of its central location in a park area with a fine view of the Kazan Kremlin and the Kazanka river, international standard of the services it provides, and its complex infrastructure. The centre of Kazan’s business activity, a modern waterpark and the largest in the country ice stadium “Tatneft-Arena” are within a 10-minutes’ drive. Its restaurant offers European, Russian, Oriental and Tatar cuisine, a wide choice you will not find in any other hotel in Kazan, and at such an affordable price. The hotel has a business centre and four conference halls fitted with the most modern equipment. Among its other amenities are banquet halls with 350 seat capacity, a gym with a pool and a sauna, free WiFi, its 24h OUT Hall entertainment centre with table tennis, billiards, and a night club. In the lobby bar you can treat yourself with local home-made traditional Tatar sweets chak-chak, kaleve, peremiachi, eleshi that are so popular with
the guests that they take them as edible souvenirs. -
CRYSTAL HOTEL
Number of rooms: 165
Distance to the city centre: 1 km
Distance to the airport: 27 km
Address: 8 Rustem Yakhin str., Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia, 420202CRYSTAL Hotel is located within a short walking distance from all major historical highlights of the city, only 100 meters from Kazan railway station and a 20-minutes’ drive to Kazan airport. Each room has a comfortable bed, air conditioning, satellite TV, a wardrobe, a fridge, a desk, a safe box, highspeed Internet access. Bathrooms are fitted with shower, a hair-dryer and slippers. The hotel’s amenities include a restaurant, a bar, a mini-market, a sauna, a conference room, as well as bicycle rental, car parking, ATMs and electronic funds transfer terminals.
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IMERETI HOTEL
Number of rooms: 34
Distance to the city centre: 1 km
Distance to the airport: 27 km
Address: 35 Moskovskaya str., Kazan City, Tatarstan, Russia, 420111The convenient location in the center of Kazan allows guests of IMERETI Hotel to easily reach various historical monuments and other highlights of the city. Various business, shopping, sports and entertainment centres are in the immediate vicinity of the hotel. All rooms have room service, climate control, satellite TV, wireless Internet access, a safety deposit box, a mini-bar, a spacious bathroom with hairdryer and slippers. Superior rooms offer extra amenities and services. The hotel’s facilities include a restaurant, a banquet hall, a business centre, a conference room, a sauna, a gym, bicycle rental, cooking master classes of Georgian cuisine. Various activities, including hiking and cycling, are available on site.
Activities
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CHAK-CHAK MUSEUM
The Chak-chak Museum is a place where you will plunge into the atmosphere of Tatar life and feel like guests of an old Tatar family. Here you will learn the secrets of cooking chak-chak, and introduced to the utensils that were used in the past. It is said that a Tatar may not eat, but cannot lie without drinking tea. Here you will be offered fragrant tea from a samovar, chak-chak, baursak, and Tatar pastila.
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SHOPPING
Kazan is unlike anywhere else in Russia, so be sure to pick up a traditional souvenir or three in order to remind you of what we can only hope is a glorious time in the Tatar capital. Traditional clothing is always a winner, but the old male headdress in these parts deserves extra attention. Men absolutely should purchase a tubetey, but be ready to shell out a bit of money for a genuine one unless you want to go home with a cheap knock-off. If headwear isn’t your type of thing, get yourself a pair of fantastic Tatar boots. Unique Muslim Tatar designs are a fantastic choice of souvenir in that case, whether it is special versions of the Koran or something a little less intense. If all else fails, Kazan cats are famous souvenirs from the region. For a modern and up-to-date entertainment one can visit “Mega”, “GUM”
and “TSUM” shopping centres. -
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Restaurants
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HEMINGWAY
Hemingway restaurant is an island of the Mediterranean in the historical center of Kazan. The culinary philosophy is based on recipes and combinations that emphasize and reveal the taste of seafood. There are a lot of it on the menu: a salad with scallops and avocado, risotto with seafood and cuttlefish, lobster, Kamchatka crabs, different types of oysters, anadaru, vongole, mussels. Alternative options for those who are indifferent to seafood — pumpkin pie, bara-mundi, lamb on a spit and original sauces from local chefs. The wine list has more than 60 items, and the children’s menu for little guests was developed by the chef himself.
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TERRA GUSTO
The loft-style interior with elements of pop-art and colonial decor is perfect for photos, and the menu will please with a variety: Caucasian and European cuisines are combined with Pan-Asian and Eastern ones. Here you can order khachapuri, pasta, fish soup or steaks, and watch exciting show programs during the weekends.
