It is the only remaining Tatar fortress with traces of original town planning here and there. There is evidence in the complex of the existence of the Khanate. The Tatar and Russian architecture is well represented.
The Kazan Kremlin Complex is a symbolic example of continuity of culture over a long period. It is also a classic example of cultural interchange generated by different cultures. It is the only remaining Tatar fortress with traces of original town planning here and there. There is evidence in the complex of the existence of the Khanate. The Tatar and Russian architecture is well represented. Among the cultures represented in the Kazan Kremlin include the Bulgar, Tatar, Italian Golden Horde and Russian.
The Kremlin Hall was initially a fortified trading settlement that was surrounded by embankments and moats. In the 12th century, a stone fortress was built and town gradually developed into a trading outpost of the border of Volga Bulgaria.
The town grew rapidly such that by 15th century, it had turned into an Islamic Principality of the Bulgaria complete with military, trading and administrative functions. In the heart of the town, a medieval Kremlin was built from the 16th to 19th centuries.
The fortifications are made in stone and brick and were built in stages. From 1556 to 1562, under Postnik Yakovlev and Ivan Shiryai, the masters of Pskov replicated the Tatar fortifications that had been built earlier. A total of 13 fortress towers were constructed but some were pulled down in the 19th century.
Points of Attraction
Among the most famous attractions within the Kazan Kremlin Complex include:
- The Governor's Palace complex
- The Church of Christ the Savior and
- The Grand Kremlin Palace
- The Palace Church
- Syuyumbeki's Tower
- The Annunciation Cathedral
- The Bishop's House (1829)
- The Public Offices complex
- The three-storey Guard House
- The Savior-Transfiguration Monastery complex
- The Spasskaya Tower
- The church of St Nicholas the Thaumaturgist
- The Cadets' School complex
- The Riding School
- The Artillery Cannon Foundry
- The Great Street
The Kazan Kremlin Complex will take you back in time to the Russian Tatar. Trust me; you will have the time of your life reading and listening to the tales of ‘Russky’ valor.