Who built the Kazan Kremlin. History and year of foundation of Kazan
V. E. Shmatov
Who built the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow?
From many reliable sources, 1 which have survived to this day, it is known that the builder (in those days this was the name of the people with whose money the structure was built) of the Kazan Cathedral in Moscow is a great citizen of Russia, the liberator of the Fatherland - Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky (17/30X. 1577-20IV/03V.1642). 2 The cathedral was specially built to house the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which accompanied the people's militia in 1612 and greatly contributed to the victory of the militia over the Lithuanian-Polish invaders. It is also known that the miraculous Kazan Icon was kept from the end of 1612 until the construction of the Moscow Kazan Cathedral by D.M. Pozharsky in the prince’s parish church, the Church of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was located on Lubyanka opposite his Moscow estate. The prince built a special chapel for the icon in this church. And after the precious Image was transferred from the Church of the Presentation to the Kazan Cathedral that he built, “the cathedral assumed the functions of the main temple-monument in honor of the victory of 1612 with all the ritual features associated with this holiday.” 3
However, in the last two decades, publications began to appear, from which it follows that Prince D.M. Pozharsky was not involved in the construction of the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow. These publications are few in number, but, unfortunately, they had a negative impact on people from the power structures on whom, for example, such a decision depends - to place information about its original builder, Prince Pozharsky, on the wall of the Kazan Cathedral, or not to place it. Not placed yet. Therefore, we set ourselves the task of reviewing these publications and assessing the reliability of the information contained in them.
One of the authors of the mentioned publications is Pavlovich G.A. 4 As the basis for his statement about the non-involvement of Prince D.M. Pozharsky in the construction of the Kazan Cathedral, he takes the statement of one of the figures of the mid-19th century who has this point of view, a certain I. Krylov. Krylov writes in his work: “However, ancient writers do not call Prince Pozharsky the builder of this cathedral, 5 and in the Kazan Cathedral itself, except for the miraculous icon, 6 there is not a single small feature, not a single thing that would remind of Prince Pozharsky, even as well as not about the builder of the cathedral; there is not only the Pozharsky family, but also him himself in the Synod of the Kazan Cathedral" 7. Pavlovich does not even try to comprehend the statement stated by Krylov. But he simply takes his words on faith and that’s it. And this is no coincidence. It’s more convenient for Pavlovich, because Krylov’s statement is also consistent with his concept. But let me. But what about the different point of view on this issue of dozens of other historical figures of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries? Pavlovich is silent about this. But in vain. Any statement of such a significant nature requires careful analysis. Otherwise, this leads to a distortion of historical reality and causes great harm to both patriotic and moral education and the significance in the history of our Fatherland of such outstanding personalities as D.M. Pozharsky.
Along with this, in his publication Pavlovich makes gross historical errors. For example, on page 226 he writes that, with the probable blessing of the Patriarch of All Rus' Hermogenes, from Kazan there was “a copy (emphasis added) of the miraculous icon brought to the first militia, after which victory was won in the “Etman battle”, in a difficult battle with Hetman Khotkevich at the Novodevichy Convent." However, among the overwhelming majority of scientists, there is an opinion that for the sake of saving Rus', Patriarch Hermogenes ordered to bring from Kazan to the first militia not a copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, but the newly appeared Image itself, the appearance of which was witnessed by Hermogenes himself. It is also well known that the “Etman battle” took place not during the first militia, but during the second. The battle of the second militia, commanded by Prince Pozharsky, with the troops of Hetman Khotkevich began on August 21, 1612 and ended on August 24 with the complete defeat of the latter. The following phrase in Pavlovich’s publication is not correct either chronologically or historically: “... the Image itself, already famous in battle(emphasis added), they took us on a hike to Moscow." But the Icon had not yet been glorified in battle before the second militia marched to Moscow. Before appearing in the second militia, the Image was previously in the army of Prince D.T. Trubetskoy, who, as unnecessary, sent him back to Kazan at the beginning of 1612. This begs the question. If Prince Trubetskoy, according to Pavlovich, had a copy of the icon, and not the original itself, what was the need to send the list to Kazan? The answer is obvious. Trubetskoy sent the original Image to Kazan.
This is how the famous historian, archivist and archaeographer A.F. writes about it. Malinovsky in his fundamental work “Review of Moscow”, completed by him in the late 20s of the 19th century, but published only in 1992: “This icon, 8 escorted by the archpriest with the clergy, arrived in Yaroslavl on the same day as the marching Prince Pozharsky from Nizhny Novgorod with the militia for the deliverance of Moscow. Such an unexpectedly blessed meeting was taken as a good omen with firm hope of success. The entire army prayed to the leader that the image of the intercessor of Kazan would accompany them on the campaign. real(emphasis added) the image was stopped in Yaroslavl, and the copy (emphasis added) from it, richly decorated, was sent to Kazan." 9
On page 230 of his work, Pavlovich makes a link in note 38, 10 where he writes that the consecration of the Kazan Cathedral took place on October 15/16, 1636 “in the presence of the tsar, the patriarch and, probably, the royal family,” keeping silent about the fact that during the consecration of the cathedral Prince D.M. was also present. Pozharsky. Although the source indicated in the link says this. Making another reference in note 39, 11 where on page 7 the contribution of the royal family to the Kazan Cathedral in the form of a large bell is indicated, Pavlovich again remains silent about the fact that on page 5 of the same source it is said that: “Kazan 12 that on Red Square, built of blessed memory under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, around 1630, by Prince Dimitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky, and consecrated in 1637. The church is so named because the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God was placed in it in 1633.” 13
This is how falsified history is born. They will tell us about something, they will keep something silent, and some events will be presented in the light they (the falsifiers) need.
In contrast to Mr. Pavlovich, the research of such famous archivists, archaeographers, historians and biographers of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries as Maksimovich L.M., Glinka S.N., Malinovsky A.F., Pogodin M.P., Bantysh-Kamensky D.N., Chichagov N.I., Smirnov S.K., Zabelin I.E., Melnikov P.I., Dal L.V., Savelov L.M., Korsakova V.D., as well as modern researchers of the 20th century, such as Gulyanitsky N.F., 14 Zhurin O.I., Mokeev G.Ya., 15 N.M. Kurganova, 16 R. Skrypnikov 17 and others say the opposite. All of the above-mentioned authors argued that the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow was originally built by Prince D.M. Pozharsky.
So A.F. Malinovsky (1762-1840), senator, manager of the archives of the College of Foreign Affairs, 18 writes: “The Kazan Cathedral was built by the boyar Prince Dimitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky... The sovereign’s parent Filaret Nikitich convinced Prince Pozharsky in 1625 to decorate that image with valuable utensils, 19 and in 1630 to create a special temple for it. The construction of the Kazan Cathedral, carried out at the expense of Prince Pozharsky, was completed in 1633, but it is not known why the consecration of the church was postponed until 1637" 20. It should be noted that all information about Prince D.M. Pozharsky were taken by A.F. Malinovsky from documentary sources of the 17th century, stored at that time in the Moscow archive of the College of Foreign Affairs. And work with these sources A.F. Malinovsky began long before the Patriotic War of 1812, which is confirmed by N.M. Kurganova in her work. 21 When the archive was evacuated to Nizhny Novgorod in August 1812, a number of archive documents were lost during the evacuation.
Now let's analyze I. Krylov's statement. The fact that the clergy did not include the name of Prince D.M. in the Synodik of the Kazan Cathedral. Pozharsky does not mean that he was not the builder of the Kazan Cathedral. The Synodikon does not mention any builder of the cathedral at all. But what can best remind of Prince Pozharsky than the cathedral itself, built by him? And what could be more precious a gift than the very image of the Most Pure Mother of God of Kazan, donated by Prince Pozharsky to the Kazan Cathedral? According to research by A.F. Malinovsky, Prince Pozharsky "... transferred there from his parish church the Miraculous Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, adorned with precious stones from him, 22 sent from Kazan and his army accompanying him during the conquest of Moscow" 23. As for the failure to mention in the Synodic of the Kazan Cathedral both Prince Pozharsky himself and members of his family, neither Prince Pozharsky himself nor members of his family along the male line are buried on the territory of the Kazan Cathedral. There is only the burial of the daughter of Prince Pyotr Dmitrievich Pozharsky - the noblewoman Princess Evdokia Petrovna, the wife of the boyar Prince Yuri Alekseevich Dolgoruky. In addition to the Dolgorukys, there are burials from the families of princes Sheremetyev, Naryshkin, Miloslavsky and others, whose names were mentioned in the Synodik of the Kazan Cathedral 24.
So, it would seem that justice has been restored, since Pavlovich’s statement (with reference to Krylov) about the non-involvement of Prince D.M. Pozharsky to the construction of the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow is groundless and unsubstantiated. However, Pavlovich G.A. there are a few followers who accepted his point of view. And these followers, in turn referring to Pavlovich, are trying to influence public opinion. As a result, a color booklet about the Kazan Cathedral appears in Russian and English, distorting reliable historical facts, presenting them in the spirit of Mr. Pavlovich. Thus, belittling the role of Prince D.M. Pozharsky in the socio-political and spiritual life of Russia at that time, belittling his personal qualities as a great citizen of his Fatherland.
One of the followers of Pavlovich G.A. is Eskin Yu.M., employee of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts. His first work was about D.M. Pozharsky was published back in 1976 in the journal “Questions of History” No. 8, when he worked as a history teacher in high school. The essay is very crude. There is not a word at all about the first people's militia in the essay. A very free presentation of historical events about the formation of the second people's militia. Some kind of fairy tale, there is no other way to say it, about the unexpected arrival of D.M. Pozharsky in March 1611 to Moscow and about his “accidental” leadership of a spontaneous uprising of Moscow residents against the Poles. But the year of publication of the work was 1976 and Eskin decided not to emphasize the role of Prince Pozharsky as a hero of Russia. In his essay D.M. Pozharsky is presented as a Suzdal prince. Not a word is said about the numerous Nizhny Novgorod estates of the prince. And the human essence of the prince is represented by the following statement by Eskin: “Pozharsky considered the legitimate monarch to whom Moscow kissed the cross.” 25 Although it is common knowledge that D.M. Pozharsky did not swear allegiance to either False Dmitry I, or False Dmitry II, or the Polish prince Vladislav, while Moscow kissed the cross for all three. Not to mention the fact that Prince Pozharsky never said these words. These words were spoken to Pozharsky by the residents of Zaraysk, where the prince was governor in 1610-1611: “...we kiss the cross to the one who will be the king of the Moscow state” 26. To which the prince replied that now there is a king and there is no need to demand another 27.
In his essay about D.M. Pozharsky, Eskin writes: “In 1631, the prince built the Kazan Cathedral near Red Square in Moscow...”. 28 But 24 years later, he disavows his words in another of his publications, 29 citing a more authoritative source for him than was previously available - the above-mentioned work of Pavlovich. In note 36 to his work, Eskin writes: “The author’s conclusion about the non-involvement of D.M. Pozharsky in the construction of this cathedral, 30 contrary to the historical legend, confirms the absence of mention of him in the spiritual.” 31 But Pavlovich also writes about this “argument” with with reference to Krylov. However, Pozharsky’s contributions to the Kazan Cathedral were not made because Pozharsky’s financial expenses were very significant even during the construction of the cathedral itself. And as we said earlier, Prince Pozharsky made the most significant contribution to the Kazan Cathedral during his lifetime. , donating to the cathedral in 1633 the most precious thing he had - the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, decorated by him with precious stones. As for the historical research of many famous archivists, archaeographers and historians of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, they are for Eskin. nothing more than a "historical legend".
A.P. Shikman, who writes about Prince Pozharsky as follows: “P. was invited by K.M. Minin to lead the army and went to Nizhny Novgorod in the fall. In 1612 formed and led the army." 32 No more, no less. Neither about the first nor the second people's militias, nor about the nationwide united impulse to liberate the Fatherland from the Lithuanian-Polish conquerors - not a word about this. The source link is to Eskin's early work 33. As if there were other, more authoritative sources about D.M. Pozharsky no.
Complements the above authors D.I. Khafizov. In his publication “Glorification of the Holy Icon,” he writes that the Kazan Cathedral was built on a state initiative with the money of the Tsar 34 . Moreover, his main source for such a statement is Pavlovich’s publication, which we discussed above, to which he refers three times in his narrative.
No one, including me, is calling for the removal of the memorial plaque from the wall of the Kazan Cathedral, which bears the names of the current mayor of Moscow and his deputy. Honor and praise to them that through their aspirations and labors the Kazan Cathedral was restored and reopened in 1993. But what prevents the Moscow authorities from hanging another memorial plaque nearby, on which we could see the name of the first builder of the Kazan Cathedral - Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky? This would be worthy of the name of the great Russian hero and historically fair.
Notes
1. In all known sources of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, except those discussed in this work, the first builder of the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow is called the savior of our Fatherland - Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky.
2. Shmatov V.E. About the date of birth of Prince D.M. Pozharsky. Nizhny Novgorod truth. No. 76, 2005.
3. Gulyanitsky N.F. Liberation ideas of Rus' in the images of architectural monuments of the 16th - first half of the 17th centuries. Architectural heritage. Issue 32. M., 1984. P.39. Earlier, in the same work, Gulyanitsky writes: “The most famous temple - a monument to Pozharsky in Moscow was the unpreserved Kazan Cathedral (demolished in 1936 - author's note) on Red Square, which began construction in the 20s and was consecrated in 1637 ". In his other work - “The Church of the Intercession in Medvedkovo and Russian architecture of the 16th - 17th centuries.” Architectural heritage. Issue 28. M., 1980. P. 59, he wrote: “The Medvedkovsky temple was built simultaneously with another building by D.M. Pozharsky: in 1636 he completed the construction of the Kazan Cathedral in Moscow on Red Square, also dedicated to the victory over the Polish - Lithuanian invaders."
4. Pavlovich G.A. Kazan Icon of the Virgin Mary and the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow. Culture of medieval Moscow XIV - XVII centuries. M., "Science", 1995. P. 231.
5. Krylov calls writers the clergy who take notes in the Synodik of the Kazan Cathedral.
6.Our Lady of Kazan.
7. Krylov I. Procession to the Kazan Cathedral on October 22. Moscow Gazette, 1850. No. 128. P. 1347.
8. The miraculous image of the Kazan Mother of God.
9.Malinovsky A.F. Review of Moscow. Compiled by S.R. Dolgov. M., Moscow worker, 1992. P.88.
10. Exit of the sovereigns. Ed. P.M. Stroeva. M., 1844. P.41.
11. Maksimovich L.M. Guide to antiquities and monuments of Moscow. Part I, II, III, IV. Moscow, in the University Printing House, with V. Okorokov, 1792.
13. Spelling has been preserved.
15. Zhurin O.P., Mokeev G.Ya. Kazan Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow, restored by P.D. Baranovsky. Architectural heritage. Issue 36. M., 1988.
16. Kurganova N.M. Tombstones from the tomb of the Pozharsky and Khovansky princes in the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery in Suzdal. Cultural monuments: new discoveries 1993. M., 1994.
17. Skrypnikov R. Minin and Pozharsky. Chronicle of the Time of Troubles. M., 1981.
18. Main archive of Russia at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries.
19. Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
20.See clause 9. C89.
22.To the Kazan Cathedral.
23. Biographical information about Prince Dimitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky. Composed by A. Malinovsky. Moscow. In the printing house of S. Selivanovsky. 1817
25.Eskin Yu.M. Dmitry Pozharsky. Questions of history. 1976. No. 8. P. 110.
26. Korsakova V. Pozharsky, book. Dimitry Mikhailovich. Russian biographical dictionary. Ed. A.A. Polovtsova. St. Petersburg, 1905.
27.V.I. Shuisky.
28.See clause 25. P.117.
29.Eskin Yu.M. The will of Prince D.M. Pozharsky. National history. 2000. No. 1.
30. Pavlovich.
31.See clause 29. P.149.
32.Shikman A.P. Figures of Russian history. Biographical dictionary-reference book" M., 1997.
34. Website of the Theological Seminary of the Kazan Diocese “Orthodox interlocutor No. 1 (6)”, 2004.
According to the results of archaeological excavations, the foundation of the city dates back to 1005.
In 1240 it was destroyed to the ground by the Mongol-Tatars. In 1399 it was again destroyed by Moscow Prince Yuri Dmitrievich. Since the middle of the 15th century, Kazan has been the capital of the Kazan Khanate. In the summer of 1552 it was taken by storm by the Russian army led by Ivan the Terrible. In 1774 it was burned by the army of Emelyan Pugachev. In 1804, a university was opened in Kazan.
There are many tales and legends about the emergence of Kazan. One of the legends explains the name of the city as follows: “The people who first appeared in this place took water from the river and lost the cauldron. The river where their cauldron sank began to be called Kazanka, and the city founded on its banks was named Kazan.”
One of the earliest written mentions of Kazan is a document that says: “There was an old city on the Kama River, named Bryagov, and from there came a king named Sain the Bulgarian. Volga, in Russian Ukraine itself, in this country of the Kama River, with one end adjacent to the Bulgarian land, and the other end to Vyatka and Perm, the Tsar will reward Kazan in that place.” The most reliable version is this: the name of the city comes from the word of Turkic origin “kazan”, translated as “edge, limit, border”. Kazan is a place on the edge of the earth, a city on the border.
The middle course of the Kazanka River in ancient times was inhabited by the Bulgars - Turkic-speaking tribes. They came from the Urals, the lower reaches of the Volga and Don and created a Bulgar state in these lands. Trade routes of the West and the East crossed here. The Bulgars traded furs, fish and handicrafts with Iran, Khorezm, Byzantium and Russia. On the Volga, along the entire trade route, they founded cities, and not far from the mouth of the Kami there was a site for a large fair. The capital of Volga Bulgaria was the Great City, also called Bulgar.
In 1236-1240, Volga Bulgaria was conquered by the Mongol-Tatars and the Great City was destroyed to the ground. The capture of cities and unsuccessful performances against the conquerors forced some of the Bulgars to leave for new places. The Bulgarian prince Altynbek, one of the few survivors of the defeat of Bulgaria, chose Kazan, a small city on the banks of the Kazanka River, north of the former capital, as his place of residence. In search of a more convenient and advantageous location, Kazan was moved three times, and in the 14th century it became the center of a vast principality. The Kazan princes even minted their own coin, the “new Bulgar”.
In 1399, Kazan was completely destroyed by Moscow Prince Yuri Dmitrievich. The city was restored by the second quarter of the 15th century on one of the hills. The Kazan Kremlin was subsequently erected there, in which the palace of the khans and mosques were located. From the middle of the 15th century, Kazan became the capital of the Kazan Khanate, its economic and political center. At that time, there were close economic ties between the Kazan Khanate and Russia, which were disrupted by military actions. The khans carried out devastating raids on Russian lands, especially after 1445, when Khan Makhmutek took the throne of the Kazan Khanate. In response, the Moscow princes led their army to the Kazan lands, and in 1487, Grand Duke Ivan III captured Kazan and placed Mukhamed-Emin, whom he liked, on the throne.
The city of Kazan lies on the left bank of the Volga, 7 versts from the shore, in flat terrain, on a small hill; The Kazanska River flows around the city, from which both the city and the entire region received their name. ...This city, like all cities located on the Volga, is surrounded by wooden walls with towers, and the houses in it are also wooden; but the Kremlin of this city is well protected by thick stone walls, guns and soldiers. The Grand Duke sent not only a governor to the Kremlin, but also appointed a special governor to the city, who were supposed to govern the residents and rule the court. The city is inhabited by Russian Tatars.
The Kazan region, stretching to the left from the Volga to the north almost to Siberia, and to the east to the country of the Nogai Tatars, was formerly a Tatar kingdom. Since this kingdom was very powerful and could field up to 60,000 people, it waged mild, bloody wars with the Russians and sometimes forced them to pay tribute to themselves; however, in the end the Tatars were conquered by the royal power.
A. Olearius "About the city of Kazan and how Kazan fell under the rule of the Muscovites"
Kazan was the capital of the Khanate, which in the mid-15th century felt strong enough to become independent from the Golden Horde; only at first the city was not located where it is now, but upstream of the Kazanka, about twenty versts from its confluence with the Volga. The history of Kazan throughout the fifteenth century boils down to a grueling struggle between the Tatars and Russians, and then to the murders of native rulers by Russians or Russian rulers by natives. It is about these times that the vague but extremely widespread legend about Queen Syuyunbek tells. Just as in the Caucasus all the castles were built by Queen Tamara, in Kazan there is the palace of Queen Syuyunbeke, the tower of Queen Syuyunbeke, the grave of Queen Syuyunbeke. This honor is usually bestowed upon the peoples of their last sovereign rulers.
In August 1552, John IV, for us John the Terrible, whom not a single historian has yet thought of calling John the Brave, crosses the Volga at the head of a large army and becomes a camp on a vast plain stretching from the Volga to the sea, in the place where the monument now stands. Russians who fell during the assault on the second of October.
This assault was terrible: the Russians entered through a gap caused by the explosion of a bomb planted in a tunnel under the Kremlin by the tsarist engineer Rossmoibok. For every house and for every street they fought with the ferocity that spiritually hostile peoples of hostile races and religions put into both attack and defense.
Right on the day of the capture of Kazan, John ordered the construction of a small wooden church from a finished log house that he had brought with him, and in six hours he built it entirely from the base to the tops. A thanksgiving prayer and memorial service were served there for the Russians who fell in this battle.
This church, in all likelihood, was erected where the stone monument now stands. Burnt in 1774 by Pugachev, a Cossack who tried to impersonate Peter III and who, showing off to the people, was carried around Moscow in an iron cage, Kazan was burned again in 1815. The fire destroyed twenty-two churches, three monasteries and three-fifths of the city.
This explains the fact that Kazan, with its oriental memories and Islam, is a completely Russian city, it has nine hundred and eighty streets, ten bridges, four thousand three hundred houses, fifty-eight churches, four cathedrals, four monasteries, ten mosques, two hotels for travelers , seven taverns, two taverns, fifty-two thousand two hundred and forty-four inhabitants, of which fifteen thousand are Mohammedans, and the rest are Christians: Orthodox, schismatics or Protestants.
Seen from the dam, Kazan seems to rise from the depths of a huge lake. Opening up to the eye with its old Kremlin, which no fires have ever reached, and the bell towers of its sixty-two churches, it presents a most fantastic spectacle.
However, what is most striking is the majestic and at the same time picturesque bulk of the monument to the Russians who fell during the assault; installed in 1811, it, in my opinion, cannot be attributed to any of the known architectural styles, and its low, gloomy outlines fully correspond to the purpose of the funerary monument, which was assigned to the architect.
A. Dumas "Travel impressions to Russia"
Kazan was built according to the type of medieval cities - a fortress and a suburb. The center of the city was the Kremlin with high oak fortress walls. Inside the Kremlin there were stone palace buildings, mosques, and mausoleums. Kazant grew quickly and by the end of the 15th century it became the largest city in the Middle Volga. At the beginning of the 16th century, the period of peaceful life of the city was again disrupted and raids resumed. They became especially frequent when the Khan's throne of Kazan was captured by Turkey's protege, the brother of the Crimean Khan Sahib-Girey. In 1521 he ceded the throne to Safa-Girey. Kazan turned into a weapon in the fight against Russia, directed from Turkey. The constant raids of the Tatars on Rus' made Kazan the object of claims from Moscow. In the 16th century, Moscow governors constantly marched with a military army to Kazan, and in the summer of 1552, a 150,000-strong Russian army led by Ivan the Terrible moved towards the city. Already in the fall, on October 2, Kazan was taken by storm and the Kazan Khanate was finally annexed to Moscow.
Ivan the Terrible immediately orders the restoration of the destroyed city to begin. The best Russian craftsmen are sent here by royal decree, who are ordered to “make a new city in Kazan in the spring.” The appearance of the city has changed significantly. The Annunciation Cathedral and the Spasskaya Gate Tower, houses of the local administration, boyars, governors and clergy appeared in it. The city gradually began to be populated by Russian "settlers", service people and merchants from Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov, Kostroma and other cities. In 1555, the Kazan Archdiocese was approved. The elected Archbishop Gury and other clergy arrived in Kazan.
While remaining a strategically important city, Kazan in the 16th-17th centuries resembled a military camp. Patrols walked along the Kremlin and town walls day and night, bridges were raised at night, the gates of passing towers were locked, and the keys to them were kept personally by the governor.
By the end of the 17th century, with the advance of the borders of the Russian state to the east, Kazan lost its significance as a fortress, turning into a large administrative and commercial city. In 1708, Kazan became the center of a vast province. In the 18th century, it was already a large and wealthy city, which was facilitated by its position as an intermediary in trade between the east and center of Russia. Since the beginning of the century, industry has begun to actively develop here. A cloth factory was founded in Kazan in 1714, and a shipyard was founded in 1718.
In 1774, Kazan was besieged by the troops of Emelyan Pugachev. The rebels managed to occupy the entire city except the Kremlin. Pugachevites burned Kazan. The city suffered damage not only from riots. Another disaster was the fires, which almost completely burned out the center and the settlements around it.
A major event emphasizing the importance of the city was the opening of Kazan University in 1804.
By the middle of the 19th century, about 60 thousand residents of different religions lived in Kazan: more than 30 thousand Orthodox, 15 thousand non-Orthodox (of which about a thousand Catholics and Protestants), 4 thousand Old Believers and 10 thousand Muslims.
Kazan greeted the 20th century as an industrially developed trading city. More than 120 plants and factories operated here, producing products worth four million rubles annually. The goods were sent on their way through three piers on the Volga and the Kazanka River.
The history of the creation of the Kazan Kremlin dates back to the 11th-12th centuries. Initially, the fortress was built as a defensive structure of Volga Bulgaria to protect against enemy attacks. Shopping arcades were located here, a mosque was built, and the main decoration of the square was the Kremlin. But everything was destroyed and burned in 1552 during an attack by the troops of Ivan the Terrible. After the conquest of Kazan, the new ruler ordered the Kremlin building to be rebuilt on Kazan Hill and the appearance of the administrative center to be restored.
In the 18th century, the Kazan Kremlin received the last enemy attack - Emelyan Pugachev in 1773 and defended its positions. The enemy retreated, but archaeologists still find the consequences of the destruction today.
After the creation of the Republic of Tatarstan in 1992, the Kazan Kremlin became the first residence of the president. Active work began to restore the cultural and historical heritage: buildings were restored, museum complexes were opened. In 2000, the unique open-air museum was included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list.
The main attractions of the Kremlin
One of the striking attractions of the Kazan Kremlin is the Kul Sharif Mosque. Built from snow-white marble, the mosque is decorated with blue domes and minarets. The mosque received its name in honor of the national hero of Tatarstan - Imam Khul Sharif. The imam took a direct part in defending the mosque during the attack by the troops of Ivan the Terrible and was killed. The mosque was burned and rebuilt for the 1000th anniversary of Kazan. Construction took 9 long years and became the main event in the capital's anniversary year. The Kul Sharif complex occupies an area of about 19 thousand sq.m. and consists of a mosque, foundation stone and administrative building. The mosque can accommodate 1,500 people, and the surrounding area can accommodate up to 10,000 people.
The Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery and the Annunciation Cathedral of the Kazan Kremlin were built in the middle of the 16th century, the latter was rebuilt, reconstructed and restored several times. Currently, work is underway to connect these complexes to the Museum of Archeology of Tatarstan.
Another attraction of the Kazan Kremlin is the Siyumbike Tower, which is part of the Presidential Complex. The tower, 58 meters high, has a peculiar tilt to the side at 1.8 m from the axis. Thanks to the strengthening work carried out in 1998, it was possible to stop the fall of the tower.
Excursions around the Kazan Kremlin
The Kazan Kremlin is located in the central part of the capital of the republic. You can get here by public transport to the TSUM stop, or by metro to the Kremlevskaya station.
Entrance to the territory of the Kazan Kremlin is free for all visitors. Here you can book both group and individual excursions. You will be taken to all significant places and told a lot of interesting information from the history of the fortress.
The English traveler Jenkinson wrote: “Kazan is a beautiful city, built according to Russian and Tatar models with a strong castle standing on a high hill.” By this time, 30 thousand people lived in the city...
The Kazan Kremlin has long been surrounded by water: from the north - the Kazanka River, from the east - three lakes, from the west - the Bulak channel. In ancient times it made a majestic impression. Ivan the Terrible, in 1552, approaching the city with his troops, was surprised at the “extraordinary beauty of the walls of the city fortress.” Six years after this, the English traveler Jenkinson wrote: “Kazan is a beautiful city, built according to Russian and Tatar models with a strong castle standing on a high hill.” By this time, 30 thousand people lived in the city...
In 1556, by decree of Ivan the Terrible, 200 masons arrived from Pskov to build a new, white-stone Kremlin in Kazan, which he conquered. In 6 years, Pskov craftsmen changed the Kazan Kremlin beyond recognition.
They erected the Tainitskaya and Resurrection towers, walls and the Annunciation Cathedral. By the way, the cathedral was founded on the very day when Tsar Ivan the Terrible entered the conquered city. He himself chose the place where the temple should be, and after 3 days a thanksgiving prayer service was served in the finished wooden cathedral.
The Kremlin territory expanded greatly to the south, where a stone wall with two round corner towers rose - the South-Eastern and South-Western and Spasskaya in the middle. The Preobrazhenskaya travel tower, the Refectory Chamber and the Laznye Gate were built. And by 1630, the Kazan Kremlin had turned into a powerful citadel, surrounded by brick and stone walls, with 13 towers.
Only 8 towers have survived to this day in the Kazan Kremlin. Of these, 2 are travel cards: Spasskaya and Tainitskaya. The passage in the Tainitskaya Tower has retained its old L-shape. And the main one, Spasskaya, was rebuilt at the end of the 17th century: the old passage was replaced with an arch and a tower was built on. Its height reached 44 meters. A little later, chimes with bells were installed in it.
The main attraction of the Kazan Kremlin is the seven-tiered Syuyumbike passage tower, 58 meters high. Many legends are associated with this tower. Princess Syuyum-bike was the wife of the last three Kazan khans. Married off as a twelve-year-old girl, she outlived them all, and built a mausoleum over the ashes of her second husband, Safa-Girey. According to one legend, after the city was captured by Russian troops, the last Kazan queen threw herself down from the top of the tower...
Nobody knows exactly when the Syuyumbike tower was built. Some consider it the creation of Russian architects of the 17th century, others date it back to pre-Mongol times...
Our film crew managed to climb the tower. The tree of stairs on the upper tiers is covered with inscriptions: 1901, 1905, 1917, 1924... Here and there you can also find Arabic script. From the top of the watchtower you can clearly see the Kremlin and the entire surrounding area...
Long before Ivan the Terrible came to Kazan, in 1487, Ivan III placed the young Mukhamed Emin on the Kazan throne. The young khan was brought up in Rus', in the town of Kasimov (Ryazan region), and later in Moscow. Ivan III treated him as an adopted son, although at that time he himself was considered just a vassal of the powerful Kazan Khanate. Muhammad Emin reigned for 21 years. He became famous as an enlightened sovereign, poet and patron of the arts, and Ivan III, who had never been to Kazan before, accepted the title of “Grand Duke of the Bulgars” and safely stopped paying tribute to the Tatars. By the way, the “enlightened Kazan Khan” was buried at the age of 48 or 50 in the same mausoleum, at the foot of the Syuyumbike tower...
History loves surprises. The beautiful Queen Syuyumbike died in complete oblivion far from Kazan and was buried in the same Kasimov near Ryazan, without even receiving an inscription on the gravestone...
But when young Mukhamed Emin was still living in Moscow, he saw with his own eyes the construction of the Moscow stone Kremlin. The work was led by an Italian from Bologna, Aristotle Fioravanti. According to one version, having reigned in Kazan, Emin could have asked the Italian for a “loan” from the “Moscow benefactor” to build his own Kremlin.
Research shows that the style of the Syuyumbike tower has much in common with the Calvary of San Stefano and the Piazza Maggiore tower in Bologna. This means that the tower could really have been built either by Fioravanti himself or by one of his students.
The Syuyumbike Tower is notable for one more thing: it is, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Its top is deviated from the vertical by 1 meter 97 centimeters, which is noticeable to the naked eye.
In 1914, the architect Shchusev used the silhouette of the Syuyumbike tower during the construction of the Kazansky railway station in Moscow. But, one way or another, the mystery of the construction of the tower has not yet been solved...
Not far from the Kazan Kremlin there is a monument to Russian soldiers who fell during the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible, built in 1823 according to the design of the architect Alferov. Old-timers say that once an underground passage led to it from the Kremlin. After the water level rose during the flooding of the Kuibyshev Reservoir, the monument ended up on an island in the middle of the overflowing Kazanka River. There was once a museum here, but today the monument is completely cut off from the world. Probably, an underground passage really existed here, but then it was flooded, filled up and walled up. On a fragment of a Russian m""stone slab lying nearby, only a few Russian letters can be made out. However, recently a stone was laid near the Kremlin wall in Kazan, on the site of which a new monument will be built - to the soldiers who died in 1552 while defending the city...
Today, the famous Kul-Sharif mosque, destroyed under Ivan the Terrible, is being rebuilt in the Kazan Kremlin. Researchers believe that the domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, built in Moscow in honor of the conquest of the Kazan Khanate, are surprisingly similar to the domes of a once destroyed mosque...
There are many legends associated with the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible. And here is one of them: in ancient times, the Bulgar prince Kaban built a Khan’s palace on the shore of Lake Kaban in Kazan and laid out gardens. When the troops of Ivan the Terrible began their assault and the fall of the city became obvious, all the treasures of the khan’s treasury were drowned in the lake. There is no trace left of the palace and gardens today, but, as they say, the content of silver and gold in the water of the lake is still very high...
