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The mixing began in 1552 when Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible besieged and conquered the old Tatar capital and forced its Muslim khan to convert to Christianity. It was at this time that the Tsar had partly rebuilt the Tatar's old fortress as a Russian Kremlin in white limestone. Today, the historic Kremlin is the perfect example of Kazan's special blend of East and West and is the best place to start any visit to the city.
The Kazan Kremlin preserves its Tatar origins in its layout, but inside its walls, there is a wonderful hotch-potch of Russian, Italian baroque and Tatar. In 2000, it became UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a large site, with pleasant parks mingling with government offices and venerable religious buildings, which include both mosques and churches. The most beautiful of the churches is the newly renovated Annunciation Church. It was designed by the same architect who designed St Basil's Cathedral to celebrate Ivan's victory in Kazan in a style which included a wealth of Oriental features to advertise Ivan's success. The Annunciation Church's interior walls are covered with paintings dating from the 19th century. Nearby is the very big but far from historical Kul Sharif Mosque, built less than 50 years ago on the site of old one demolished by Ivan the Terrible.
Another historical gem of the kremlin is the Suyumbike Tower, which at 190 feet is six feet higher than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is named after the ill-fated Tatar princess who refused to marry Ivan the Terrible. Legend has it that to protect her people, Suyumbike promised to marry the cruel Tsar on condition that he build a tower higher than any other mosque in the city in just a week. Unluckily for her, the tower was built and the princess, thinking nothing could be worse than marrying Ivan, jumped off the top to her death. The tall Tower made of red brick looks very attractive and has an intricate, many stepped outdoor design.
Apart from the kremlin and numerous churches and mosques, Kazan has several great museums. The Tatarstan Sate Museum of Arts mostly contains many masterpieces of classical Russian paintings, but the gem of the collection is the Renaissance painting 'Madonna with Child' created by the famous Florentine master Domenico Puligo (1492-1527). An impressive collection of graphic arts includes sketches by West-European, Russian and Tatar old and modern artists. The Archeological Museum of Kasan State University contains archeological artifacts dating from Paleolithic Ages which call about the past times and the peoples who lived there. If you have time, it's worth visiting the Shalyapin Chamber Hall, not only to go to a concert but to drop in to the small museum there dedicated to the legendary Russian singer Fyodor Shalyapin, whose life was closely connected with this city.
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Kazan
When in 1558 English explorer Anthony Jenkinson saw Kazan, now the capital of Republic of Tatarstan, he said: "This is a wonderful city standing on a high hill, built in both Russian and Tartar architectural style and having a strong fortress…" Kazan, which celebrated its 1000th anniversary in 2005, has long interwoven East and West, and it is this exotic mix, with ancient Muslim mosques standing shoulder to shoulder with weathered Orthodox cathedrals, that makes Kazan such a fascinating place to visit.The mixing began in 1552 when Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible besieged and conquered the old Tatar capital and forced its Muslim khan to convert to Christianity. It was at this time that the Tsar had partly rebuilt the Tatar's old fortress as a Russian Kremlin in white limestone. Today, the historic Kremlin is the perfect example of Kazan's special blend of East and West and is the best place to start any visit to the city.
The Kazan Kremlin preserves its Tatar origins in its layout, but inside its walls, there is a wonderful hotch-potch of Russian, Italian baroque and Tatar. In 2000, it became UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a large site, with pleasant parks mingling with government offices and venerable religious buildings, which include both mosques and churches. The most beautiful of the churches is the newly renovated Annunciation Church. It was designed by the same architect who designed St Basil's Cathedral to celebrate Ivan's victory in Kazan in a style which included a wealth of Oriental features to advertise Ivan's success. The Annunciation Church's interior walls are covered with paintings dating from the 19th century. Nearby is the very big but far from historical Kul Sharif Mosque, built less than 50 years ago on the site of old one demolished by Ivan the Terrible.
Another historical gem of the kremlin is the Suyumbike Tower, which at 190 feet is six feet higher than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is named after the ill-fated Tatar princess who refused to marry Ivan the Terrible. Legend has it that to protect her people, Suyumbike promised to marry the cruel Tsar on condition that he build a tower higher than any other mosque in the city in just a week. Unluckily for her, the tower was built and the princess, thinking nothing could be worse than marrying Ivan, jumped off the top to her death. The tall Tower made of red brick looks very attractive and has an intricate, many stepped outdoor design.
Apart from the kremlin and numerous churches and mosques, Kazan has several great museums. The Tatarstan Sate Museum of Arts mostly contains many masterpieces of classical Russian paintings, but the gem of the collection is the Renaissance painting 'Madonna with Child' created by the famous Florentine master Domenico Puligo (1492-1527). An impressive collection of graphic arts includes sketches by West-European, Russian and Tatar old and modern artists. The Archeological Museum of Kasan State University contains archeological artifacts dating from Paleolithic Ages which call about the past times and the peoples who lived there. If you have time, it's worth visiting the Shalyapin Chamber Hall, not only to go to a concert but to drop in to the small museum there dedicated to the legendary Russian singer Fyodor Shalyapin, whose life was closely connected with this city.
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