In 2022, Russia is waiting for a big sporting event — for the first time in history the country will host the Volleyball World Championship that will take place from August 26 to September 11 in 10 cities at once. The world championship surely couldn’t miss Kazan: second stage matches of the prestigious volleyball tournament will be held in the capital of Tatarstan. Specifically for those who will decide to visit Kazan on this occasion, we have prepared the guide to help you spend time in this beautiful city with benefit and pleasure.
MUST SEE
Kazan Kremlin
The Kazan Kremlin included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000 is one of the most powerful places in the city in terms of spiritual energy. There are a lot of interesting sights on the territory of the fortress: ancient towers and cathedrals, historical buildings and memorials, the most famous mosque in Russia and Europe, museums and galleries. Also, here one can find winged serpents — dragon-like figures that have become the city’s symbol.
The Kazan Kremlin offers three observation decks, from where the capital of Tatarstan is in full view. As for the fortress, there is no entrance fee, and it is available around the clock, but to get to the museums you need to buy a ticket — from 100 to 200 rubles.
Kul Sharif Mosque
The main mosque of Tatarstan is located on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin and considered one of the largest in Europe: its area is about 10,000 sq. meters. To visit a mosque you need to follow the rules: your whole body must be covered with clothes, you need to take off your shoes before entering the building, and during the prayer you should not disturb other people. This place is always full of tourists, because Kul Sharif is a special place for Kazan residents, it has its peculiar aura. You can visit the mosque for free, but you will have to pay about 50 rubles to enter the museum located on its basement floor.
Söyembikä Tower
The Söyembikä Tower can be called an architectural symbol of Kazan and the main object of the urban lore. The fact that the time of its construction is still unknown makes it even more mysterious: some say, it goes back to the 16th century, some argue it was the 17th, and some are sure the tower was erected in the 15th century.
The peculiarity of this structure is that it has a significant vertical slope to the north-east side due to the construction error resulting in subsequent shrinkage of the foundation. The thing is though that the slope is not clearly visible from all angles, so it is better to watch the tower standing near the doors of the president’s palace: this way its slope will be more obvious.
Kazan Arbat — Bauman Street
This street is about 3 km long, and it is especially popular among tourists. Here you can find yourself in the center of a huge metropolis: every 100 meters you will pass by street musicians playing loud music, and the number of cafés and souvenir shops can make your head swim.
EXPLORE
Kaban Lake
Located in the heart of Kazan, the lake has become its main decoration and a center of attraction for all guests of the capital of Tatarstan. The reservoir stretches for 6.5 km and includes many straits and channels. Specifically for fans of active recreation, boats and catamarans are provided for rent, while connoisseurs of the quiet pastime can just have a walk or sit on a bench enjoying the beautiful fountains and the surrounding nature.
Building of the Agriculture and Food Ministry
One of the most luxurious buildings of the Republic can be found at Fedoseevskaya Street, 36. Construction of the Palace of Landowners, which has such a name due to the office of the Agriculture and Food Ministry located here, started in 2008 and lasted for several years. About 2 billion rubles were spent in the process, but, according to many tourists and local residents, it was worth it.
Due to its unimaginable appearance and a huge 20 meter high bronze tree located right in the center of the structure, this building is unique and has no analogues. We advise you to visit it in the evening: at night it is illuminated with white light, and the tree is bordered by green illumination, which makes it look more natural.
Kremlin Embankment and Karl Fuchs Square
Another name for the Kremlin Embankment is the Kazanka Embankment. Here you can have a rest and relax after busy weekdays. And nearby, there is the Karl Fuchs Square, another quiet and cozy place, the main landmark of which is the monument to Karl Fuchs, Professor of History and Botany, a Rector of the Kazan University.
Tugan Avylym National Complex
Admirers of colorful photos should definitely visit this place. Tugan Avylym stands for «a native village»; the Complex was opened in 2005 in honor of the millennium of Kazan, and looks like a cozy village with log houses. In this village, you will find restaurants of national cuisine, cafés, bars, bath complexes, souvenir shops, and even a mosque.
Chak-Chak Museum
If you want to learn the history of Kazan sweets and taste the main dessert of Tatarstan, you can do both in this museum. Also, workshops on cooking chak-chak are held here.
Island-City of Sviyazhsk
There are several ways to get to the fortress city built at the behest of Ivan the Terrible: by car (it takes about 60 minutes), by boat (about 2 hours), by bus, or by commuter train. The nature and architecture of Sviyazhsk are unique, so thousands of tourists visit this place every year. On its territory, there are museums, souvenir shops, many religious Orthodox buildings, and many other things.
Ekiyat Puppet Theater
This puppet theater is one of the largest and oldest in Russia: it was founded in 1934. Its name — Ekiyat — was not chosen by chance: in Tatar, it stands for «fairy tale».
The theater’s repertoire includes more than 50 plays based on both contemporary works and old-time fairy tales. Fairy tale «The Horned Goat is Coming» is very popular among children and adults: the organizers even allocated an additional session for it.
One of the key sights of Kazan looks like a large toy palace, and, due to its unusual appearance, actually adorns the city.
To explore other places to visit, check out the guide from the fashion blogger:
MUST EAT
Tubetei
Tubetai is a network of restaurants of national Tatar cuisine. The restaurant is focused on family rest, so the owners took care of the children’s room to be available. Echpochmaks (Bashkir and Tatar meat pies), Tatar dumplings, elesh (also a kind of meat pie) — you can try all these in Tubetei. The prices are more than affordable: the average restaurant bill is about 400 rubles.
Tatarskaya Usadba (Tatar Manor) Restaurant
We advise you to book a table in advance and take a seat on the summer veranda, which offers a wonderful view of the Kaban Lake. The restaurant is located in the heart of Kazan — a 2-minute walk from the Al-Marjani Mosque. The menu includes dishes of Tatar and European cuisines, most of which are made in an old Tatar oven, the design of which provides for peculiar softness and juiciness of meat dishes.
Cheeseria
In Cheeseria, you can taste Italian cuisine: pizzas cooked in a wood-burning oven, homemade pastes, traditional desserts, and fresh cheeses snacks. A certain benefit of this restaurant is a display kitchen. Guests particularly praise pizza with ham maranello and buratta.
Artel
Guests of Artel are delighted with specialty breakfasts served here daily. Artel is a modern urban bistro focused on quick meals. So, in case of a time shortage, this place will be a perfect choice.
Priyut Kholostyaka (Bachelor’s Shelter) Restaurant
The restaurant is in the very center of the city, at Chernyshevsky Street, 27a. It is located in the oldest house in Kazan. Here you can taste delicious fish, sushi, burgers with high-quality meat. The menu is extensive, so everyone will find a dish to their taste.
Slasti (Sweets)
Despite the name, in this café you can not only treat yourself to delicious desserts, but also come for a full-fledged lunch or dinner. A spacious hall decorated in a modern style and a display kitchen are advantages of this establishment located at Pushkin Street, 10.
Drevnyaya Bukhara (Ancient Bukhara) Restaurant
Drevnyaya Bukhara will be a godsend place for fans of Uzbek cuisine. A two-storey building is decorated in the oriental style with a separate room where fans of smoky hookahs can be accommodated. In this place you can enjoy a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere.
VOLLEY VIBES
A New Modern Beach Volleyball Playground — Territory Z
The opening of the playground, which took place last summer, was attended by Zenit Kazan players and its head coach: Aleksey Verbov, Aleksandr Volkov and Oleg Bryzgalov. Now, anyone can come to the embankment and play the game loved by residents of Kazan.
St. Petersburg Volleyball Center
Eight years ago, the Center hosted the Universiade volleyball tournament. At the usual time, the St. Petersburg Center has served as a home arena for Zenit and Dynamo-Ak Bars Volleyball Clubs for many years.
CLOCKS
The clock counting down the time until the start of the 2022 Men’s Volleyball World Championship was installed on August 27, 2021, on the Kremlin Embankment.