Sviyazhsk is a very picturesque historical town-island located at the confluence of the Sviyaga River into the Volga, about 30 km west of Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. The Sviyazhsk fortress, founded in 1551, became the base of Russian troops during the siege of Kazan in 1552.

Initially, it stood on a hill, which was washed on both sides by the Sviyaga and Shchuka rivers. But in 1957, the Kuibyshev reservoir was built, the water level rose and Sviyazhsk ended up on an island. In 2008, an embankment and a road to Sviyazhsk were built. Sviyazhsk on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

explore a unique town-island

Tags: Kazan city · Tatarstan Republic

Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, a major port on the left bank of the Volga River, one of the largest economic, scientific, educational, religious, cultural, and sports centers of Russia.

This city, often called the third capital of Russia, is one of the most popular cities for tourists in Russia. Photos by: Kirill Zdorov.

night lights of Kazan

Tags: Kazan city · Tatarstan Republic

Sviyazhsk is a historic town with a population of about 240 people located on an island at the confluence of the Sviyaga and the Volga rivers in the Republic of Tatarstan, about 58 km south-west of Kazan.

Founded as a fortress in 1551, it became the base of Russian troops during the siege of Kazan, the capital of the Kazan Khanate, in 1552. Sviyazhsk became the first Orthodox town in the Middle Volga region, the center of the Christianization of the peoples of the Volga region. Sviyazhsk on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexander Butenko.

Sviyazhsk River Station.

a very picturesque town

Tags: Kazan city · Tatarstan Republic

Vasilyevo is an urban-type settlement with a population of about 17 thousand people located on the bank of the Volga River, about 25 km west of the center of Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The following photos taken in January 2019 give an idea of how winter looks in a large village of today’s Russia. And here are Proven Ways to Keep Warm During Russian Winter. Vasilyevo on Google Maps. Photos by: Anatoly Shcherbak.

snowy winter in the village

Tags: Kazan city · Tatarstan Republic

Kazan is a city with a population of more than 1.2 million people, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, and a large port on the left bank of the Volga River located about 800 km east of Moscow.

The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Russia. From June 16 to July 6, 2018, 6 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be played here. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Kazan

Tags: Kazan city · Tatarstan Republic

The Volga Bulgaria was a state that existed in the Middle Volga and the Kama basin in the 10th-13th centuries. The capital of the state was located on the bank of the Volga River in the town of Bulghar, about 140 km from Kazan in the present Republic of Tatarstan.

Today, the Bulgarian Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve is opened on the site of this ancient town. Bulgarian museum on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexander Lipilin.

explore the museum

Tags: Kazan city · museum · Tatarstan Republic

On the central squares and streets of almost every city, town, and even village of the former Soviet Union, you can easily find a monument to Vladimir Lenin. Yelabuga, a small town in the Republic of Tatarstan, is no exception.

The town has probably the most unusual monument to Lenin in Russia. Just look at this marvel of monumental sculpture – the high stele with the tiny bust of Lenin on top. Photos by: Anton Petrus.

marvelous monument

Tags: Tatarstan Republic · Yelabuga city

Kul Sharif Mosque is standing on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. It is the main mosque of the Republic of Tatarstan and Kazan.

Construction of the mosque began in 1996. It was a re-creation of the legendary mosque of the capital of the Kazan Khanate that was destroyed during the storming of Kazan by the troops of Ivan the Terrible in October 1552.

the symbol of Tatarstan

Tags: Kazan city · Tatarstan Republic

Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan with the population of 1.1 million people. In 2005 the millennium of Kazan was celebrated. In 2013 the city will host the 27th World Summer Universiade, and in 2015 – World Championship of Water Sports.

Today Kazan is the center of Tatar people culture. Kazan Kremlin is among UNESCO world heritage and a 1000 year history of Kazan makes it one of Russian cities most often visited by tourists. Photos by Stepanov Slava.

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Tags: bird's eye views · Kazan city · Tatarstan Republic