Kazan: The Black Lake. What to see in the capital of Tatarstan?

Old mosques, beautiful Orthodox cathedrals and green well-tended parks - that's what you are ready to please any tourist Kazan! Black Lake is a historical monument and an excellent recreation area, which both hotel guests and its residents like to visit. Where is this park, what is its history, and what is it interesting for? Read about this in our article.

Kazan: History and Modernity

The third capital of Russia is often called this city - a major port on the Volga River. Here in the streets you can hear both Russian and Tatar speech, and the majestic domes of Orthodox shrines are compelled to compete with the exquisite minarets of ancient mosques.

The city was founded in the beginning of the XI century. The toponym is derived from the ancient Bulgarian word "kazan", which translates as "cauldron". More than 1 million people live in Kazan today. The city is especially beautiful in summer: at this time fountains begin to work here, and in the evenings numerous cultural and jazz events are held.

The key sights of the capital of Tatarstan can be viewed in 2-3 days. Where to go in Kazan first? This will be discussed in the next section.

Where to go in Kazan: an overview of the main attractions

First of all, you should definitely take a stroll through the historic center of the city. It is located on the left bank of the Volga, within the Vakhitovsky district. The most beautiful streets are Bauman, Pushkin, Kremlin, Petersburg and Dzerzhinsky.

It is incredibly difficult to imagine a voyage to this city without visiting the white stone Kazanskiy Kremlin! Moreover, the entrance to the territory of the architectural complex entered in the UNESCO Security List is absolutely free. To many tourists, the local Kremlin looks like a fairy-tale castle of Disney.

In Kazan, there are many other expressive and valuable architectural structures. This is the Shamil mansion, the Alexandrovsky passage, the Epiphany belfry, the Farmers' Palace and many other monuments. Separately it is worth mentioning about mosques, of which there are about fifty in Kazan. Among them - the largest in Russia and Asia, the Kul Sharif mosque with a height of 58 meters. The cult building was built in the mid-90's and is one of the main business cards of the city.

Another very interesting object of Kazan is the so-called temple of all religions. The author of the unique building project was the artist Ildar Khanov. It is very difficult to describe a building with words. It's easier to come to Kazan and see it with your own eyes.

Green parks with lakes are what Kazan is also famous for. Black Lake is a great place for rest, solitude and leisurely walks. Where is this object located?

Kazan: The Black Lake. Location and state of the art park

Black Lake is a popular pastime for locals. Especially a lot of young people here - the proximity of several universities is affected. The park was established in the first half of the XIX century on the shores of the lake of the same name. In 1859 the first tavern was opened here by one of the local merchants.

Park "Black Lake" is located in the center of the city and is limited to three streets: Dzerzhinsky, Lobachevsky and Chernyshevsky. The nearest metro station is Kremlyovskaya.

In the western part of the park there is a rectangular pond (all that remains of the historic Black Lake), which in winter turns into a skating rink. Within the recreation area there are also many swings and slides. Almost all city celebrations are traditionally held in the park - Kazan Day, Maslenitsa and other celebrations.

Legends and dark pages of the history of the Black Lake

At the entrance to the park there is an interesting object - the Arch of the Lovers. The peculiarity of this structure is as follows: if you become at one of its edges and whisper some word, then another person standing at the other end of the arch will by all means hear this word. This phenomenon especially attracts the attention of children.

This park in Kazan was not always a pleasant place for people to relax. So, at the end of the XIX century he enjoyed a rather bad reputation. Here, thieves, pickpockets and prostitutes were active in the industry.

In the 20-ies of the twentieth century near the fence of the park the regional administration of the NKVD was located. Many residents of the city went through his prison. Therefore, very soon the phrase "Black Lake" acquired a completely different, darker and more eerie meaning among the townspeople.

But despite all these historical moments, nowadays the park "Black Lake" is a favorite resting place for Kazan. Here, students, lovers and families with young children enjoy walking.

Finally

Dozens of old and new mosques, majestic temples, cozy parks, unusual sculptural monuments and your own Kremlin - this is what makes the "third capital" - Kazan! Black Lake is a park that is worth a visit to every tourist. After all, this is not just a wonderful recreation area, but also an important historical monument of the urban landscape.