Kazan, Tukaya Square (photo)

How many sights in Kazan? It is enough to make the tourist here interesting. Some are told a lot, others are not considered with due attention. We will correct this shortcoming and get acquainted with one of the most beautiful places of the ancient capital of the Tatar khanate. Tukaya Square is located on the main thoroughfare of the city. Arriving in this area, you can immediately pay attention to the large number of buildings that are located in the ring. To date, it has a lot of department stores and shopping centers, which is very convenient for both a local resident and a tourist.

According to architecture, both old buildings and new ones are interwoven here. Thanks to such solutions, the historical "trace" of the city of Kazan is preserved. Tukaya Square is clearly confirmed, as it demonstrates not only Russian, but also classical Asian architecture.

The historical beginning

Until the 16th century this central part of the city was surrounded by marshes and Lake Gruzeevo. In addition, at that time this Kazan area was considered the outskirts of the city. Closer to the 18th century, it significantly moved, due to the fact that local authorities decided to fall asleep on the lake, and a new fish market was built on the new territory.

But all the same, the foundation was loose, and the technology did not allow making any large-scale buildings as shops.

The Times of the Empress

Since 1767, architects who were subordinate to the command of Catherine II began to work actively in the city. In their chapter was the most important professional - Vasily Kaftyrev. He bribed the All-Russian Empress with his mind and unusual imagination. According to her decrees, Vasily had to make the main square of the city of a diamond-shaped form, and also to build recreation facilities for the population.

Soon this place became the main shopping center of all that Kazan could offer. Tukaya Square housed a large number of food ranks and fish shops. Because of what she was first called Fish.

By the end of the 19th century, a ring competition (horse-railroad) was opened on the square, which was later turned into a tramway.

The Great 20th Century

At that time, the "fish" territory was considered the most lively and dirty, although Kazan was generally considered quite clean. Tukaya Square is located in the lowland part, and therefore melted and rainwater drained along it, which significantly aggravated the situation.

Already in 1935 the food ranks gradually began to clean up, and the territory gained a much better look. Monuments and new buildings began to be built here. One of the first was erected a monument to NE Bauman, and the square at that time was called "Cooperative".

Soon, in 1937, the monument was moved to Ershov street, and by 1940 local authorities ordered to change the ring tramway on a straight line.

1948 may consider the revolutionary city of Kazan. Tukaya Square acquired the first trolleybus line, and in the 70's - an underground passage.

Inauguration of the underground

In the summer of 1997 a big festive event took place: a modern metro station was opened. It is decorated with white and green marble, and also contains on the walls 22 mosaic panels that are made in Roman style. It shows the main characters of Gabdulla Tukay's works, his portrait image, as well as pictures of famous Kazan creators.

Wrapped in the southern lobby, you can get to St. Petersburg's street and the shopping center "Boulevard".

If you go to the northern part of the subway, then it will take you to the lowest floor of the TRK "Ring".

Hotel complexes

Tukaya Square (Kazan), photo of which you can see in the article, includes not only department stores and shopping centers, but also places where tired tourists can relax.

• The Grand Hotel Kazan is a modern complex that contains 17 floors and 215 rooms, as well as a restaurant, conference rooms, a congress hall, a parking lot and a helipad. Initially, the project assumed a more extensive area and twice as many floors, but since the terrain had previously stood on the water, and the soil is still not quite stable, the architects refused this idea.

• Hotel "Tatarstan" is a reconstructed room, which was built in the 70's, with 431 rooms, it also contains several restaurants and banquet halls. On the top floor are luxury apartments, after repair the number of rooms decreased to 368.

Gabdulla-Tukaya Square, although it contains only two hotels, but they are impressive in size and can accommodate a large number of people.

Trading part

As already mentioned earlier, even from ancient times this area developed in the food channel. To date, Gabdulla-Tukaya (Kazan), in its ring, accommodates several shopping centers, a department store and an entertainment complex, namely:

• The shopping center "GUM" was opened in the beginning of the 21st century, in 2002. Earlier in this structure there was a Muslim canteen and usual shops, but after its popularity has essentially decreased, the building has decided to update and make reconstruction. After the opening in 2002, the situation repeated a few years later, and in 2011 made a complete renovation of stores and repairs.

• The shopping and entertainment center Koltso is a project that was planned in 2002 in the European style. The five-story building has terraces from which the whole area of Gabdulla Tukaya is visible. The metro station is nearby, so it will be very convenient for future buyers to return home with hard purchases.

• Department store "Children's World". His project was created in 1963, he provided for a huge three-story glass building, designed exclusively for children's products. But after a while the tenants decided to change the established "system" and gradually began to introduce the products of a wide profile. In March 2014, he bought a Moscow firm and built new shopping arcades at the department store.

• The entertainment complex "Arena" is a four-story building, which was designed in the 60s of the last century, it was originally built under a huge food store, where there would be products at the lowest prices. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, this plan was translated into reality. Then the times changed, and there were added various entertainment elements.

Memorial constructions

Tukaya Square is also rich in memorial plinths, which were erected in different centuries. These include:

• The pedestal of Lev Gumilev - originally on St. Petersburg's Street stood a monument to Peter the Great, which was erected in the distant 18th century. But in 2005, many protests were held against this memorial, and by order of the authorities it was replaced by Lev Gumilyov.

• Memorial to Mullanur Vahitov - this pedestal was erected relatively recently, in 1985, to a man who was an avid revolutionary and activist. On the high slope to the monument are beautiful granite ladders, along which there are flower gardens. Before this monument to date, many public events are held, since there is a huge playground.

• The Rotunda, dedicated to the construction of the underground - a granite-stone memorial, was opened on Sverdlov Street in 1997, when the first modern "underground kingdom" was built in the city of Kazan - the Tukaya Square.

Travel system

There are many city buses and trolleybuses along the roundabout. There is also a parking lot for taxis and intercity minibuses.

In 2014, they began to build a five-kilometer highway from the Orenburg highway to the Farm Highway, it will simplify traffic to all the outskirts and the main areas of the city.

Also active traffic occurs underground in the previously described metro.

Kazan, Tukaya Square, which is the main center of this magnificent city, will be an indispensable opening for you and will provide new sensations, especially to those people who are fond of history. After all, architecture on the "ring" is really impressive.