If you arrived in Kazan on business or on a tourist trip and have a free day, do not miss the opportunity to visit the wonderful island town of Sviyazhsk.
The distance from Kazan to the island is only 30 km. You can get here by land and water. It's faster by land, more interesting by water.
Motor ships depart from the Kazan river station. First they walk along the Volga, and then along the Sviyaga River.
Let's go on an exciting journey too. Let's take seats on the upper deck to delight the eye with wonderful scenery.
Along the way, we see picturesque villages and holiday villages, snow-white churches with golden domes, colorful islands and islets.
And now, around the bend of the Sviyaga River, a miracle city appears.
Island town of Sviyazhsk.
We, the residents of Sviyazhsk, are incredibly lucky. If in big cities people go to museums, then we live in a museum. Sviyazhsk is a historical, architectural and art museum-reserve. And to the question: “What to see in 1 day in Sviyazhsk?” - the answer follows: “That’s it!”
It is impossible to selectively see the sights; they are here at every step.
The fortress is ancient, founded during the reign of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It was built as an outpost for the Tsar's troops before the conquest of Kazan. And throughout the history of its existence, the city has preserved many unique architectural structures.
Actually, Sviyazhsk is a village; only 250 people live in it. But we respectfully call it a city, as the founders of the fortress called it in ancient times.
The ship moored to the pier. And in front of us is the building of the river port. This is a remake, but it completely reproduces the architecture of the ancient building. Here, in addition to ticket offices for land and water transport, the information center is based. The tourist who travels independently will find it useful.
River station building.
And we begin our excursion.
Museum "Tatar Slobodka"
From the boat we will go up the path to a unique repository - the museum of the archaeological tree “Tatarskaya Slobodka”. On the territory of Sviyazhsk it is impossible to disturb the natural landscape with modern buildings, so the museum was disguised as a hill.
In the 16th - 18th centuries. there was a Tatar settlement in this place. The remains of wooden buildings were left where they were discovered. And around them in glass cases there is an exhibition: tools and ancient weapons, kitchen utensils, leather shoes and even toys. All this was found at the excavation site.
The highlight of the museum is a huge animated panel. The life of a 17th-century settlement is reproduced in animation mode.
Believe it or not, there are 450 different characters involved in 100 everyday scenes! The animation characters saw logs, build, fish, wash clothes, put out fires, and simply go about their business.
This museum is a must visit!
Chapel of Constantine and Helena
Meanwhile, we are going up Rozhdestvenskaya Street, turning onto the street. Konstantinovskaya and approach the chapel of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine and his mother Helen.
The wooden church erected under Ivan the Terrible has not survived. We can see a stone temple from the late 17th century. The church is white stone, with Baroque elements in architecture. It looks very elegant.
Chapel of Constantine and Helena.
Sviyazhsk River Station
The best way to travel to the island of Sviyazhsk is by boat along the river, enjoying the views of the luxurious nature of the Volga region. Mooring to the island near the river station, you will immediately find yourself in the atmosphere of antiquity. The station building, where little has changed since the 19th century, will evoke the pages of Alexander Ostrovsky’s dramas or the movie “Cruel Romance” and will set you up to be in another era, with its inherent spiritual values.
Civil War Museum
Opposite the church is a nice mansion with a mezzanine and white columns in the spirit of noble estates of the 19th century. This is the Civil War Museum, which is also called the Trotsky Museum. Lev Davidovich led the operation to capture Kazan, and the front headquarters was in Sviyazhsk. Therefore, part of the exhibition is dedicated to the People's Commissar.
The interior of Trotsky's office has been reproduced, where his plaster figure can be seen behind the desk.
The other part of the exhibition tells directly about the events of the Civil War.
From the Trotsky Museum on the street. Moskovskaya we go up to a modest memorial - the wall of the Communards in honor of the fallen Red Army communists. From here we turn onto Uspenskaya Street, which leads straight to the Sviyazhsk History Museum.
Monuments and sculptures of Sviyazhsk
In such a historical center as Sviyazhsk, every little thing is connected with the events of the past. Monuments and sculptures are small, sometimes unnoticeable details, but even they are endowed with a special meaning and preserve the memory of past centuries.
Boat of Paul the First
- GPS coordinates: 55.773759, 48.668211.
The monument is located not far from Zarechny railway station. This is an exact copy of Pavel Petrovich’s wooden boat, on which he traveled from Sviyazhsk to Kazan. The vessel is equipped with two dozen pairs of oars, and on the bow there is a figure of an eagle rapidly flying forward. The boat was built according to drawings and drawings preserved in maritime books of the 18th century.
Cannon "Devka's head"
- Address: Uspenskaya street, 22.
At the entrance to the Museum of the History of Sviyazhsk there is an interesting monument - the “Devka’s Head” cannon, so named because of the bas-relief of the Gorgon Medusa that decorated the cannon.
Modern Sviyazhsk is a peaceful town, but in the 16th century it served as a fortress, and defensive weapons were everywhere here. The "Devka's Head" cannons were especially important, since they were used to protect the main gates of the city. The monument to this weapon is an exact copy of a 16th century cannon. It was created according to ancient drawings discovered in manuscripts from the era of Ivan the Terrible.
Today “Devka’s Head” is one of the exhibits of the historical museum and is a symbol of the ancient fortress city of Sviyazhsk.
Wall of the Communards
- Address: Rozhdestvenskaya Square.
The Wall of the Communards is a granite stele set against the background of a white stone wall. This monument marks the place where Red Guards were executed by firing squad in August 1918. The memorial is located on Rozhdestvenskaya Square, with red carnations planted at its foot.
Monument to the Victims of Political Repression
- Address: Uspenskaya st., 4.
After the end of the Great Patriotic War, Sviyazhsk became a place of mass exile, and Gulag camps settled on its territory, where political prisoners were kept, as well as war veterans who were injured in battle.
The monument in memory of the victims of Stalin's repressions appeared in 2011. It is made in the form of a stone wall with a bronze high relief: an elderly prisoner stretches his hand through the bars, releasing a bird. At the bottom of the high relief there is a memorial inscription in two languages (Russian and Tatar), as well as three lines of barbed wire.
Monument to St. Sergius
- Address: Uspenskaya street, 1.
The stone statue of Sergius of Radonezh was created in 1997, but soon mysteriously disappeared. Several years later, during restoration work, it was found buried in the ground near the walls of the Assumption Cathedral. In 2022, the statue was restored and placed in its original location.
On the occasion of the opening of the monument, the abbot of the monastery, Abbot Simeon, gave an interview in which he noted that the return of the sculpture is an important event in the life of the Sviyazhsk monastery, since it is an important detail of its architectural ensemble and a tribute to the memory of St. Sergius, the spiritual collector of the Russian people.
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Sviyazhsk is a city in which everything breathes history and secrets of the past. To visit here means to plunge into the Middle Ages. Such a trip will give unforgettable emotions and impressions and will be interesting to travelers of any age.
Museum of the History of Sviyazhsk
The museum's exposition is housed in 4 buildings of the former prison, built in the first half of the 19th century. The exhibits tell about the history of Sviyazhsk since its foundation.
There are many archaeological finds, archival documents and rare photographs. A collection of tiles, jewelry, ancient coins, and children's toys is presented.
The models reproduce scenes from the life of Sviyazhsk residents: the work of a flour miller and blacksmith, the work of laundresses, construction and military exercises.
The work of a flour mill is not easy.
The exhibition “Sviyazhsk Prisons” introduces visitors to the history of correctional institutions on the island.
Mother of God Assumption Monastery
After visiting the museum, we reach Assumption Square and enter the territory of the Mother of God Assumption Monastery. The year of its foundation is 1555. At one time it was the richest monastery.
There are several places of worship here:
- the snow-white gateway Church of the Ascension of the Lord above the main gate of the monastery;
- St. Nicholas refectory church-bell tower;
- small church of St. Herman of Kazan and Mitrofan of Voronezh;
- single-domed Assumption Cathedral.
The cathedral is very elegant. It was immediately built of stone (1561). After repeated reconstructions, it acquired Baroque features. The uniqueness of the temple is that frescoes from the 16th century have been preserved inside. The gilded 5-tier iconostasis is another asset of the cathedral.
Assumption Cathedral.
There are other buildings: the abbot's and fraternal buildings and the building of the monastery school.
What to see in Sviyazhsk in one day
An incredible number of tourist sites fit into the relatively small territory of Sviyazhsk. It’s impossible to get around them in 1 day, but visiting the “pearls” of the island-city can easily be done in 24 hours.
Sviyazhsk Mother of God Assumption Monastery
- Address: Uspenskaya st., 1.
The monastery was founded in 1555 by decree of Ivan IV the Terrible. The first rector of the monastery was Archimandrite German, who established here one of the first printing houses in Russia for printing service books and the Bible. Thanks to this, the monastery became the main spiritual and educational center of the Kazan diocese, which it remained until the 18th century.
In the middle of the 19th century, the monastery began to slowly decline. Income became less and less, and the monks began to leave the impoverished monastery.
In the 20th century, the monastery suffered several crushing blows. In August 1918, Red Army soldiers invaded its territory and brutally killed the rector, Bishop Ambrose, after which they plundered the churches. In 1923, a tornado broke out over Sviyazhsk, destroying part of the historical buildings.
The monastery stood in dilapidated condition for a long time. In 1994, some buildings were renovated and became a psychiatric clinic.
The revival of the cult complex took place in 1997. After large-scale reconstruction work, the monastery returned to its original appearance: temples, monastic cells, stone fences and monuments destroyed during robbery and hurricane were restored.
Today the Sviyazhsk Mother of God Assumption Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is recognized as the main architectural and historical monument of the island city.
Museum of the History of Sviyazhsk
- Address: Uspenskaya street, 22.
The museum is located in four buildings of the state-owned complex, built in the first half of the 19th century. The museum's exhibitions are dedicated to the history of the island and its cultural heritage. The main exhibition occupies the central building. During the excursion, tourists travel to the origins of the provincial town of Sviyazhsk and learn about how its settlers lived in different eras.
It will be no less interesting to visit the “prison” building - a building in which the furnishings of a prison cell from the last century have been recreated down to the smallest detail, and a model hall where a detailed model of the island-city is presented. The miniature composition provides an opportunity to see what Sviyazhsk was like in the 19th century.
The peculiarity of the layout lies in the painstaking detailing. There are models of wooden churches, figurines of peasants, trees and bushes. The model is equipped with a backlight that simulates the change of time of day. With the onset of “night,” the lights come on in the tiny huts.
The museum is ideal for children. The interactive excursion will be interesting for children of any age, and upon completion they will be able to have fun in a children's playroom equipped especially for them.
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Rozhdestvenskaya Square
- Coordinates on the map: 55.772867, 48.662513.
Rozhdestvenskaya Square is one of the most popular vacation spots for city residents. It received its name in honor of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was destroyed in the 1930s. Its ruins are located not far from here and are a local landmark.
Tourists are also attracted by the nearby restaurants and cafes, but the main “calling card” of this corner is the observation deck, which offers a beautiful view of the Volga.
Christmas Square is furnished with taste and comfort. For tourists to relax, paths are paved here, comfortable benches and lanterns are installed, thanks to which evening walks are possible. The picturesqueness of the square is added by well-groomed lawns and colorful flower beds. The area is kept clean and in perfect order.
Ethnographic complex "Horse yard"
Opposite the monastery is an interesting place. This is the ethnographic complex “Horse Yard”.
The history of the complex dates back to the 16th century, when the monastery acquired its own stable. The original structure was wooden. In the 18th century it is being rebuilt from stone.
The tourist complex consists of several craft workshops: pottery, leather, and blacksmithing. There are also stables, souvenir shops, and the Traktir restaurant. All buildings are connected to each other and form a closed courtyard. And in the center of it is a riding arena.
Horse yard.
Let's look into the workshops and take part in blacksmithing or pottery. At the national costume shop, we’ll dress up and take a memorable photo. And then we’ll ride some thoroughbred horses.
John the Baptist Convent
From the horse yard we go out onto Troitskaya Street, which leads us to the huge courtyard of the St. John the Baptist Sviyazhsk Convent. True, now this is the courtyard of the monastery, which we have already visited.
John the Baptist Monastery was founded in the 16th century. The original wooden buildings did not survive; they were destroyed by fire at the end of the 18th century. And then they began to erect stone structures.
There are several places of worship on the territory of the monastery:
- Trinity Church (1551) is the same age as the city. Assembled without a single nail. The only example of wooden architecture that was not destroyed by fire. The decoration of the shrine is a carved iconostasis.
Trinity wooden church.
- The stone church of St. Sergius of Radonezh (1604) is a single-domed temple with a low bell tower. The property of the church is a fresco, which is an enlarged copy of the Trinity icon by Andrei Rublev.
- Mourning Cathedral in the Byzantine style of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. The multi-domed church was erected in the name of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow.” The height of the cathedral is 32 m, thanks to which it is clearly visible from afar.
Cathedral of Sorrows.
The interior decoration of the cathedral is very rich. It's a must visit.
Iconostasis of the cathedral.
- Single-domed chapel of the royal martyrs. The red brick church in neo-Byzantine style is located near the monastery fence.
We leave the shrine, walk along the white monastery wall and go out onto Rozhdestvenskaya Square.
Ticket prices (general tickets)
Entrance to the island is free for tourists. However, in order to pass through the turnstile, you will still have to take a ticket with a barcode, thanks to which a record of those entering and leaving the complex is kept.
Life hack in case of a large crowd of people: turn right from the turnstile, past the barrier, and go up along the road. You will go to the St. John the Baptist Monastery. Usually no one forbids you to do this, or you can always say that you just want to take a walk along the embankment along the river or take a shortcut to the river port, since your ship is leaving without a captain.
There are also single (general) tickets that allow you to enter all museums and visit exhibitions and expositions. Single ticket prices vary depending on the events you are interested in and the number of people.
- A single ticket for all museums is 660 rubles.
The territory of Sviyazhsk itself can be visited at any time, but the opening hours of museums and exhibitions are from 9:30 to 16:30, on Saturdays until 18:00 (opening hours in winter are also until 16:30). Many museums are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Official website: www.ostrovgrad.org
Rozhdestvenskaya Square
It is surrounded by ancient stone houses, including the estate of the merchant Fyodor Kamenev (late 19th century). The house is rich, with carved window frames and a balcony parapet, with wooden lace under the roof slope. Merchants could afford a beautiful life. Now there is a hotel here.
House of merchant Kamenev.
At one time, the square was surrounded by 3 temples. A cross was installed on the site of the St. Sophia Church. And all that remains of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and the Church of the Annunciation are ruins.
The square has one special feature: it has unique acoustics. In the center there is an amazing spot. By standing on it and saying any word, you can hear a deep echo.
In addition, Rozhdestvenskaya Square is a good observation deck. From here you can enjoy a panoramic view of the town and a view of the river.
Complex "Lazy Torzhok"
Opposite the square is another interesting place - the historical reconstruction complex “Lazy Torzhok”.
Reenactments of military battles of past eras are sometimes carried out here. The participants wear costumes, armor, and weapons from those ancient times. And if you are lucky, you will definitely be lucky enough to see a bright spectacle.
There is a shooting range here where you can shoot with a bow and crossbow.
Archery and crossbow shooting range.
Then dress in a period costume, put on a helmet and take a photo. Try delicious herbal tea in the historical kitchen. There are also a lot of souvenir shops with handmade products in Torzhok.
At this point, you can complete your walk around Sviyazhsk along Rozhdestvenskaya Street. go to the river station to return to Kazan.
I am sure that a visit to the Sviyazhsk Museum-Reserve will not leave you indifferent. The wonderful island-city will be seen for a long time among the floods of the mighty Russian Volga River.
Larisa Nikolaevna, administrator, 43 years old
How to get there
It is more convenient to get to Sviyazhsk from the capital of Tatarstan - Kazan. There are several ways to get to the island:
- By car you need to drive along the M7 highway towards Moscow. Having passed the village of Isakovo, after the junction you should turn right - there you will see an old wooden mill, which will become a landmark. The entire journey is about 60 km;
- You can get from Kazan to Sviyazhsk by bus only on weekends. There is only one flight from the Central Bus Station, the ticket price for which is 165 rubles. However, a sightseeing bus departs daily from the Yuzhny bus station to your destination. You will have to pay 500 rubles for travel;
- by train. Sviyazhsk Island is located 14 km from the railway station, so when you get there by train, you will need to call a taxi (about 250 rubles) or hitch a ride. The train makes eight trips a day and travels for 90 minutes. A ticket costs about 100 rubles;
- by water transport. The motor ship from the river port of Kazan, located on Devyataeva Street, 1, departs for Sviyazhsk daily at 8:20. The entire journey takes approximately 2 hours 30 minutes, the ticket price is about 150 rubles. The ship departs back at 16:30. You can spend more than 5 hours on the island, which is enough to explore its attractions. Flights operate from early May to mid-October.
Sviyazhsk station is located in the village of Nizhnie Vyazovye, 14 kilometers from the island itself.
Sviyazhsk is a pedestrian island, so you won’t be able to get around it by private car. The car will need to be left in the parking lot upon entering the settlement.
