Ulitsa Baumana
Hip pedestrian thoroughfare.
Kazan’s main pedestrian thoroughfare, Ulitsa Baumana, is full of tourists, souvenir shops and street musicians. If you are not into that kind of thing, climb the tall bell tower of the Epiphany Cathedral (Ulitsa Baumana, 78, Bldg. 2) for great views of the city. The inside of the cathedral is mostly unadorned and you can admire the perfect geometry of its architecture. Right next to the Epiphany Cathedral is the statue of famous singer Fyodor Chaliapin, a native of Kazan who once sang in the choir there.
Stop by Dom Chaya (Ulitsa Baumana, 64) for some Tatar pastries and tea. Closer to the other end of the street you can see the ornate domes of the baroque Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral (Ulitsa Musy Dzhalilya, 21), which was at one time or another visited by all the Russian emperors.
National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan
Tatarstan through history.
This museum, located right outside the Kremlin walls (Ulitsa Kremlyovskaya, 2), is part of the huge 18th century Gostiny Dvor shopping complex. It has a great archaeology section devoted to the Volga Bulgaria and Kazan Khanate, as well as somewhat less interesting sections on 18th-20th century history. If you are a taxidermy fan (and who isn’t?) check out the nature part of the museum and make sure you don’t miss the 960-kilogram beluga whale.
OPEN Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thurs., 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
TICKETS 75 rubles
Kremlyovskaya Ulitsa, 2 tatmuseum.ru