A detailed guide for those who are going to the island town of Sviyazhsk. How to get there from Kazan, what sights to see. Prices for tickets and excursions from Kazan. Reviews about the wonderful island of Sviyazhsk and advice from tourists.
History of the island-town of Sviyazhsk
Russian tsars tried to conquer Kazan several times, but were defeated. It was impossible to take the city by storm, so John IV the Terrible ordered to create a wooden fortification near Kazan, which would help the advancing troops.
The skeletons of future buildings were cut down in Uglich, floated down the Volga, and in 1551 a new fortress, Novograd Sviyazhsky, was built near the mouth of the Sviyaga. The history of Sviyazhsk developed rapidly. Kazan fell, a year later the fortifications were abandoned, and the Russian fort became a place of prayer.
During the years of Soviet power, religious life in Sviyazhsk ceased. The monastic buildings were given to the children's commune, and then to the NKVD correctional colony. In 1957, a hydroelectric dam was built on the Volga, the river water rose, and the elevated coast turned into an island.
The revival of Sviyazhsk took place in 2007, after the construction of a bulk dam. The old temples were restored, and a museum-reserve was created on the island, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Sights of Sviyazhsk
Museum Island is a great place to explore Russian history and temple architecture. Orthodoxy was born here on the Kazan land. We tell you what to see in Sviyazhsk.
Theotokos-Uspensky monastery
Price: is free.
The monastery was founded simultaneously with the construction of a wooden fortress. Go to the Assumption Cathedral, where a 16th century wall painting has been preserved. Ancient frescoes cover an area of 1000 sq. m. Notable are the images of a holy warrior with a horse's head, altar images of the Russian Tsar and the Moscow Patriarch.
From the same time there has been a snow-white St. Nicholas Church, a four-tiered bell tower which rises 43 m. This is the tallest building on the island. Nikolskaya Church can be viewed from the outside, only monks are allowed to enter. Connoisseurs of Russian architecture like the carved platbands of the Cathedral of Herman of Kazan and Mitrofan of Voronezh, which was built at the end of the 18th century.
John the Baptist Monastery
Price: is free.
The ensemble of the nunnery is one of the main attractions of Sviyazhsk. Admire the old Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the Temple of Constantine and Helena, and the small chapel tower of Nicholas and Alexandra. A special place in the monastery is occupied by a multi-domed cathedral in honor of the icon of Our Lady of Joy of All Who Sorrow, which was erected at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Trinity Church
Price: is free.
A rare attraction of Sviyazhsk - a monument of Russian wooden architecture of the 16th century. According to legend, the Church of the Holy Trinity was built in one day from logs cut down in Uglich. This is the only wooden building that has survived on the island since the time of Ivan IV the Terrible.
Museum of the History of Sviyazhsk
Price: 120-200 rubles.
The exposition is occupied by four stone houses of the 19th century. At the entrance to the museum, a symbol of an ancient fortress - a cast cannon "Devkina's head" flaunts on a carriage. The halls display exhibits that reveal the history of Sviyazhsk from the moment of its foundation to the middle of the 20th century. Permanent exhibitions tell about the heavenly patrons of the island city, the history of the Volga passenger fleet and the Romanovsky bridge.
Exhibition Hall "Old Water Tower"
Price: 100 rubles.
Inside the two-story building, temporary exhibitions of paintings and handicrafts are held.
Art Gallery of the Museum-Reserve
Price: 150 rubles, visit to the observation deck - 350 rubles.
The gallery and the visitor center of the museum-reserve are located in a brick building, which was built in the middle of the 19th century for a fire-fighting convoy. The tower was restored several years ago according to the surviving drawings. An observation deck is open upstairs.
Archaeological tree museum
Price: 250 rubles.
Unusual building with an area of 2500 sq. m outwardly looks like a low hill. There is a large archaeological site under the dome with fragments of wooden buildings, fences and decks. The showcases display artifacts found by archaeologists - children's toys, fishing nets, bast shoes, clay dishes, ancient coins, jewelry and weapons of the 16th-17th centuries.
Civil War Museum
Price: 120 rubles.
The museum is located in a beautiful house with a mezzanine - the estate of the 19th century tradesman Medvedev. Learn about the creation of the Red Army and the White Movement. A separate part of the exposition is dedicated to the chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council, Leon Trotsky.
Prices for single and special tickets to Sviyazhsk
Tickets to museums and exhibitions for adults cost 100-350 rubles, for schoolchildren, retirees and students - 50-300 rubles. If you want to visit several museums, buy single ticket, which saves 20%. It will cost 750 rubles for adults and 530 rubles for children, university students and pensioners.
A cheaper option is special ticket - costs 550 and 430 rubles. It is profitable for tourists with children to buy family ticket "2 adults + 2 children" for 550 rubles.
Excursions from Kazan to Sviyazhsk
Tours to the island city are very popular among the guests of Kazan. Tourists willingly go on bus excursions to Sviyazhsk and the Temple of All Religions. The journey lasts 5-6 hours and costs 800-850 rubles. A group excursion to the island and the Museum of the Archaeological Tree costs 1100 rubles. Individual tours by car are more expensive - 4200-5900 rubles.Look for excursions on the Tripster website - there are collected unique author's tours that will show the city from a new perspective.
In the summer months, excursion motor ships run from Kazan to Sviyazhsk. They leave from the River Port on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 9:00 and return back at 17:30. The boat trip to the island city lasts 2.5 hours. On the way, the guide tells about the history of the right bank of the Volga. A ticket for an excursion boat costs 1250 rubles for adults and 1150 rubles for children 7-14 years old. Babies up to 7 years old are allowed on board free of charge.
How to get to Sviyazhsk from Kazan on your own
By car. It is easy to get from Kazan to Sviyazhsk by car. The distance to the island is only 58 km, about an hour's drive. Take the M7 motorway towards Moscow, and after the village of Isakovo turn right towards Sviyazhsk. Entry is prohibited on the territory of the museum-reserve, but there is free parking.
By bus. You can get from Kazan to Sviyazhsk by direct bus. True, it only runs on Saturdays and Sundays at 8:40. Back at 14:30. The fare is 150 rubles.
Train + bus. 11 electric trains a day run from Kazan-Passenger to the Sviyazhsk station. You will be there in 1 hour and 15 minutes. The ticket costs 76 rubles.
From the station you need to go by bus or taxi. The stop is located across the passage, opposite the railway station. The official website says that buses to the museum run at 12:10, 14:10, 15:45, 17:10. Return - 13:30, 15:10, 16:25, 17:30. The ticket costs 50 rubles.
Motor ship. In the warm season, motor ships run from the river port of Kazan to Sviyazhsk: from May 1 to August 31 - every day, and from September 1 to October 16 - on weekends. Tickets are sold one hour before departure. They cost 150 rubles. The ship leaves Kazan at 9:00, and back at 15:15.
Tips and reviews of tourists about Sviyazhsk
There are many positive reviews about Sviyazhsk. To explore temples, monasteries, merchant estates and museums, we advise you to plan a whole day.
It is beautiful in Sviyazhsk, but you need to be prepared that almost everything built is a bright popular print. Tourists complain about poor-quality restoration, due to which the spirit of antiquity has disappeared. The places where the destroyed cathedrals and churches stood are marked with commemorative plaques.
In Sviyazhsk, some tourists hire a guide. A walk with a guide for 1.5 hours costs 150-180 rubles, and for 2 hours - 200-230 rubles per person.
It is interesting to learn blacksmithing, basket weaving, pottery, weaving and printed fabrics at master classes that cost 200 rubles each. Shooting with a crossbow and a bow costs 100 rubles, taking a photo in the armor of a Russian warrior - 50 rubles.
Where to eat. Tourists like the interactive program with a tea party for 140 rubles. Guests are treated to tea with herbs and pancakes with jam. Complex lunches for 230-350 rubles are offered in the refectory of the monastery, in the Buyan cafe, Rybatskoe Podvorie, Sviyaga, and the Traktir restaurant.
Where to stay. The cheapest place to live is in the "House of the Pilgrim" at the monastery - 300 rubles per bed. More comfortable conditions - in the hotel "Sviyaga", where a single room with amenities on the floor costs 1000 rubles. The fashionable hotel "House of the Merchant Kamenev" costs from 3000 rubles a day.
