Literature in Kazan

Now we stand at the Liberty square, which was visited by many famous people of our country. In 1835 Alexander Gertsen visited Kazan on his way to exile. He had to stay here for three days and undergo treatment because he caught a cold on his way from Verkhny Uslon to Kazan. He lived in the hotel in the building of nowadays KSTU which former was a post-office. Here he wrote his famous words that Kazan is the place where West meets East. Through Kazan civilization goes from West to East and Asian character goes from Asia to Europe.

Alexander Pushkin came to Kazan in 1833 and stayed here 2 days. He gathered some materials concerning Pugatchev’s rebellion. He described it in the chapter 7 of “Pugatchev’s stories”.

Then we go towards Kazan university. Pass Peter’s and Paul’s cathedral

and enter nowadays Rakhmatullin street. Here we can see a building of the first nobility hotel, where stayed Catherine the Great. It is the house of merchant Mikhlyaev. 6 years before Pushkin here stayed Maria Bolkonskaya (Rayevskaya) on her way to the Siberia after her Decembrist husband. She stood looking at the window and watching noblemen and was sorry that she would never return to this life.

Then we come to Kremlyovskaya street and go towards the university. Many great Russian writers studied in Kazan State University – Sergey Aksakov, author of the “Scarlet flower” fairy-tale, Pavel Melnikov-Pechorsky, author of the novels “In the forest”, “In the mountains”.

Leo Tolstoy enters the KSU in 40-s.

He knew Tatar, Arabic and Turkish languages that is why he entered Oriental studies faculty. He studied not very well and his group mates always laughed at him. He decided to move to law faculty as he thought that he would be able to serve people better. Once he got to the hospital and there hearing the stories of its patients he began writing the diary and decided to leave the university. He thought that university gave him knowledge which he would never need.

The founder of new poetry – Velimir Khlebnikov also studied in Kazan university. In 1927-1928 Mayakovsky wrote “Kazan rises by the legend, the capital of the Red Tataria”. Evgeny Evtushenko, who wrote famous “Kazan University” novel, also made his performance here.

If we go along Kremlyovskaya street towards Kremlin, we can see Giuseppe pizzeria, former hotel where stayed writers Goncharov and Korolenko.

In front of the pizzeria there is a building of the geology faculty of KSU. It is the building of former theological seminary, where Tatar language was taught by famous Tatar scientist Kayum Nassyri, who made large contribution to the development of Tatar language.

From the university we go down to Pushkin street and come to Tukay square, where in the park we can see monument to famous Tatar poet Gabdullah Tukay, who is also called “Tatar Pushkin”. Near the park there is a Kaban lake, which Tukay described in his fairy tales.

In 1884 Aleksey Peshkov (future writer Maxim Gorky) came to Kazan. In the corner of Tukay square there is old yellow building, where in the bakery, which was situated on the first floor worked Gorky. Events which were described in his stories “26 and one”, “Konovalov”, “Owner” happened in this very house.

To the left we can see Leninsky garden, former Nikolaevsky square. Gorky wrote: “I wanted to study so much, that if I was said that I would be beaten on the Nikolaevsky square every Sunday, but they would take me to the University, I would agree”. But he couldn’t enter the university as it was very expensive. To earn money for the living he had to work as a docker, gardener, pretzel maker.

We go up Gorky street and stop near museum. It is the last place where Gorky worked.

In the basement of the Derenkov’s house there are an oven and oven fork, which were used by Gorky. From that place he carried rolls to the Theological seminary, where he could read books. Here he met Derenkov’s niece Mashenka and fell in unrequited love with her. Here came the message from Nizhny Novgorod about the death of his grandmother. Gorky was so upset that bought the gun, went to the Fedorovsky hill and tried to kill himself. But he hit his lung and suffered by cough because of this injury till his last days. When many years passed and Gorky became famous writer he wrote: “Physically I was born in Nizhny Novgorod and spiritually I was born in Kazan”.

We go further down Gorky street, to the left we can see museum of Mussa Dzhalil, Tatar national hero.

He was named the Soviet Union Hero after his death. His work “Moabit copy-books” was awarded the Lenin’s Prize in literature – for the first time after the death of the author.

We go further and to the right we can see a monument to our famous compatriot Gavril Derzhavin.

He studied in 1st group of Kazan men grammar school. In his poem “Harp” there are lines “O, Harp, sing me about Kazan”. He was the governor of the Olonetskaya province during the reign of Catherine the Great, general treasurer during the reign of Paul, and general public prosecutor during the reign of Alexander. But he never worked in one position more than a year, as he was rather straightforward. At last he retired and devoted himself to literature.

To the left we can see Boratynsky museum.

Unfortunately, the mansion is not reconstructed, but there remained the outhouse, built for the servants. And here is the only museum of Boratynsky in Russia. The house, built by architect F.Petondi in 1836 was bought by the poet’s son Nikolay Boratynsky. Later it was given to the grandson of the poet – famous scientist, public and political figure, deputy of the III Duma – Alexander Boratynsky. After the death of Alexander Nikolaevich, who was shot in 1918, the family moved from the mansion. The building was given for first Music school. Great-granddaughter of the poet Olga Ilyina with her child immigrated to the USA, where she wrote a book about the life of her family.

We pass the museum and turn to Tolstoy street.

In front of the Suvorov Military School we can see the house with the garret, where lived the Tolstoy brothers. This very house was mentioned in the story “After the ball”. Once after the ball Sergey Tolstoy saw the act of punishment of the escaped soldier. He returned home and told the story to his brother. Leo Tolstoy wrote this story when he was 75 years old. Kazan period of life of Leo Tolstoy was depicted in his stories – “After the ball”, “Morning of the landowner”, autobiographical trilogy “Childhood”, “Adolescence”, “Youth”.

From that place we can see Varvarinskaya church, where princess Volkonskaya ordered the pray on her way to the Siberia after her husband Decembrist. Here was baptized future Russian poet Nikolay Zabolotsky.

Here was situated the Siberia outpost, through which Radischev, Gertsen and Chernyshevsky were brought to the exile.