Экскурсия

                      Kazan is the city of my heart.

       Good morning. I am very glad to see you. Let me introduce myself. My name is              . I am an th year student at shcool № .

        So, the first thing I want to say is that I’ll be your guide. I’ll try to do my best to show all the magnificence of our city.

         Dear friends, we live in the ancient city- Kazan. It is a big, nice and cozy home of million people of different nationalities. As you know, there is no future without past. Today I’d like you to make the virtual excursion from the new Sovetsky district, where we live and study, to the central and historical part of our city. We will see the wonderful combination of ancient times and modern life. We will hear low whisper of its history and vivid music of present Kazan.

  Our first stop is at the foot of the Kazan Kremlin hill. The Kremlin is the face of our city, the oldest witness of its millennium. It is the most important architectural memorial and museum which is included into the world legacy of UNESCO. It’s area is 150000m . Here you can see and admire the beauty of Suymbika Tower, the spiritual symbol and pride of Kazan and the Blagoveshchesky Cathedral. Near the Cathedral the Kul Sharif Mosque was build, as the bridge between past, present and future of Kazan.

        From the Kremlin let’s go to the 1st May Square. In old times it was called Ivanovskaya. Because in the XVI century the Ioanna- Predtechenskiy cloister was situated here. It was built in honor of tsar Ivan the Terrible. In the middle of the square you see the monument of great tatar poet Musa Jalil. His death in the prison Moabit earned him recognisation as a hero of the Sovet Union. Musa Jalil’s poems were translated into the many languages of the world.

        Now let’s turn to the main street of historical centre of the city- Bauman street. In old days this street was called Bolshaya Prolomnaya.Do you know why it was called so? During the storm the Kazan Khanate in 1552 the wall of the city was blown up and through these breaks the Russian forces burst into the city. That’s why, when afterwards there appeared one of the first streets of the city, it was called Bolshaya Prolomnaya. Prolomnaya street was always the privileged one as noblemen, manufacturers, merchants lived there. And it was also the trade centre of the city. Nowdays Bauman street is the most popular place too. By the way it is the only pedestrian street in Kazan.  

        Here we will see two sights. The first of them is the Drama Theatre by Kachalov. Though the theatre is named after Russian actor Kachalov, Vasiliy Ivanovich had never acted in this theatre. Because this building was build after his arriving to Moscow. The theatre in which he played was situated in present Freedom Square in front of the Conservatoire.

        The next thing I want to show you is the old carriage of 18th century. It stands near the entrance of the theatre. Where else can you see such carriage? Yes, of course in the National Museum of Tatarstan. Because it is the bronze copy of Ekaterina the second’s carriage. During her visit to Kazan she drove around in this carriage.

        From the theatre let’s turn right and go along the Kavy Nadgmy Street to the “bridges of Bulak”. In old times these bridges were wooden and moving, because the Bulak River was navigable. But then it became shallow  and was used as gutter. In 1940-50s of  XXth century the Bulak became one of the most beautiful places in Kazan. Historically, the Bulak Canal formed the boundary between Russian and Tatar parts of Kazan. The history of the old Tatar Settlement begins shortly after the fale of Kazan, when some Tatars who had proved their loyalty were allowed to settle near the city. For many centuries the Old Tatar Settlement was the only one place in the world where the culture of Tatar people was preserved.  There are 93 historic, cultural and architectural monuments in the Settlement such as the Sennaya Mosque, Madzhani Mosque,by the way, it is the first stone mosque which was built in 18th century and never closed throughout its long history,Azimov Mosque, the Shamil House, nowdays it is the museum of Abdullah Tukay, and others.

       From the Old Tatar Settlement let’s go and see the Fair Square, which is situated at the foot of the Kremlin hill. Here you can find everything that you want. Every merchant praises his goods. Let’s buy something. Oh, but we have not got money of those days, becase our excursuion is only virtual.

   Our excursion has come to an end. I hope you like it. Thank you for your attention. But I’d like to ask you some questions. Do you know what the most popular places in Kazan are? What the most beautiful building in Kazan is?

       I’ll tell you. I have asked these questions an 11th year students. Well, according to my survey, the most popular place in Kazan is Bauman street. The second place of interest, where pupils prefer spending their leisure time is the Kremlin. And the third place is the National Cultural Centre.

        The second question was more interesting, because there are a lot of beautiful and magnificent buildings in our city. But half of the students say that the most beautiful building in Kazan is the Kul Sharif Mosque. Another part of them think that the most beautiful buildings are the Pyramid and Suymbika Tower.

         Well, thank you for your attention. Good buy!

                                    Contens.

1.       Part  I  (Introduction)

Kazan is an ancient city………………………………….

2.       Part II

1. The Kremlin……………………………………………

2. The 1st May Square…………………………………….

3. Bauman street…………………………………………..

4. The Bulak……………………………………………….

5. The Old Tatar Settlement………………………………..

6. The Fair Square………………………………………….

3.       Part III (Conclusion)

          The most popular and beautiful buildings in Kazan…………

              (according to my survey)