Legends of the Syuyumbike Tower: an ode to eternal love and a suicide queen. External features of the building

We started our acquaintance with Kazan with a tour of the Kazan Kremlin. You can get to this place by metro, you need to get off at the Kremlevskaya station and walk a little. It becomes visible immediately after exiting the subway, so do not get lost. Kremlin in Kazan- is a unique complex of historical and archaeological sites, which is on the list of the world cultural heritage UNESCO. The territory of the Kremlin is large and there are many beautiful and interesting places. I'll tell you about one- "falling" Syuyumbike tower, which is considered one of the main architectural symbols of the city and is known far beyond the borders of Tatarstan. To be honest, before I knew about only one leaning tower, which is considered the most famous- Pisa, poety was a little surprised to learn that we have similar facilities.

The Syuyumbike Tower in Kazan is essentially a sentinel (watchtower). It is tilted to the north east side. Now the deviation of the spire of the tower from the vertical is about 2 meters so it can be seen even with the naked eye. Tower consists of 7 tiers. Her general height is 58 meters. The upper tier is decorated with a crescent (until 1918 there was a double-headed eagle in its place).

As for the date of construction of the tower, this question is still open: according to some sources, the tower was built in the 17th-XVIIIcenturies, according to others- at the end of the 16th century, and some even attribute the construction of the tower to the period of the Kazan Khanate, that is, to 1552. The history of the tower is shrouded in several interesting legends, about the existence of which our guide told us. According to one of them, the Syuyumbike Tower was built by order of the ruler of the Kazan Khanate, Syuyumbike, in honor of her husband Safa-Girey, who died in 1549. According to another legend, the tower was built in just 7 days by order of Ivan the Terrible. The fact is that the Russian tsar offered the queen Syuyumbika to marry him. But when the celebration of the wedding began, the queen wanted to climb to the top of the tower in order to last time explore the city. There she did not find the strength to part with her native city and jumped down. In fact, such legends, although they include several real historical facts, are completely far from reality. They are based on romantic tales of the 19th century, which were written in guidebooks of that time around Kazan.

The Syuyumbike Tower was restored many times and its foundation was strengthened. I can't help but notice that for many generations local residents the tower is a sacred symbol and a place of worship. Since 1991, Syuyumbike has been performing the functions minaret, where memorial prayers are read for all those who died in 1552, when the city was taken by Tsar Ivan IV of Kazan. Many archaeological excavations were carried out near the tower, as a result of one of them, coins from the reign of tsars Alexei Mikhailovich and Mikhail Fedorovich were found at the very base of the tower.

By the way, they say that when you climb the stairs to the gates of the tower, if you make a wish, then it must come true.

The tower is a passage, in its lower tier there is a through passage, which is blocked by hinged forged gates with images of the crescent, the sun and all the signs of the zodiac.

Unfortunately, you can’t go inside the tower, so you can only look at it from the outside. I repeat that now the Syuyumbike tower is one of the symbols of the city, so its images can be seen on postcards, badges, souvenirs.

In the evening, the tower is illuminated.

Looking at the Syuyumbike tower and the Kremlin as a whole, I involuntarily imagined what the city was like in the distant past, how some khan's guards walked along the square to bow to their ruler Syuyumbike.

Russia has its own leaning tower and it is located in the capital of Tatarstan. This is the Syuyumbike watchtower. The spire of the structure deviates from the vertical by 1.98 meters. Historians are still arguing about the period of construction, agreeing that it was built between 1645-1650. The tower is located in the northern part of the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. The total height of the building is 58 meters.

Tower Syuyumbike

The tower is a unique symbiosis of Tatar and Russian architecture of the XIV-XVII centuries. The design resembles the Borovitskaya and Spasskaya towers of the Moscow Kremlin, but with oriental elements. They appear in the spire, through gates, semi-oval windows and graceful semi-columns on the front side. Guests of Tatarstan in the capital can see similar architecture in Moscow at the Kazansky railway station, which the architect Shchusev built in exact accordance with the leaning tower.

• The foundation of the tower was made of oak piles, which, over the course of centuries, sank to a depth of more than 2 meters. The walls were built of brick with lime mortar, and the edges are decorated with brick rollers. The structure has 7 tiers, the first 3 of which are square, and the rest are octagons.
• In the "cubes" of different heights of the first tiers, amusement places, typical for Russian architecture, are arranged. The "eye sockets" of the abysses were used to inspect the surrounding area.
• The next 2 tiers - the "eights" - were built so for a reason: firstly, with such masonry from the same amount of materials, the building is built 20% more in height, and secondly, it is less affected by the winds that are invariably present at a height.
• Next, a cone-shaped tier was erected, on which a sentinel tower was placed.
• The whole complex structure is crowned with a green spire, on which the Muslim crescent flaunts.

Construction history

If everything is clear and precise with architecture, then the history of construction raises many questions among scientists. This is due to the fact that during the capture of the city, the annals of the times of the Kazan Khanate were irretrievably lost, and later documents burned down in 1701 during the fire of Moscow. It is only established for certain that during the reign of Peter I, the tower was already on the city plan of 1717. Thus, the upper limit of the age of the structure was established. There are several theories regarding the construction time:

• Until 1552, during the period of the Khanate, another watchtower stood on the site of the building, which was completed and somewhat modified.
• Between 1645-1650 - based on archaeological studies of soil layers.
• Between 1694-1718 according to the analysis of cartographic data and characteristic elements of the Moscow Baroque.

Thanks to the traveler Adam Olearius, one can also delineate the lower limit of the estimated date of construction as 1638. That year, he visited Kazan and made sketches of the capital, in which no similar buildings were found.

The history of construction is full of mysteries: officially it is not known who, when and by whose order the building was erected, but still more secrets hides the title.

Queen Syuyumbike

In the entire history of the Kazan Khanate, a woman once stood at the head of the state - the queen-regent Syuyuk, who was forced to rule for her young son after the death of her husband. The queen's dynasty, like her biography, was worthy - for example, her great-great-great-grandfather was the founder of the Nogai Horde Edigey, her father was the Nogai biy Yusuf. Syuyuk married three times, and all her husbands were the rulers of the Kazan Khanate.

The reign of Syuyuk was remembered by the people for the abolition of a number of taxes for merchants, peasants and artisans. In gratitude for the relief of the tax burden, she was nicknamed "beloved lady", translated from Tatar - Syuyumbike. And not only the sentinel building of the Kremlin was named after her, but also many streets in various cities and villages. However, such a story is not so poetic, the legend is more interesting.

tower legends

There are many legends and stories associated with the building:

• History first. Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible heard about the beauty of the Kazan regent and decided to marry her. The queen was against it and then the king threatened to raze the khanate to the ground and kill all the inhabitants. Syuyumbike agreed for the sake of her people, but on the wedding night she threw herself down from the new building and died.
• The second story. The tower was erected after the capture of Kazan in 1552 by decree of Ivan the Terrible, but at the request of the Tatar queen. It took seven days to build it, one tier for each, and after the construction was completed, the queen of the captured khanate threw herself down from it.
• History the third. The structure was built by order of Syuyuk in memory of her second deceased husband Safa Giray.

The truth, however, turned out to be much sadder. After the capture of Kazan by Ivan IV the Terrible, the Murzas paid off the treasury, the princess and her son, who were transported to Russian Empire and baptized. Syuyuk did not become the wife of the Russian Tsar. However, this does not at all diminish the beauty and mystery of the falling structure. Of no less interest to architects and scientists is the reason for the tilt of the structure. On the basis of the conducted research, it is assumed that the building began to lean to the east due to an elementary mistake during construction almost immediately after its completion.

The slope was discovered and measures were taken only in 1930. The rigid frame, the elements of which can be seen on the first tier, stopped the fall and helped to preserve the cultural heritage site of the Russian Federation in its original form, so that you could personally admire its magnificence.

Tour to the tower

You can look at the falling tower, as well as take a picture against its background, on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. beautiful architectural structure delights tourists not only during the day, but also at night, when it lights up with bright light with the help of powerful spotlights. On the territory of the Kremlin, you can buy souvenirs depicting one of the main attractions of the capital of Tatarstan.

The history of the construction of the Syuyumbike tower: the 16th or 18th century?

In 1701, a fire raged in Moscow, the consequences of which also affected the Syuyumbike tower. Almost the entire archive of the Order of the Kazan Palace, which contained documents describing the process of building the Kremlin watchtower, perished in the fire. It is because of this accident that modern researchers are still unable to determine the exact date of construction of the Syuyumbike tower. For example, the well-known local historian N.P. Zagoskin claimed that the building was erected during the time of the Kazan Khanate, by order of the ruler Mohammed-Amin. The progressive ruler spent his early years in Moscow, where he made friends with the Russian Tsar in order to protect himself from the assassination attempts of other Kazan heirs to the throne. Historians believe that it was during this period that the future Khan witnessed the construction of the Borovitskaya Tower in the Moscow Kremlin.

It is assumed that after ascending the Kazan throne, Muhammad-Amin wished to acquire an improved copy of the Moscow archer, and to implement his grandiose plan, he invited the elderly Italian architect A. Fioravanti to the court. The main argument in favor of the hypothesis put forward is the bricks from which the architectural monument. Their dimensions fully comply with the standard introduced by the Italian genius (before that, a different form of bricks was used in Russia). However, modern historians considered this fact unconvincing, since the Syuyumbike Tower does not appear in the drawings depicting the Kazan Kremlin in the era of the Khan's rule.

After many years of archaeological excavations within the walls of Syuyumbike, the researchers came to the conclusion that the building was erected no earlier than the end of the 17th century. This is clearly hinted at by the architecture of the tower in the style of the so-called "Moscow Baroque". In addition, the upper part of the building clearly copies the tents of the towers of the Volokolamsky Monastery and the Beklemishevskaya Tower in the Moscow Kremlin.

origin of name

The first mention of the Syuyumbike tower appeared in 1832. The poetic name flashed in one of the literary essays of the Kazan magazine Zavolzhsky Ant. Syuyumbike is the ruler of the Kazan Khanate, the daughter of the Nogai biy Yusuf and the great-great-great-granddaughter of the founder of the Nogai Horde dynasty Edigei. Until now, the building was simply called the tower "with a spitz", "commandant's" and even "Tatar" tower. The inhabitants of Kazan changed the name in their own way, christening the building Khan-Machete (from Tatar - Khan's mosque).

Syuyumbike tower architecture

The Syuyumbike Tower is located on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin, but at the same time it is removed from the fortress walls. This location is explained simply: initially, the building served as a watchtower.

Within the walls of Syuyumbike, a wide passage was equipped, through which carts of citizens and military carts could pass into the fortress. The building is supported by a two-meter foundation, reinforced on oak piles. The tower itself consists of 7 tiers. The first three are in the form of regular cubes of various sizes. Along the perimeter of each tier, special galleries (ambulances) are equipped. Another architectural feature of the Syuyumbike tower is the Corinthian columns located at the level of the first tier, and the so-called shoulder blades (rollers) that adorn the tiered faces.

The next two "floors" of the tower are brick octahedrons or octahedrons, on which a tent and a watchtower are located. The design is crowned with an elegant spire with a gilded ball, on which a crescent is fixed - a symbol of the Islamic religion. Initially, a double-headed eagle served as the pommel of Syuyumbike, but in 1918, at the request of the Muslim part of the population of Kazan, the royal emblem was removed, replacing it with a religious sign. Today, the height of the most recognizable tower of the Kazan Kremlin is 58 meters.

At the beginning of the 20th century, it was discovered that the spire of the Syuyumbike tower deviated significantly from its base. In addition, the brickwork in the lower part of the structure began to move apart, threatening to completely block the passage. In order to preserve the unofficial symbol of the city, it was necessary to "squeeze" it at the level of the first tier with a metal hoop. The iron ring worsened the appearance of the old building, but stopped its destruction for a while. A few decades ago, the hoop burst, but was never dismantled.

Legends of the Syuyumbike Tower: an ode to eternal love and a suicide queen

Outstanding architectural features are certainly wonderful, but completely uninteresting for the average tourist, so the surest way to draw attention to an ancient monument is to attribute to it some fascinating story, preferably with a tragic ending. As for the Syuyumbike Tower, the building is an ideal example of how organically myths can be woven into real ones. historical facts giving birth to such legends adored by travelers.

The building owes its name to the daughter of the Nogai biy Yusuf, the ruler of the Kazan Khanate, Syuyumbike. Actually, this is the only reliable fact that formed the basis of the myths associated with the construction of the tower. For example, one of these stories claims that the building became a kind of monument to the first husband of the Tatar heiress, Safa Giray. The inconsolable widow thus expressed her love for her untimely deceased husband. Interestingly, in fact, this marriage was unsuccessful and in reality Syuyumbike could not stand her betrothed.

The second story is connected with the name of the famous tyrant tsar Ivan the Terrible. Allegedly, after the capture of Kazan, the Russian autocrat was seduced by the beauty of the local ruler and even set out to take her as his wife. Syuyumbika did not like this prospect, and she decided to postpone the marriage, first offering Ivan the Terrible to build a tower for her. The temperamental tsar complied with the request, and a week later a watchtower flaunted under the windows of the beautiful Tatar woman. But the autocrat failed to satisfy his passion: the proud captive climbed onto the upper tier of the tower and jumped down. By the way, this beautiful legend it is customary to tell visitors to the tower, not paying attention to the fact that in fact there was no suicide at all. After the capture of Kazan, Syuyuimbike was married (for the third time) and calmly met her old age in the city of Kasimov, where she was later buried. But the construction of the tower, as modern studies have shown, was indeed carried out in great haste, which later played leading role in her fall. Despite the subsequently strengthened foundation and attempts to fix the structure in a stable position, it was not possible to avoid further roll of the structure.

Suyumbike Tower: Inner Tour

The main entrance to the Syuyumbike tower is covered with openwork forged gates "Day and Night". The black lace of the metal lattice is decorated with golden images of the month and the sun, above which 12 signs of the zodiac are located in the form of an impromptu halo.

In the lower tier of the building there is a small passage that goes into interior spaces towers. A well-worn stone staircase leads visitors to the upper "floors" of Syuyumbike. Today, small separate halls are located on the second and third tiers, although initially there were no partitions dividing the tower into floors.

In the main hall of the third tier there is a wooden staircase connecting the room with the terrace of the first octagon (the fourth tier of the tower). If during a walk you approach the stairs from the inside, you can see numerous "autographs" left on the wooden steps by visitors to the Syuyumbike tower. The oldest of them are marked as early as the beginning of the 20th century, but there are also more modern versions.

The fifth and sixth tiers of Syuyumbike are all the same octagonal rooms with windows, but on the 7th tier there is the tiniest room (literally 3 steps in length). However, an ordinary tourist will not succeed in getting here, as in the rest of the halls of the tower. Usually, all that a standard excursion to the Syuyumbike tower offers is a walk around the territory of the Kremlin and architectural features structures.

• During the Great Patriotic War, Kazan architects took measurements and drew up detailed plans Syuyumbike towers. The collected documents were supposed to help in the restoration of a unique architectural monument, in the event that the building was destroyed during the bombing.
• The height of the Syuyumbike tower is two meters higher than its famous "falling" relative - the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• At night, electric lights are turned on on the walls of the building, turning the building into a picture from a fairy tale.
• Rumor has it that the entrance to Syuyumbike was closed after one of the visitors jumped down from one of its tiers.
• A unique monument of ancient architecture can be seen in the 2013 adventure film Treasures of Lake Kaban. However, in most episodes, the viewer does not see the Syuyumbike tower itself, but its model, built specifically for filming.
• Local residents claim that if you touch the walls of the tower with eyes closed and make a wish, it will certainly come true.
• In spite of Taken measures, it was not possible to completely stop the slope of the Syuyumbike tower. The reason for this is the gradual subsidence of soil on the Kremlin hill, so it is possible that over time the building will literally fall.

How to get there

There are three best ways to get to the Syuyumbike Tower, one of the main architectural sights of Kazan. For example, you can take the metro and get off at the Kremlevskaya station. Those who do not want to deprive themselves of the pleasure of admiring the views of the capital of Tatarstan can choose a trolleybus (route 7) and take it to the Central Stadium stop. The same way can be done by bus (routes No. 1, 15, 35, 47, 75).

Its popularity is explained interesting history and legends, as well as the fact that it is falling. The Syuyumbike Tower attracts the attention of not only Russian, but also foreign tourists.

Syuyumbike Tower - from history

Historians still argue about the time of its construction and we are not talking about the exact date, but about the historical era:

• According to one version, its construction dates back to the heyday of the Kazan Khanate, to the 12th-15th centuries, when it was a sentinel and was called the Kazan Minaret. If you follow this version, then it is the only surviving monument of Tatar architecture of those times in Kazan
• There is also an opinion that it was built after the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible, who gave the order to build the structure in seven days. It was because of the haste that the foundation was made shallow, which explains the continuing slope.
• The results of recent excavations show that the construction was carried out in the XVII century. At the same time, some facts testify to its construction in the XI-XV centuries. Therefore, some scientists have suggested that a wooden tower was originally built on this site, and later it was rebuilt into a stone one. In the place where the old foundation is missing, the structure slopes.

Most historians are still of the opinion that the landmark was built in the 17th century.

Syuyumbike tower architecture

The height of the structure is 58 meters, and the slope is almost two meters. And though she leaned less than the famous leaning tower of pisa, in height it is more than two meters. In contrast to it, the foundation of Syuyumbike was not strengthened until the deviation from the vertical was 1.5 meters.

The building has seven tiers:

• The first is the widest, it is a travel tier with an arch in the middle
• The second tier has, like the first, a quadrangular shape, but smaller in height and width.
• The third tier is built similarly to the second, but has small windows.
• The fourth and fifth tiers are octagonal
• The sixth and seventh tiers are the sentinel tower.

At the top of the structure is a green spire with a crescent.

• The name Syuyumbike is a composite name - Syuyum in the old Tatar means beloved, and bike - mistress. The name Syuyumbike is translated as "beloved queen" of the Kazan people in the 16th century. Indeed, Syuyumbike was a beautiful and noble educated woman, the widow of a khan who was killed in the struggle for the throne.
• There are several legends about the name:
  • The most popular of them says that after the capture of Kazan, Tsar Ivan the Terrible wanted Tsarina Syuyumbike to marry him. In case of her refusal, the tsar could punish the entire Tatar people. To save her people from trouble, the tsarina accepted Ivan the Terrible's proposal, but put forward the condition that a seven-tiered tower would be built in seven days. When her wish was granted, she went upstairs and threw herself on the ground. Since then, the tower has been named after her.
  • The second legend is more prosaic. It is believed that the tower was built under the leadership of the queen herself in honor of the deceased second husband Safa Giray
• A gilded ball was previously installed at the top of the tower. According to legend, it contained the chronicles of the Kazan Khanate, written by its khans. At the same time, studies have shown that the ball is empty, although there were holes in it, which indicates a possible theft of historical documents.

Syuyumbike Tower, along with the mosque Kul Sharif and the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin, is a symbol of Kazan, known not only in Russia, but also in foreign countries.