Museums and galleries in Kazan

There are at least fifty museums in Kazan, and what kind of environments they don't have: from bicycle museums to the National Museum of Tatarstan. Of course, it will not be possible to see them all during a vacation in the city, and it is not necessary. It is enough to identify the most interesting museums for yourself, and of course visit the most important historical museums, without which a visit to the capital of Tatarstan will not be complete.

And here is a complete list of Kazan museums with an indication of opening hours, the cost of visiting and how to get to them:

Kazan Museums on the map

National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan

The National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan (Kazan Museum) is the main museum from which acquaintance with the city and Tatarstan should begin. His exhibition is dedicated to the history and culture of Tatarstan and the Tatar people. Periods ranging from prehistoric to the present day are covered. There is a section dedicated to the nature of the region, where stuffed animals living in these parts are presented, and not only. For some reason, stuffed inhabitants from other parts of the country also got here. Visitors are very interested in the carriage of Catherine II, in which she arrived in Kazan.

You should definitely visit the national museum, and first of all. However, we cannot but note that there are certain drawbacks here, which we should be prepared for. Read more about the Kazan National Museum and photos here.

Museum of the 1000th anniversary of Kazan

This museum is a great place for those who want to learn something new and are interested in the culture and history of Kazan and the Tatar people. The collection consists of three halls (levels): ancient times; Middle Ages; art and culture, modern achievements of Tatarstan. There are several interactive exhibits: musical instruments, gramophone, archaeological excavations. Unfortunately, most of the artifacts presented are only copies, while the originals are kept in other state museums.

Interesting and informative excursions are held around the museum, but to get to it, you need to specify the time by phone in advance or leave a request for an excursion on the website - museum.tatar.ru. Without a guided tour, visiting the museum is not so interesting. Read more about the museum of the 1000th anniversary of Kazan and photos here.

Natural History Museum

In our opinion (of the authors of the site) this is one of the most interesting museums in Kazan, and one of the few where children will like it. The exhibition tells about the geological history of Tatarstan, its fossil, animal and plant world.

On the ground floor there is a section about astronomy and the formation of the planet Earth, about minerals and methods of their extraction. A special place is given to "black gold" - oil. The second floor is dedicated to wildlife, and here you can see fossils and skeletons of animals. There are skeletons of dinosaurs and mammoths, which children especially like. But the exhibition is not limited to traditional exhibits, and many interactive ones are offered, such as: a telescope, interactive whiteboards and screens, magnetic puzzles, archaeological excavations, etc. Read more about the Natural history Museum in Kazan and photos here.

Museum of the History of Statehood of Kazan

The museum tells about the history of tribes and the formation of states on the territory of the modern Republic of Tatarstan, starting from the steppe empires to the modern period. It consists of two floors: on the first an interactive exhibition, on the second an exhibition of artifacts and thematic exhibitions. There are very few traditional exhibits in the form of artifacts, mostly information is presented in the form of maps, films and interactive audio guides in the form of headphones attached to the exhibits.

In general, the museum is small and will not be very interesting to a wide range of tourists, unless you are a history buff. Children have nothing to do here, they start to get bored from the first minutes. The exhibition on the ground floor of the museum helps to diversify the visit to the museum a little, which is available for an additional fee when purchasing the main ticket or separately. Read more about the Museum of the history of statehood of Kazan and photos here.

Museum of Socialist Life

This is one of the most famous museums in Kazan, and perhaps the most unusual. Here, on two floors, all kinds of objects from the era of the Soviet Union are collected. Among the exhibits are a large number of toys; a couple of Soviet slot machines; Soviet equipment and cameras; a collection of bottles from drinks produced in the USSR; clothes that can be tried on and photographed, and a bunch of other stuff. Almost all objects can be touched, and you can even play sea battle. And do not forget to look into the Soviet toilet, the entrance to which is located on the stairs on the second floor.

In fairness, it should be noted that among the exhibits there are also those that do not directly relate to the Soviet period. Well, if you do not feel any interest or nostalgic feelings for the Soviet period, keep in mind that visiting the museum may disappoint you a little, since excursions are not held here, the exhibits are arranged in a chaotic order, there are no signatures. Read more about the museum of social life in Kazan and photos here.

Happy Childhood Museum

In continuation of the theme of socialist life, there is another museum in Kazan – happy childhood. In general, it is not much different in subject matter from the Museum of Socialist Life, there are also objects from the Soviet period in the collection that you can touch, play musical instruments, photograph anything. Unless the exhibits themselves differ, and there is a greater bias towards children's goods and toys, and nothing more.

If you have already visited the first museum, then maybe you shouldn't come here, especially since the price is also quite high. If you are deciding which of these two museums to visit and the children with you, then it is definitely worth choosing this one, because there are many more toys here, and it will be much more interesting for children here. Read more about the social life museum in Kazan and photos here.

Chak-chak Museum

This is a small private museum dedicated to the national sweetness. It consists of two halls, in one of which the guests of the museum are told and shown about the secrets of making delicacies, about the life and tradition of the Tatars. In the second hall, three types of traditional Tatar sweets are tasted. The decor of the museum was created using objects of antique kitchen utensils, master classes on making chak-chak are offered for an additional fee.

The museum is small and at the same time very popular among tourists, and it is impossible to visit it just like that. The visit includes an excursion and tasting, which are held several times a day according to the schedule, but you can't just come to the museum at any time and see it. It is necessary to arrive in advance an hour before the start of the tour, and it is even better to make an appointment in advance by phone or email, especially on holidays and weekends.

We cannot say that this museum is definitely worth a visit, but in general, the visit is interesting, the tour takes place almost at home, children really like it.

Tatarskaya Sloboda Museum

This new modern museum "Tatar bistase" opened its doors to tourists in 2017. It is located in a brick building in the center of the pedestrian zone of the Old Tatar settlement, where the merchant of the second guild Abdulvali Chukin lived in the XIX century, and in the middle of the XX century — the Tatar scholar-philologist Yakub Agishev. The main idea of the museum is to tell and show the history of the Tatars from the XVI to the XIX century by the example of life in the Tatar settlement. This is one of the most modern museums in Kazan, equipped with multimedia systems, there is even an attraction with virtual reality glasses. The visit takes place in the form of a one-hour guided tour.

Museum of Islamic Culture

The Museum of Islamic Culture is located in the basement of the Kul Sharif Mosque and is usually visited together with the mosque itself. It is best to visit the museum first, and then go to the mosque itself.

The museum's collection is not very large, mainly includes books and informational exhibits. Most of the exhibits, unfortunately, are just copies. The museum is modern, and there is even an electronic interactive Koran, but without an excursion escort, a wide range of tourists will be bored here.

Museum of the Great Patriotic War

A very worthy museum dedicated to the feat of the Soviet people during the Second World War. The museum's collection, though not very large, is very competently and conveniently compiled, there are a lot of really worthy exhibits. There are weapons, uniforms, military items, orders, documents, photographs. We recommend that you definitely bring the children here and tell them about the feat and sacrifices of the people, and even better, take advantage of the guided tour, which is offered for an additional fee at the entrance. In addition to a simple inspection of the exposition, you can also take pictures with real weapons from the WWII. Read more about the WWII museum and photos here.

Ushkova House and Museum

The Ushkova House is another architectural landmark and an object of cultural heritage of federal significance on Kremlevskaya Street. But unlike the Alexander Passage building on the same street, which has been under restoration for many years, the Ushkova House houses the National Library of Tatarstan and the Museum. You can visit with an excursion "Ushkova's House - history and modernity", which are offered at the entrance.

The building is made in an eclectic style, very richly executed both from the outside and from the inside. If you like unusual tourist places where there are no huge crowds of tourists, but there is a "historical highlight", then you will definitely like it here. Read more about the Ushkova house and museum here.

Geological Museum

The A.A. Shtukenberg Geological Museum operates at the State University. Inside there is a large collection of minerals and ores, meteorites, fossils of wild plants and animals. In total, as stated, more than 150,000 exhibits.

Unfortunately, like most similar museums, it works almost on enthusiasm. Moreover, it works unstable, not always adhering to the schedule. To get into it, it is advisable to call in advance and arrange a visit. Guided tours are also available upon reservation.

Cannon Yard Museum

The Museum of the Cannon Yard is located in the building where the foundry pit used to be located, and later - housing for officers and a soldiers' canteen. Today, there is an exposition dedicated to military affairs and crafts.

The museum consists of two floors. On the ground floor, ancient Russian weapons are presented, and under the glass floor in the armory pit, the reconstruction of the production of a foundry cannon is recreated. On the second floor there is a small collection of weapons of the 20th century, as well as an interactive information exhibition (rather, a lecture hall) on the theme of the museum.

Objectively, it should be said that the collection and the size of the museum are very modest, and do not justify the entrance fee. It is worth visiting it if you have already seen all the sights in Kazan and there is nothing else to see. Actually, the entire exhibition of the museum is presented in the photo. Sometimes temporary exhibitions are held in the museum, then it is much more interesting to visit it. Read more about the Cannon Yard Museum and photos here.

The Museum of weapons "The Spirit of the warrior" in Kazan

A new museum of weapons opened on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin in 2016. He tells about the weapons and military craft of the first nations who lived on the territory of Tatarstan, as well as other ancient peoples who conquered these lands: Huns, Golden Horde, Scythians, Sarmatians, etc. The period spans from the Bronze Age to the 15th century. Among the exhibits are artifacts found during archaeological excavations, models of warriors and events, jewelry and jewelry, interactive materials. The museum is small, consists of one room, but the exhibition is quite rich and unusual, so fans of military affairs, history, and children will definitely like it here. For a wide range of tourists, the price for an entrance ticket may seem a little too high, because you can see the exhibition in 10-15 minutes. Read more about the museum of weapons and photos here.

Vasily Aksenov House Museum

This museum is dedicated to the life and work of the Soviet and Russian writer and publicist, Vasily Pavlovich Aksenov. It was opened in 2007 a few months after the writer's death. The museum is located in an old mansion of the 19th century, where the author spent 10 years of his childhood. The historical and biographical exposition contains documents, photographs, personal letters, books by Aksenov. There are also interesting old exhibits that belonged to the writer: a typewriter, a homemade radio, furniture, a motorcycle. There are also a lot of old exhibits from the writer's era, although they do not belong to him personally. The interior recreates the atmosphere of typical apartments of the post-war Soviet period, as well as Aksenov's workplace. It cannot be said that this museum will be interesting to a wide range of tourists, but if you are familiar with the work of Vasily Pavlovich, or are interested in the history of the post-war Soviet period, you will like it here. Museum staff are happy to talk about the exhibits and the history of the writer's family.

Tukai Literary Museum

The museum is dedicated to the life and work of the Tatar poet, one of the founders of Tatar literature and the modern Tatar language. His works are included in the golden fund of Tatar poetry and world literature. Even if you have never been familiar with his work and have not heard his name, in Kazan you will meet with his memory at every step, because even the most popular tourist starting point - a landmark bears his name – Gabdulla Tukai Square.

The exhibition presents the poet's personal belongings, photographs, works, newspapers and magazines with his works, his death mask. Part of the exhibition is devoted to the life of the Old Tatar settlement, the cultural life of Kazan of the late XIX - early XX centuries is presented.