| Admission ticket | FREE OF CHARGE |
On famous objects: Five sound installations reflecting their history have appeared on the Spasskaya Tower, in the courtyard of Prisutstvennye Mesta (Public Offices), behind the Annunciation Cathedral, and within the Kazan Kremlin walls. The sounds animate the kaleidoscope of events and reveal the destiny of the Kazan Kremlin in the vicissitudes of time. The project is being implemented in collaboration with the «Formate» Studio, the ‘Frozen Horse Meat’ art group, and local artists.
Access to all sites is free.
1 Clock Portal
Location: Spasskaya Tower
The history of the Kremlin’s Spasskaya Tower is brought to life through instant pictures that capture its changing appearance over time, from the start of construction in the middle of the 16th century to the present. The plot’s main character, a metaphorical symbol of time, evolved into a tower clock, first simple mechanical, then electric with automatic striking. They count down the moments that lead up to eternity.
2 Living Mountain
Location: the arch in the Kazan Kremlin’s wall.
Since the 18th century, a fantastic creature from Tatar mythology, the winged serpent Zilant, has proudly appeared on Kazan’s coat of arms. The ambiguous image of the mythical Kazan defender has a symbolic meaning that combines ancient beliefs with modern impulses.
3 Trade riverbanks
Location: chamber in the courtyard of Public Offices (Prisutstvennye Mesta)
For centuries, trade routes from around the world passed through Kazan. The Kazan Kremlin was the point of attraction of a large, noisy, multi-voiced city on the banks of the Volga River, a place where great and small, spiritual and everyday worlds, the fates of countries and people collided and shimmered in a vibrant palette.
4 Windy Chime
Location: the territory behind the Annunciation Cathedral
The installation commemorates a significant event: a Czech coin discovered on the grounds of the Kazan Kremlin. The discovery occurred at the end of the 20th century, allowing the 1000-year-old age of Kazan to be determined. During archaeological excavations in 1997, a coin struck in the Czech Republic between the 10th and 11th centuries was discovered north-east of the Annunciation Cathedral. A tiny antique coin was one of the ancient capital’s symbols of greatness.
5 Performances of Our Time
Location: the observation deck behind the Annunciation Cathedral
The installation honours the legendary Student Design Bureau (SDB) Prometheus project, which was created in Kazan in the 1960s as a pioneer in multimedia art. The audiovisual theatre was placed in several historical sites throughout the city. The final chord of the experimental action was the exit of viewers to the observation deck, where they were invited to look around them, at every detail, and see the main performance of our modernity — «living life».
Access to all sites is free. Locations will be opened from August 26, 2023.
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