Description of the attraction
In May 1767, Empress Catherine II personally visited Kazan. Catherine II arrived in the city in a rowing flotilla of eleven galleys, accompanied by a retinue of 1122 people. The Empress highly appreciated the city, saying: "This city is the first after Petersburg."
This visit was of great importance for the development of Kazan. By the decree of Catherine II, the architect V. I. Kaftyrev began to work in Kazan. He fulfilled the first master plan for the city's development. The plan defined the development strategy of Kazan for 150 years. Violent construction began. Personally, Catherine II lifted the ban on the construction of stone mosques and Tatar public buildings. Also, the empress issued a decree "On the tolerance of various religions." In gratitude for this, the citizens of Kazan began to affectionately call the empress “the queen - grandmother”.
By the decree of Catherine, Kazan was led by an elected Duma. In October 1781, Catherine approved the coat of arms of Kazan. In the same year, the first Tatar town hall appeared. In 1791, a permanent theater.
In gratitude for the reception, Catherine left two gifts for the city: a galley and a carriage. Unfortunately, the galley has not survived. The carriage, on the other hand, is in good condition and the original is on display in the Kazan Regional Museum.
It was to this carriage of Catherine II, in memory of a significant event for the city, that a replica-monument was erected in the very center of Kazan, in the pedestrian zone, on Bauman Street. It's a good omen to be photographed in this carriage.
