Catherine II's Carriage (Kazan)

Catherine II's Carriage in Kazan is a life-size sculpture on pedestrian Bauman Street in the Vakhitovsky district, by house No. 17 and opposite the Kachalov Drama Theatre. The metal replica recalls the empress's visit to Kazan in 1767 and has long been one of the most popular photo spots in the centre of the Tatarstan capital.

History

In the spring of 1767 Catherine II set off on a journey down the Volga to see the eastern provinces of her empire for herself. She arrived in Kazan on 26 May aboard the galley Tver and stayed five days, longer than in any other town on the route. She attended church services, met the local nobility and joined the town festivities. The visit is associated with permission to build stone mosques in Kazan and with decisions that took the city's mixed population into account.

Some 300 travelling carriages are said to have been prepared for the journey. In one of them, spacious and richly finished, the empress toured Kazan and its surroundings. On leaving, she gave the carriage to Veniamin, Archbishop of Kazan and Sviyazhsk; in 1889 it passed to the city authorities and later to a museum. The original is now kept in the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan on Kremlyovskaya Street.

The monument on Bauman Street

The replica was installed on Bauman Street around 2000 (some sources give 1990). It is attributed to the Kazan sculptor Igor Bashmakov, who also made the Kazan Cat on the same street. Most descriptions call it bronze, a few say cast iron. The carriage stands on two pairs of wheels, large and small; its doors are open and steps lead inside, so visitors can sit in it.

Legends and beliefs

The original carriage is said to have been made of gilded oak by the finest craftsmen, French according to some stories and local Kazan masters according to others. Inside it was trimmed with velvet and leather, and the seat supposedly lifted to reveal a travel commode.

The replica has its own belief: sit inside, make a wish about an interesting journey and picture it clearly, and it will come true. That is why there is often a queue of people waiting to be photographed inside.

Getting there

The nearest metro station is Ploshchad Gabdully Tukaya, with the Pedagogichesky Universitet stop nearby; from there it is a few minutes' walk along Bauman Street towards the Kremlin. Landmarks are the Kachalov Theatre and the "I love Kazan" sign. The monument is outdoors and free to see at any time; daylight or the hour before sunset is best for photos.