The mansion with intricate turrets is one of the hallmarks of the Old Tatar settlement and a popular attraction in Kazan. Although the eclectic building is more than a century old, it attracts a lot of tourists' attention. Since 1986, an interesting museum of the Tatar poet G. Tukay has been located in the historical building.
History of construction and reconstruction
Many mansions in the city were built by Kazan merchants. In the middle of the 19th century, a very wealthy merchant Ibragim Iskhakovich Apakov ordered a new house for himself. A merchant of the 1st guild and a millionaire did not limit himself in means and wanted the new housing to look impressive and representative. Construction began, and in 1863, not far from Yunusovskaya Square, on Ekaterininskaya Street, a two-story brick estate was built.
General view of Shamil's house
14 years later, the only daughter of the merchant married the third son of the leader of the Caucasian highlanders, Shamil. On this occasion, Apakov made a luxurious gift to his heiress and presented the newlyweds with a stone house, a one-storey outbuilding, a small garden and outbuildings in the center of Kazan. Shortly before his death, the merchant completed all the documents, and the mansion in the Old Tatar Sloboda began to be listed under "Mrs. Shamil".
View of the facade of Shamil's house
In 1902, there was a big fire in the center of Kazan. A strong wind dispersed the flames, more than 300 buildings burned down. The merchant's mansion was also badly damaged, so the owners decided to completely reconstruct the manor.
It was then that the Kazan architects Heinrich Rusch and Ferdinand-Julius Amlong prepared a project that met the tastes of the local population. It harmoniously combined the traditions of Tatar and European architecture. The building was decorated with towers, wrought-iron roofs, weather vane and stucco decoration. It turned out so beautifully that residents from different parts of the city came to admire the renovated mansion.
Shamil's house - side view
In 1906, the owner of the estate, Shamil's son, died, and the widow and children moved to the Russian capital. The wealthy merchant Valiulla Ibragimov became the new owner of the Kazan mansion. The merchant opened a candy store on the ground floor. Kazan residents came here with pleasure, bought delicious sweets and nicknamed the merchant Valiulla "the candy king".
With the advent of Soviet power, the private property of nobles and merchants was expropriated in favor of the state. The building was divided into apartments, and residents of the city settled in them. In 1981, the old residential building was recognized as an architectural monument. Large-scale restoration work was carried out here, and after them the premises were given to a literary museum.
Architectural features
A brick house with two floors stands out from the surrounding buildings. It has a square shape and an area of 430 sq. m. At the beginning of the last century, eclecticism was in vogue, so the picturesque mansion was made in the best traditions of European architecture of the Middle Ages.
The design of the building combines the style of national-romantic modernism and historicism. Graceful towers, a massive bay window above the front entrance, neat arcature belts, monograms, spiers and moldings on the facades look very beautiful.
Throughout its history, the building has been painted in different ways. In the last century, the walls of the house were light yellow, at the beginning of the XXI century - green, and now - soft coffee. The old mansion has the status of an architectural monument of republican significance.
Literary Museum
The famous Tatar poet and public figure never lived in a merchant's house, but his apartment was on the same street. Unfortunately, the memorial housing has not survived, so it was decided to place the Gabdulla Tukay Museum in a mansion next door.
The expositions displayed here tell about the life and work of the national poet. The halls display personal belongings, skullcap, photographs, portraits, books and Tukay's death plaster mask. Of particular interest among tourists are household items of the Old Tatar settlement.
Useful information for tourists
You can inspect the mansion from the outside at any convenient time. The Literary Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. The building hosts excursions, master classes for children, performances, concerts and lectures in the Tatar language. The museum has a bookstore, a literary salon and a club for teachers of the Tatar language.
How to get there
The mansion stands in the historical center of the city, on the street. Tukaya, 74. The building can be reached by buses and minibuses. You need to get off at the bus stop "Yunusov Square" or "G. Tukaya Street".
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