Provincial Russia . erally inan easterly direction, from Kazan to Tsaritsin in asouth-westerly direction, but much more south thanwest, and from Tsaritsin to Astrakhan it runs south-east. Kazan, which lies three hundred and eightyversts below Nijni, on several hills on the leftbank of the Kazanka, was the capital of aTartar empire that arose after the dissolutionof the Golden Horde. It was stormed byIvan the Terrible on October 2, 1552, after anobstinate resistance. Sentimental historians loveto record how the carnage within its walls drewtears from the eyes of the pitiless Tsar himself,^who s
Provincial Russia . erally inan easterly direction, from Kazan to Tsaritsin in asouth-westerly direction, but much more south thanwest, and from Tsaritsin to Astrakhan it runs south-east. Kazan, which lies three hundred and eightyversts below Nijni, on several hills on the leftbank of the Kazanka, was the capital of aTartar empire that arose after the dissolutionof the Golden Horde. It was stormed byIvan the Terrible on October 2, 1552, after anobstinate resistance. Sentimental historians loveto record how the carnage within its walls drewtears from the eyes of the pitiless Tsar himself,^who said: They are not Christians, but yet theyare men. During his stay he began the workof surrounding the old wooden Kreml, built in thefifteenth century by Qulau-Mahmet-Khan, with astone wall fortified by towers. The bulk of thesewere destroyed by PugatchofFs Cossacks in therising of 1774, and, to judge by the three whichremain to-day, their loss is not a profound one building surviv^es from ante-Russian. ^v* ^^/^^ GETTING CAVIARE AT ASTRAKHAN THE VOLGA 59 times, the tower of Souioumbeka, from which aTartar Princess of this name flung herself to escape,Hke another Cleopatra, gracing the conquerorstriumph. It is said to be held in veneration by theTartars. From the top of its seven stories, more thantwo hundred feet high, is a remarkable view,— espe-cially in spring, when the ^olga and Kazanka floodan enormous expanse of country,—of the bulbousChristian cupolas and substantial Russian housesin the centre of the toA\Ti, and its Mohammedansuburbs with their tapering minarets. Situated at themeeting-place of the Siberian, Caspian, and Baltictrade routes, Kazan would seem to be particularlyfavoured for commercial activity. It suffers, how-ever, from one overwhelming disadvantage, for theVolga gi-adually recedes westward pursued by thesuburbs, and the town proper is now left behindthree miles from the bank. The University isimportant chiefly for the instruction g
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Keywords: ., bookauthorstewarth, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1913
