The church with bright domes occupies a special place among other cathedrals and temples in Kazan. The onion domes and the slender silhouette of the minaret, the Chinese pagoda and the Jewish synagogue embody the idea of religious tolerance and kinship of different religions. The Kazan temple looks like a magnificent fairytale tower and attracts tourists like a magnet. Many people specially come to the capital of Tatarstan to see the architectural miracle with their own eyes.
The author of the project
Ildar Mansaveevich Khanov is considered "blessed" in the best sense of the word. The talented artist was born in 1940 in the suburbs of Kazan. He showed early drawing ability. At the age of 20, Khanov graduated from the Kazan Art School, and then graduated from one of the leading art universities in the country - the Surikov Institute in Moscow.
General view of the temple of all religions
Ildar Khanov worked a lot and successfully as an architect, sculptor-monumentalist, wrote poetry and was engaged in healing. He made several travels in Tibet and India, where he actively studied the art of these countries, ancient oriental practices, yoga and meditation.
It was then that Ildar Mansaveevich got the idea to build an unusual spiritual center in his native village near Kazan. In Moscow, Khanov met and discussed his project with the famous artist Svyatoslav Roerich. The son of Nicholas Roerich supported his undertakings and made valuable suggestions to the project of the temple.
View of the temple of all religions from the Volga
Khanov was engaged in the realization of his dream until his death. When asked what religion he professes, the artist replied that he was born among Muslims. After studying Eastern practices, Khanov became close to Buddhism, and when he got acquainted with the art of Christian countries, he was imbued with the values of Christianity. Khanov said that he could not separate world religions, since God is one.
The Tatar artist and healer died in 2013 in Moscow after a serious and prolonged illness. Over 40 years of creative activity, he painted hundreds of paintings and completed more than 70 monumental and decorative works. Most of Khanov's sculptures adorn the cities and towns of Tatarstan.
Construction history
IM Khanov started to realize his lifelong dream in 1992. After the foundation was laid, two more years passed before construction began. The project did not have government funding or sponsors. It all started with Khanov's enthusiasm alone, but feasible help came from different directions.
The future temple was helped by like-minded artists and people whom he healed from diseases. Volunteer bricklayers worked at the construction site. Ildar Khanov received free equipment, bricks and building materials. Local and visiting businessmen helped him with money. The work did not stop for a single day!
View of the temple of all religions from the 2nd Staro-Arakchinskaya street
When construction was underway, a water source unexpectedly gushed out on the territory of the future temple-museum. Ildar Khanov surrounded it with a stone, and they began to distribute spring water to everyone free of charge. True, this idea was soon abandoned, because people came to the new spring with large containers and constantly argued with each other.
In 2010, I. Khanov received the State Prize of Tatarstan named after Gabdulla Tukai. The complex built by him unites temples of 16 world religions. These are beliefs that exist today and those that have remained in the past, for example, the Zoroastrianism of the ancient Assyrians.
Architectural features
The original Ecumenical Temple embodies the idea of the spiritual kinship of all world religions, therefore its architecture is eclectic. The building combines domes and symbols of an Orthodox church, a mosque, a Catholic church, a synagogue and a Buddhist pagoda. The design uses signs of different beliefs and ancient cults.
Khanov's project has been living for more than a quarter of a century. Thanks to the efforts of his brother, sister of Ildar Mansaveevich and their associates, the construction of an architectural landmark near Kazan continues.
It is planned to create separate halls in the temple dedicated to the Mayan culture, Protestantism, traditional religions of Tibet, Zen Buddhism from Of Japan, Chinese Tao, Sufis Iran, Indian Vedas and alien intelligence. The future complex will include an astronomical observatory, a theater, an ecological center, a children's conservatory, an art school and a memorial to the victims.
There are a lot of interesting ideas, which so far are only on paper. One of them is a medical and psychological center for people who suffer from drug and alcohol addiction. They wanted to build a rehabilitation center on an artificial island, on the Volga, which could be reached via a long bridge. The plans of the organizers of the Ecumenical Temple are to create a pottery workshop and a class where everyone can learn how to make beautiful stained-glass windows.
What can be seen inside
The Temple of All Religions near Kazan is often called a museum and a cultural center. The large-scale project is not fully completed, but the finished interiors, paintings, sculptures and works of decorative and applied art are liked by everyone who is interested in world religions and artistic creation. The flow of tourists is not decreasing!
In 1955, Ildar Khanov's father built a simple wooden house for his family in Old Arakchino. One of the rooms of this house has been preserved and became the museum of I. Khanov. On the wall you can see a photograph of Ildar Mansaveevich's parents, in the window opening there are the artist's books, and on the floor there are his sports equipment.
The Egyptian Hall is a spacious room with white walls, carpets and multicolored stained glass windows. The Catholic Hall is decorated in dark colors and has a beautiful domed ceiling. It has a stage and professional sound equipment. In this part of the temple, chairs from the Kazan Opera and Ballet Theater named after Musa Jalil are installed.
A very pleasant place in the Ecumenical Temple is a small Tea Room. It is made in the traditional Russian style. Guests can relax at the wooden table and drink aromatic tea from a samovar.
Visitors love the Jesus Christ Hall, which looks like an ancient biblical monastery where the first Christians gathered. The room is decorated in the Byzantine tradition, finished with rubble stone and wood. The walls are decorated with smalt mosaic panels depicting the Mother of God and Jesus Christ.
The theater hall is used for special events and charity concerts. Musicians from Tatarstan and artists who come to the republic on tour perform in a bright room with large windows.
Catholic hall in the temple of all religions
Tourists who are interested in art enjoy visiting the Art Gallery. The cozy, well-lit hall regularly hosts exhibitions of works by young and famous artists.
Useful information for tourists
The most unusual sight of Kazan is open to visitors any day from 9:00 to 18:00, seven days a week. The entrance to the temple costs 100 rubles.
No religious rituals are held in the temple-museum of world religions. Interesting group excursions are organized around the territory, which last 3-3.5 hours. During the walk, the guide tells about Ildar Khanov and the history of the construction of the temple. Tourists are invited to help the builders - take out the trash, disassemble smalt for mosaics.
How to get there
The temple stands in a picturesque place - on the left bank of the Volga, not far from the western outskirts of Kazan. The multi-colored domes are clearly visible from ships sailing along the river and from the windows of passing trains.
Picture gallery in the temple of all religions
You can get from the city to the Ecumenical Temple by buses No. 2, 45 and by train. You need to get off at the Old Arakchino railway station.Keep in mind that buses and commuter trains are infrequent, so it is faster to take a taxi. Some tourists come to Old Arakchino by motor boats, right along the Volga.
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