‘Terrifying view’: how restoration of abandoned complex of historical buildings in the very centre of Kazan progressing
By 2026-2028, the renovation of the manor house and the Noble Assembly Hotel, which have been “decorating” the Profsoyuznaya Street for many years, will be completed
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the start of the large-scale restoration of the historical complex of buildings in the very centre of Kazan. The block is located between the streets of Profsoyuznaya, Kavi Najmi and Rakhmatullina. It includes ten historical sites with different statuses, the most famous of them is the Noble Assembly Hotel, which is visible in all its glory from the Profsoyuznaya side. For more information about the second lives of Kazan's main abandoned buildings and the timing of the restoration, see the Realnoe Vremya report.
Future of the hotel is uncertain
One of the most famous historical abandoned buildings in Kazan is the former Noble Assembly Hotel. It was with it that the press tour of the quarter, which has been under restoration since 2015, began. The object has been assigned the status of federal significance.
“To date, a number of emergency prevention works are being carried out here: the foundations have been reinforced and waterproofing, the brickwork is being restored, and the supporting structures that were in disrepair have been restored. Today, the main works on preventing destruction have been carried out at the facility, part of the roof repair work has been completed," said Timur Zaripov, the director of Ak Bars Engineering.
The most difficult part of the restoration, he said, was the foundation, which was partially destroyed. They had to work on its recovery the most.
“Besides, the building is located on a slope. We have done a lot of work on the construction of the retaining wall on the slope side. Monolithic piles are already there," Zaripov added.
It is still unknown when the restoration of the former hotel will be completed. The developer suggested that it is possible that in 2026-2027, however, the deadline may shift:
“This is due to that there is a rather complicated design work here. In addition, you will additionally need to undergo a federal expert examination, because this is a monument of federal significance. The deadlines, subject to coordination with all authorities, may be delayed.”
The future purpose of the former hotel is also unknown — it is assumed that the space will serve a public function. However, the decision has not yet been made. In general, Zaripov defined the facility's readiness level as “very low”.
The Sapogultsev estate is almost completely finished
The next stop of the press tour was the Sapogultsev estate, which is currently in the highest state of readiness. It includes three buildings: the main building and two wings. The restoration of the wings has been fully completed, and one of them is already functioning as an art gallery.
“One of the most ancient buildings of the Sapogultsev estate is the first wing (it houses an art gallery — ed.). An apartment building called chambers was built here in the 1730s. Since then, vaulted rooms and stone walls have remained here, that is, the very appearance of the building has been preserved," said Liliana Ivanova, the chief architect and restorer of the project.
The high level of preservation of the original buildings as a whole is a feature of the entire estate, emphasised Ivanova. The brick structure of the buildings, architectural facades and services, which were in a ruined state, remained the same here:
“Even the archives with the drawings have been preserved. During the Soviet period, significant redevelopment was carried out here. Fortunately, as a result of the research, we identified the original walls and other building elements that could be used for further restoration.”
In the second wing, the interior work is almost finished — it only needs decoration. And there is a reason for this: it has not yet been determined how the building will be used. According to Zaripov, it will become an administrative building, and offices may appear here.
“Emergency work has been carried out in the main building, work has been carried out on the facade and roof. A project is currently being developed to adapt this facility," he said.
The restoration of the wings has been fully completed, and one of them is already functioning as an art gallery.
Ivanova, in turn, said that cafes will appear in the basement of the facility, and offices on the upper floors. According to her, the work will be completed this year.
“This is a unique object, whose guests have entered the history of Russia: Pushkin, Volkonskaya... This is the first ready-made small area in this quarter. Today, we are moving step by step to ensure that these objects are realised, given a second life and become points of attraction," promised Ivan Guschin, the chairman of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites.
Approximate deadline for completing the quarter is 2026-2028
The total area of work is about 15,000 square metres, Zaripov said. On the territory, in addition to the already mentioned objects, there are the Piskunov estate with two wings, the house in which Nikolay Bauman lived, and two “objects under the building names litera 7 and litera 9”. They are planned to be restored between 2026 and 2028:
“There are a number of complex facilities here: a hotel, the Bauman house, and the Sapogultsev estate. Time affected them: some of the buildings stood unattended for many years — without heating, without a roof. The structure was soaked and frozen in winter. Naturally, this had a bad effect on the condition of the facilities.”
As for the future functionality of the buildings, it has not yet been determined either.
“This is one of the oldest quarters of the city. For us, this place is very valuable due to the presence of a dozen historical sites of federal significance. <...> Literally eight years ago, everything was in a deplorable state, some facilities were in disrepair," Guschin shared.
Gushchin called the relief the main pain point of the restoration of the quarter — the territory is located on a slope. At the same time, each object has its own “diagnoses”, so it is necessary to act carefully.
The restoration began in 2015, when people left here under the program of resettlement of emergency housing. The chairman of the committee called the investments in the work multimillion-dollar. According to his calculations, one square metre, translated into 2025 performances, costs 200,000 rubles.
“There are a lot of judgments about what we need it for, because we can just demolish everything. People drive past this terrifying view, but we are slowly, brick by brick, bringing the territory to a historical landmark," Guschin inspired hope for a new future.”