Bilyarsk - the ancient capital of Volga Bulgaria

Bilyar, today's village of Bilyarsk, is located in the Alekseevsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan. What's there to see? Why are tourists going there? There you will not find any fully preserved buildings. BUT!! This place is undoubtedly interesting for those who are interested in the secrets of archaeology, numismatics and in general the solution of various secrets of history. If you are interested in the fate of the missing people, here you are.

Ancient Bilyar (or as it was called by Russian chroniclers - "Great City"), located in a picturesque place in the valley of the Maly Cheremshan River, belongs to those cities of medieval Europe, whose history reflected the fate of entire peoples and states. Its past is organically connected with the entire medieval Tatar history. The road to Bilyarsk will take from two to two and a half hours. On the way, you can, at your request, drive to the village of Alekseevskoye, where you can see the new Cathedral dedicated to the Resurrection of the Lord. In this temple a huge number of relics of various saints. Interesting and fresco painting in the cathedral. Further along the route you can drive to the burial place of the Russian scientist chemist A. M. Butlerov. By the way, do you know that it is thanks to his hobbies of gardening that we enjoy gooseberries and currants in the summer? Having reached Bilyarsk, we will look at the historical and archaeological complex of the settlement of Bilyar, or rather what has been preserved from it. This is the foundation of the Cathedral mosque and the foundation of the "House of the feudal lord" - which were built in the XI-XII centuries. The city of Bilyar becomes the capital of the first state of the Volga-Kama Bulgaria at the end of X early XI centuries. In the XII-XIII centuries, its area reached 800 hectares, at that time London and Paris numbered 300-350 hectares each, respectively. Constantinople had 1,600 hectares and Baghdad 3,600 hectares. For the Middle Ages Bilar was a huge city. But the whole city was swept from the face of the earth with the arrival of the Golden Horde here in 1236. The city was completely destroyed, killing tens of thousands of people. Recently, educational programs have become popular, in which the invasion and conquest of Russia by the Mongol Tatars are questioned. On the example of a city like Bilyar, there is no doubt that the invasion of the Golden Horde took place. By the way, it was the Bulgars, the ancestors of today's Tatars who restrained the invasion of the Golden Horde on Kievan Rus for several years. A very interesting monument in the vicinity of Bilyar is the legendary tract "Holy Key", located to the north-west of the village, in the forest, in the most picturesque place at the foot of the mountain "Khujalar Tava". This pagan sanctuary functioned, apparently, in the IX-X centuries. It is traditionally visited to this day. And is revered not only by Tatars, but also by Russians, Chuvash, Mari. There we can get delicious and healing water. You can also include in the program a visit to the House-Museum of Academics A.E. and B.A. Arbuzov, which is located in the village itself. I am sure that this trip will not leave you indifferent!!!