Nikolaev Square

Nikolaev Square in Kazan was formerly called the Forge. It is located in the historical center of the city, where the Vakhitovsky district is now located. The square was located between the university hill and the First Theatre Street, which now bears the name of A.S. Pushkin. Nearby was the Derzhavinsky Garden, on the territory of which now the Opera and Ballet Theater on Liberty Square and the Black Lake Park.

The square received its first name thanks to numerous forges and other outbuildings that were located around a small lake. The fire of 1842 destroyed them all, the remains of buildings were destroyed, and the lake was covered. On the liberated territory, an area was laid out, which was given the name Nikolaevskaya in honor of the then acting Russian Emperor Nicholas I.

For the first time after its creation, it was famous for the puppet theater and Yakov Mamonov’s “Theater of Spiritism and Magic”, as well as numerous retail shops.

At the beginning of the XX century, alleys, flower beds and benches were broken here, decorating the square around the All-Russian scientific and industrial exhibition held here. After its completion, the buildings and pavilions were dismantled, and on the territory of the square there was a garden with a fountain, which was presented to the city by the Kazan Water Supply Society. Over time, the Nikolaev Garden was renamed Leninsky, and today it is called University Garden. From the square itself remained a small area at the intersection of Pushkin, Galaktionov and Nuzhin streets with a monument to sitting Butlerov.