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Söyembikä Tower, Kazan

Söyembikä Tower in the Kazan Kremlin: the seven-tier red-brick leaning tower
Photo: A.Savin, FAL, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free — seen from the Kremlin grounds
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Hours
Outside — 24/7 from the Kremlin grounds (enter via the Spasskaya Tower); no access inside
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
15 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Inside
Closed to visitors; small organised groups were occasionally taken in until 2022
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Restoration
Until December 2026: scaffolding and safety mesh; the crescent was taken down on 6 October
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Kremlin grounds
Open 24/7 via the Spasskaya Tower
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Location
By the Presidential Palace, opposite the Qolşärif (Kul Sharif) Mosque
Metro
Kremlyovskaya, then ≈ 10 min uphill on foot
Time needed
10–15 min
Coordinates
55.80053, 49.10519YesGo MapGoogleAppleYandex

Key facts

58 mtall, in seven tiers
2 sourcesKazan Kremlin Museum-ReserveRussian Wikipedia
1.98 mthe spire leans to the north-east
2 sourcesKazan Kremlin Museum-ReserveBusiness Online (Kremlin press office, 2025 survey: 2.08–2.09 m)
17th–18th c.most likely date — nobody knows exactly
2 sourcesKazan Kremlin Museum-ReserveRussian and English Wikipedia
1549–1551Söyembikä ruled Kazan as regent for her infant son
2 sourcesKazan Kremlin Museum-ReserveRussian Wikipedia, “Söyembikä”
1914–1916an iron belt was fitted round the lowest tier to stop the lean
2 sourcesKazan Kremlin Museum-ReserveKultura.RF
1832since then the tower has carried Söyembikä’s name
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaBusiness Online
3 + 4three square lower tiers, four octagonal ones and the spire
2 sourcesRussian WikipediaKazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve
Crescenton top today; a double-headed eagle in imperial times
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
Moscow copythe tower of Kazansky railway station echoes Söyembikä
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaRussian Wikipedia, “Kazansky railway station”
UNESCOpart of the Kazan Kremlin World Heritage site since 2000
2 sourcesUNESCO World Heritage ListRussian Wikipedia

Can you go inside the Söyembikä Tower?

No. There is no exhibition inside, just stairs in the walls and empty tiers, and the tower is closed to visitors. Until 2022 small organised groups were occasionally taken in. You see it from outside, from the Kremlin grounds — and that is free.

The courtyard behind the arch belongs to the Presidential Palace and is off-limits — you see the tower from the square.

Is it worth it?

YesGo rating: don't make a separate trip for it. It is a 10–15-minute stop on the way from the Spasskaya Tower to the Qolşärif Mosque — look at the lean, take a photo, hear the legend. The mosque, right opposite, deserves more of your time.

How to get to the Söyembikä Tower

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on footdestinationStreet view

Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.

On foot

  • Kul Sharif Mosque is about 6 min away on foot.
  • Kazan Kremlin is about 6 min away on foot.
  • Palace of Farmers is about 14 min away on foot.

More tips

  1. Take the metro to Kremlyovskaya station, at the foot of the Kremlin hill.
  2. Walk uphill to the Kremlin — about 10 minutes. Coming from Bauman Street, enter through the Spasskaya Tower, open around the clock.
  3. Follow the main avenue past the Annunciation Cathedral — about 5–7 minutes to the tower.
  4. The tower stands by the Presidential Palace, opposite the Qolşärif Mosque.
  5. Then visit the mosque and, after the Kremlin, walk down to the Palace of Farmers.

Why does the tower lean?

It stands on a weak foundation on oak piles over uneven ground, and the soil settled unevenly. The spire leans north-east — 1.98 m according to the museum, 2.08–2.09 m in the Kremlin press office’s 2025 survey.

An iron belt was fitted round the lowest tier in 1914–1916, and the foundation has been strengthened several times; the museum says work in 1998 stopped the movement. It is monitored with instruments, and seasonal movement of 1–3 mm is considered normal. So yes, it still leans — it just isn’t getting worse.

The legend of Queen Söyembikä

The story everyone in Kazan tells: after taking Kazan, Ivan the Terrible wanted to marry Queen Söyembikä. She agreed on one condition — a tower taller than anything in the city, built in seven days. One tier went up each day, and on the seventh she climbed to the top and threw herself off. Hence the seven tiers.

History is less dramatic. Söyembikä ruled Kazan as regent in 1549–1551; in 1551, before Kazan fell, she was taken to Moscow and later married to Shah Ali, khan of Kasimov, where she died. The tower was most likely built well over a century later.

A short history

Nobody knows exactly when the tower was built. The museum says the 17th–18th century; many scholars point to around 1700, when tiered towers were fashionable across Russia — it doesn’t appear in a 1692 view of Kazan. Others believe it is older and stands on a khan-era structure.

It was a watchtower and a gateway into the governor’s courtyard. Imperial Russia crowned it with a double-headed eagle; today a gilded crescent sits on top. The wrought-iron “Day and Night” gates in the arch date from 2003.

What to see

  • The lean — clearest from the square by the Qolşärif Mosque.
  • Seven tiers: three square ones with open galleries, then octagons and the green spire.
  • The “Day and Night” gates — sun, crescent, zodiac signs, the Sirin bird and a swan (behind scaffolding during the works).
  • The tower, the mosque and the Annunciation Cathedral in one frame from the main avenue.

Before you go: checklist

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Söyembikä Tower vs Qolşärif Mosque vs Kremlin museums

Söyembikä Toweryou are hereLeaning tower, 17th–18th c.Free, outside only10–15 minEveryone, on the way
Qolşärif MosqueTatarstan’s main mosque, opened 2005Free, you can go in30–40 minEveryone
Kremlin museumsNine museums and exhibitionsPaid1–3 hMuseum lovers

The tower and the mosque face each other — see both in half an hour. Add museums if you have time.

Kazan's historic sights compared

Every historic place in Kazan rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Kul Sharif Mosque7340 minFree4 min walk
Kazan Kremlin712 hGrounds free; museums 200–800 ₽6 min walk
Söyembikä Toweryou are here6615 minFree—
Kazan Federal University5145 minOutside free, museums from 350 ₽26 min walk
Bauman Street431 hFree31 min walk
Sviyazhsk324 hIsland free, museums 1,000 RUB28.0 km
Raifa Monastery281 h 30 minFree26.0 km

The Kremlin and the centre in half a day

From Bauman Street through the Spasskaya Tower to the leaning tower and the mosque, then down to the Palace of Farmers. Add them to your route in one tap — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Bauman Street1 h · Free
  2. 25 min walk from the previous stopKazan Kremlin2 h · Grounds free; museums 200–800 ₽
  3. 6 min walk from the previous stopSöyembikä Toweryou are here15 min · Free, outside only
  4. 4 min walk from the previous stopKul Sharif Mosque40 min · Free (museum 250 ₽)
  5. 9 min walk from the previous stopPalace of Farmers15 min · Free, outside

5 places · about 4 h 54 min with walks · 44 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Kul Sharif Mosque

Kazan, Russia

40 min · Free (museum 250 ₽) · 4 min walk

Kazan Kremlin

Kazan, Russia

2 h · Grounds free; museums 200–800 ₽ · 6 min walk

Palace of Farmers

Kazan, Russia

15 min · Free, outside · 8 min walk

Kazan Federal University

Kazan, Russia

45 min · Outside free, museums from 350 ₽ · 26 min walk

How to do it right

  • See it together with the Qolşärif Mosque — they stand face to face.
  • The lean shows best from the mosque side, not from the main avenue.
  • The Kremlin is open all night via the Spasskaya Tower — early mornings and evenings are quieter.
  • While the scaffolding is up, don't plan a separate visit — catch it on your Kremlin walk.
  • Foreign bank cards don't work in Russia — carry roubles in cash for museum tickets and cafés.

Questions

Can you go inside the Söyembikä Tower?

No. The tower is closed to visitors and there is no exhibition inside. You see it from the Kremlin grounds, which is free.

Is the Söyembikä Tower free?

Yes. It stands on the Kremlin grounds, which you can walk around without a ticket; only the Kremlin museums are paid.

Why does the Söyembikä Tower lean?

Its weak oak-pile foundation settled unevenly. The spire is about 2 m off vertical to the north-east.

Is the Söyembikä Tower still leaning?

Yes — 1.98 m by the museum’s figure, 2.08–2.09 m by a 2025 survey. Strengthening in 1998 stopped further movement, and it is monitored with instruments.

How tall is the Söyembikä Tower?

58 metres, in seven tiers.

What is the legend of the Söyembikä Tower?

Ivan the Terrible wanted to marry Queen Söyembikä; she demanded a tower built in seven days, then threw herself from the top. In reality she was taken to Moscow in 1551 and died in Kasimov.

When was the Söyembikä Tower built?

Nobody knows for sure. The museum dates it to the 17th–18th century; some scholars think it is older.

How do I get to the Söyembikä Tower?

Metro to Kremlyovskaya, walk uphill about 10 minutes into the Kremlin, or enter via the Spasskaya Tower from Bauman Street. The tower is opposite the Qolşärif Mosque.

Is the Söyembikä Tower worth visiting?

As a 10–15-minute stop on a Kremlin walk, yes. Not as a trip on its own — especially while scaffolding is up until December 2026.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Kazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve: Syuyumbike Tower — height, tiers, lean, restorations, Day and Night gates, 29.10.2026
  • Kazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve: visitor rules — 24/7 entry via the Spasskaya Tower
  • English Wikipedia: Söyembikä Tower; Russian Wikipedia: Söyembikä Tower, Söyembikä; Wikidata Q2166466
  • Tatar-inform, 04.10.2026, and Business Online, 06.10.2026 — crescent removal and restoration
  • Rossiyskaya Gazeta, 27.07.2026, and Milliard.tatar, 28.08.2026 — schedule, lean, access inside
  • BRICS Russia 2024 official site — foreign Visa and Mastercard cards in Russia
  • UNESCO World Heritage List: Historic and Architectural Complex of the Kazan Kremlin
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 29.10.2026 ·
How we checkedHeight, tiers, dating, the 1.98 m lean and the restoration history come from the official Kazan Kremlin Museum-Reserve page, cross-checked with Wikipedia. Sources disagree on the lean: the museum gives 1.98 m, the Kremlin press office’s 2025 survey 2.08–2.09 m, and English Wikipedia says the tower no longer leans; we show both figures and don’t repeat the last claim. The dating is disputed, from the khan era to 1694–1718, so we give the museum’s version and note the debate. Sources also differ on the finial: the crescent’s return is dated 1993 (Wikipedia) or 1985–1991 (the museum), so we don’t give a year. The 2026 restoration and the closed interior are reported by several outlets quoting the Kremlin press office, so those rows are marked “verifying”. Free access to the Kremlin grounds is confirmed by guides; the official site does not list a grounds fee. The card warning follows the official BRICS 2024 summit site in Kazan.

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4 h · Island free, museums 1,000 RUB

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