Heritage and Historical Tours

Heritage and Historical Tourism in CIS Countries

Breathtaking ARCHITECTURE creates trans-like impact

The series of man-made masterpieces along with the traditional and hi-tech touch in structural construction always make significant architectures. CIS countries have worldwide fame for their art and heritage. The different style and technologies applied in their monuments have made these countries popular for their unforgettable creations.

Besides religious presentation, influenced by Islamic, Russian, Persian and Chinese, Central Asian architecture has a certain style, outline and traditional elements. Built in different ages, a wide range of monuments are Mosque, Tomb, Palace and the Fort.

Registan Square, ancient Samarkand of Timurid dynasty, now in Uzbekistan, has wonderful Islamic architecture, a great learning center as well. Itchan Kala, inner town of Khiva, Uzbekistan, Djuma Mosque, the mausoleums and the Madrasas and the two other magnificent palaces built at the beginning of the 19th century by Alla-Kulli-Khan are few wonderful Islamic architectural structures.

The half-made construction of the Minaret was known as Kalta Minor Minaret, which means ‘Short Minaret’. The construction came to a halt in 1855 following the death of the then Khiva ruler. Due to blue and green wonderful tiles work, Minaret has become an iconic symbol of Khiva.

Located in Bukhara, cubical construction with hemispherical dome mausoleum was built as the resting place of Ismail Samani, an influential Amir of the Samanid dynasty.

With the beauty of art and heritage right in the centre of the square, there is a monument of Statesman of the 14th century, Amir Timur, who was founder a centralised united state composing of 27 countries in the territory from the Mediterranean Sea to India.

Upon declaration of independence in 1991, Tashkent’s Lenin Square was re-named as Independence Square (Mustakillik Maydoni) in 1992. Following reconstruction carried out in the square, many buildings were renovated with a modern look. A figure of a woman holding a baby in her arms – a symbol of mother - Motherland exists below the monument.

Uzbek Senate building at the south of Independence Monument, a Library named after Alisher Navoi, government buildings and public offices opposite to the Senate building with wonderful architectural proficiency - are all situated there.

Held on the laps of mountain Almaty, Kazakhstan, one may find the graceful combination of nature and architecture. It includes Central State Museum, the Cultural hub of the country with brief historic knowledge of Kazakh artifacts. St. Nicholas Cathedral and Gorgy Park, help feel the charm of the country’s largest metropolitan city.

A convention center, concert hall and exhibition area, all included at one locate, The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, so called the Pyramid, was built. Inspired by the ideas of peace, friendship and humanity, it resembles a symbol of confessional understanding. The author of the project is famous British architect Lord Norman Robert Foster.

Experiment was done by builders with structural and architectural solutions on The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, an unfinished architecture at Turkestan in Kazakhstan. Survived till date, this building is one of the largest and best preserved constructions of Timurid period. Nur Astana Mosque in Astana city is the second largest mosque in Kazakhstan and in Central Asia after Hazrat Sultan Mosque.

Popularly known as one of the oldest and most significant historical cities in the world is Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan. The city gives an unforgettable experience of old age architecture and art form.

Baku, the modern city of 21st century, is a combination of old and new architectures and history, along with the glory of science and industrial evolution, situated on the shore of Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan. Besides Maiden Tower and SOCAR Tower, Flame Towers or Ateshgah, and Bibi-Heybat Mosque provide spectacular architectural glance. Sheki has preserved its ancient city-build structure and rich architectural monuments. Sheki was the main centre of silk production in the Caucasus, and in 18th-19th centuries, being the capital of Sheki khanate, it developed and turned into the trade and cultural centre of Azerbaijan.

Dadivank, one of the largest medieval monastery complexes, is on the northern route to Armenia from Nagorno Karabagh.

Among the other CIS countries the most popular name is Russia. The history of architecture in Russia is quite impressive. It begins from Kieven Rus (882-1230) followed by Early Muscovite period (1230-1530), Middle Muscovite period (1530-1630), Late Muscovite(1630-1712), Imperial Russia (1712-1917), Post Revolution (1917-1932), post-war Soviet Union and the modern Russia.

The heritages are the remembrance of their glorious history. The buildings like Saint Sophia Cathedral, Saint Nicholas Cathedral,  Bogolyubov Castle, Ivan The Great Bell Tower, Spasskaya Tower, Cathedral of the Dormition, House of Lions, MGU, Moscow White House, Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater, and Saint Basil’s Cathedral are the famous historical assets.

Being ruled by Russia, Ukraine also followed these styles of architecture and many building they built in Ukrainian Baroque style like St. Sophia of Kiev, St. Cyril Church and so on.

Cities like Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov and Yaroslavl grew around the old fortresses (Kremlins) and monasteries that formed their centres and near the gates where artisans and traders peddled their goods.

The Upper Svaneti fortification and the town of castle, Shatili in Khevsureti, is the perfect asset of medieval history. Its heritage design includes byzantine and Armenian architecture along with Georgian Cross Dome style. In capital city Tbilisi, heritages like Holy Trinity Cathedral, Kartlis Deda, and Abanotubani can give a perfect view to a traveler.

The history also includes the architecture of Tajikistan. In early history, their architect only focused at domestic dwellings, hence built Yurt. Later the focus drifted on building classic designed mosque but most of the time the concentration was on use and not on style.

The evolving architecture of Belarusian includes the touch of Romanesque and Gothic, baroque and classicism, modernism and eclecticism. The monuments like Kamenets tower, Charles Baramesha’s church, Butrimovich Palace, the Palace Complex in Ruzhany, Kossovo Palace, Lida Castle and Royal Palace are the handpicked examples.

The enriched architecture of Serbia includes European, Roman, modern and classic designs. The famous creation of Serbia is vernacular architecture, as found in Petrova Church, Sopocani Monastery, Mileseva Monastery and so on.  

Moldovan architecture is the supreme example of combination of science, art and technology. Bulgarian architecture also includes premium style and technologies, like Byzantine Revival to Tower House technologies. Turkmenistan’s capital city Ashgabat is known as a wonderland, planning to build a city of the future has become the central attraction of the country.

One may find the taste and diversity of the CIS countries and their emerging growth and development only by observing the enriched architecture of these countries.