Concept of Development for the Astrakhan Kremlin as a UNESCO Monument

Concept of Development for the Astrakhan Kremlin as a UNESCO Monument

(Astrakhan as a Reserve and a Crossroad of Cultures)

Historical Aspect. The present-day territory of Astrakhan Region is a cultural “puff pie”, which has been baked at the crossroad of cultures, and all its “layers” have absorbed the common spirit. Astrakhan Region is Eurasia’s axial region (Sir Halford J. Mackinder), where Europe and Asia meet and penetrate into each other.

In the geocultural respect, Astrakhan combines river, sea, and steppe sceneries, European urban culture, and the culture of the Great Steppe.

The Astrakhan Kremlin (built in 1580s) is the natural continuation of both the Lower Volga’s urban culture (Atil, Sarai Batu, Xacitarxan) and Central Russia’s culture (the Moscow and the Smolensk Kremlins, thanks to which it joined the European tradition). The Moscow Kremlin was built by Italian masters (Aristotele Fioravanti), and it became an example for Russian masters to build the Smolensk and the Astrakhan Kremlins.

However, the Astrakhan Kremlin has its own specifics,

It was built where a settlement of the Golden Horde times used to exist; a sacral place was located nearby. When building the Astrakhan Kremlin, bricks and tiles of the 14^th century Golden Horde were used – that is quite symbolical. Grounding on that, one can formulate the basic idea that Astrakhan’s Kremlin and White Town are cultural and historic successors of Xacitarxan (15^th-16^th centuries), Sarai Batu (14^th-15^th centuries), and legendary Atil (8^th-10^th centuries). In its turn, that makes it possible to raise the issue of increasing Astrakhan’s age.

After its restoration, the Astrakhan Kremlin has become a multi-functional complex, which operates in the following directions:

1. Recreational & Tourist:

Creation of a historical park with a living museum;
Restoration of the Kremlin’s towers, filling them with museum exhibits;
Preparation of archeological remnants for their exposition in museums.

2. Educational:

Disposition of Chairs of ASU’s Historical Department in the Kremlin’s territory in order to develop local educational and research activities;
Training qualified staff for the Kremlin’s Museum and Complex.

3. Research:

Development of architectural projects to restore and to reconstruct;
Archeological and architectural researches (all year round);
The Astrakhan Kremlin complex is supposed to become a part of the large project “White Town”, whose goal is to create an architectural cultural reserve in Astrakhan’s city center.

Prospects of Further Development.

1. The Kremlin will keep on developing as a tourist center and as a recreational zone. It will transform into a living museum.

2. The Kremlin ought to become a research center. It is necessary to move ASU’s Historical Department to premises of the Kremlin complex and to involve students into volunteer works in the local museums and research centers.

3. Preservation and cultural reconstruction: conservation of the main federal and regional monuments (including the Persian Town House).

4. The White Town. Restoration and development of the Kremlin Complex will be a part of activities whose aim is to reconstruct Astrakhan’s 17^th-century City Center; an architectural cultural reserve may be created on its base.

Responsible for the Concept Development:

Dr. Anna Romanova,

Dr. Pavel Karabushenko,

Dr. Dmitry Vassilyev