Lights on the Water

I've always been drawn to shooting cities at night, when the noise fades and light begins to take center stage. Cities by the river have their own kind of magic — their lights don't just shine, they dissolve into the water. Architecture turns into graphics, and reflections become part of the city itself. I'm constantly looking for a reason to visit a new place, not necessarily a famous one, and simply wander there at night.

But today my photos are about a very well-known city: Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan. This small series of panoramas was shot from the Kremlin Embankment, from the historic heart of the city, overlooking the opposite bank. It is there that Kazan reveals its modern face.

The first frame shows the Kazanka river and the city unfolding before you: calm water, a line of lights and their reflections, and new residential districts that have risen where not long ago there was empty space.

The bridge over the Kazanka is not just a crossing, but a boundary between historic Kazan and its newer, rapidly growing part. At night, it turns into a line of light suspended above the dark water — weightless, almost abstract.

The most recognizable silhouette on that bank is the Kazan Family Center, designed in the shape of a massive cauldron (kazan in Turkic languages literally means a cauldron). At night, the building looks like something between an ancient temple and a futuristic artifact. The symbolism is no coincidence: in Tatar culture, the kazan is a sign of home, prosperity, and the family hearth. The name of the city is directly connected to this word.

A little further along the bank is a leisure and entertainment area, where the city has a completely different energy. Here you will find the Palace of Sports, a water park, and a Ferris wheel — one of the most noticeable points of light on the night skyline.

It is from the Kremlin Embankment that you can best see how Kazan balances between a metropolis, a resort, and something truly its own — traditional and, at the same time, unique.

Thank you for stopping by!

Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia.
September, 2020.
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