The extermination of the snakes was entrusted to the chief sorcerer, who in the fall prepared a huge fire of wood, brushwood and straw, surrounding it again with a pile of brushwood. With the onset of cold weather, snakes in huge numbers crawled here to spend the winter in a ready-made room made of brushwood and straw, and by spring the sorcerer added more dry sleep, poured resin over everything, and lit it. Thus the snakes were exterminated. The boars were also driven out by setting the surrounding forests on fire. However, one
*) According to the understanding of the ancient Muslim, there were no creatures like boar and snake.
The big, winged and two-headed snake Zelant flew away and settled on the mountain, not far from the city, which is why the mountain was named “Jelantau” (Zeland-Tau).
The legend says that one of Zelant’s two heads was a snake and devoured animals, and the other was an ox’s and devoured plant food. Zelant lived near the city in a habitual manner, flying every day to Lake Kazan to drink water and contemplate
Vl a u zperaet the inhabitants falling prostrate before him, to whom, however, according to legend, he did not cause any particular harm. For a long time this two-headed snake brought terror to the surrounding area, until it was finally exterminated by the art of wizards. In memory of him, the image of a dragon was chosen for the coat of arms of Kazan.
But from legends let's turn to historical data.:
According to some sources *), ancient Kazan, in Tatar “Ieki-Ka-
Zan", was founded in 1298, and the new one in 1402. The old Kazan was a rich, thriving and populated city; during the devastating raid of the Russians in 1899, it was devastated almost to the ground among other cities. Restored by Khan Ulu-Magmet already at the present site, the new Kazan soon came into being The trade and political center of the Kazan kingdom, which arose on the ruins of ancient Vulgarsh, the city was turned into a strong fortress, which represented two important amenities for the Kazan kingdom: it blocked the Russians’ path to the mouth of the Kama and was itself extremely convenient for defense. prominent mountains, was fenced on three sides by the Kazanka, Bulak rivers and swampy swamps; this explains that the Russians, when attacking Kazan, tried to attack the city from the fourth, eastern side, the city was surrounded by an oak wall, the thickness of which extended to almost 5 arshins, which was achieved through two rows.
thick oak logs connected by lintels and a mass of earth covered in the spaces between the log walls. Quite numerous towers and gates were built in the fortress, and on the outer side there was a moat adjacent to it, with a three-fathom width and seven fathoms depth. The direction of this ancient wall can, of course, now be determined only approximately, and it is indicated on the plan of the city of Kazan, published by Mr. Monastyrekiy.
The ancient struggle between Moscow and Kazan stretched through a long series of reigns of Moscow great princes and ended with the final conquest of the Kazan kingdom by Toann the Terrible.
On August 13, 1552, the Terrible Tsar, after a difficult campaign, arrived in Snyazhek and crossed the Volga from the floor)