What are the temple's hours of operation?

The temple is open from May to the end of September from 08:00 to 20:00, and from October to the end of April from 09:00 to 18:00.

How much does it cost to visit the temple?

The admission fee is currently 250 rubles, although you can pay more if you want.

Is there parking available near the temple?

Yes, there is free parking nearby.

Can I visit the temple using public transportation?

Yes, you can take public transportation to the temple, although it may take a bit longer.

What are the temple's address and location?

The temple is located at Kazan, Staro-Arakchinskaya St., 4.

Is the temple suitable for people with disabilities?

Unfortunately, the steps leading up to the temple may be a challenge for people with mobility issues.

Can I take photos inside the temple?

Yes, photography is allowed inside the temple.

Are there any guided tours available?

Yes, you can hire a guide to help you navigate the temple and learn more about its history and significance.

Can I pay with credit card?

No, the temple only accepts cash.

Is the temple open year-round?

The temple is open from May to the end of September, and from October to the end of April.

Are there any facilities available for visitors?

There are no facilities available for visitors, so be sure to bring everything you need.

What are the temple's operating hours during peak season?

The temple is open from 08:00 to 20:00 during peak season.

What are the temple's operating hours during off-peak season?

The temple is open from 09:00 to 18:00 during off-peak season.

Temple of All Religions Review: A Mixed Bag in Kazan

The Usual Hype, But I'll Be Grumbling - Mixed Feelings About This Place

I'm a bit of a picky person, and I have to admit, I was expecting to write a scathing review about this place, given its 4.7-star rating and near-universal praise. But, I'm still undecided on how I'll rate it in the end... So, let's figure it out together!

Universal Temple or Temple of All Religions - this place is a staple in every Kazan tourist itinerary.

Address: Kazan, Staro-Arakchinskaya St., 4Hours of Operation: From May to the end of September: 08:00 to 20:00; from October to the end of April: 09:00 to 18:00Admission Fee: It used to be 100 rubles, but now it's 250 rubles. However, if you pay more, no one will turn you down. Only cash, though!Despite being located on the outskirts of the city, you can still get there using public transportation. I won't go into details, as we drove there in our car (it took us around 30-40 minutes from Minskaya St.). There's free parking nearby (actually, on both sides, if I'm not mistaken).

I was expecting the temple to be situated on a separate territory, but it's actually located between a regular road and active railway tracks (yes, you read that right). To get to the temple, you'll have to cross the road, as there's no pedestrian crossing (the road is pretty narrow, with only one lane in each direction, but it can get pretty busy).

Despite the ongoing construction and landscaping work, the temple looks stunning, like a miniature palace: colorful domes and towers, stained-glass windows, and mosaic ornaments. There are flowers and benches near the main entrance.

The All-Religions Temple is more like a museum or an art installation than a temple in the classical sense. You don't need to pray or light candles in front of icons here, there are no services or rituals held, and there are no dress codes (like covering your head and knees). The All-Religions Temple is a single complex of buildings, featuring towers and domes with symbols from most major world religions and beyond. The temple is a unique architectural ensemble that combines elements of Orthodox and Catholic churches, a Muslim mosque, a Jewish synagogue, a Buddhist temple, a Chinese pagoda, and many other cultural and religious landmarks.

The building was created by two brothers, Ildar and Ilgiz Khannovs, who funded it themselves and through donations from like-minded individuals on the site of their former family home. How did they even come up with this idea? There's a rumor that Ildar had a vision during meditation, where an old man told him to create a temple that would bring together different religions and cultures, helping people learn to live in harmony with each other.

As far as I know, Ilgiz still runs free yoga classes at the temple, while Ildar sadly passed away in 2013.

I wouldn't say that all religions are represented here - there are many, many more, and the ones that are here are the most well-known: Orthodox, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, paganism, and so on. But since the temple is still under construction, it's likely that new locations will be added in the future (according to open sources, the Khannovs wanted to include halls for the Maya people, Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Daoism, and even a hall dedicated to extraterrestrial intelligence).

I took a few snaps and shots, but I'm not going to give you a super-detailed virtual tour - that's what you're here for, right? And let's be real, if you're really into the whole religion thing or have always dreamed of visiting this temple, it's worth booking a guided tour or signing up for a tour. Because wandering around the halls on your own isn't going to give you the full experience. It was one of my first disappointments - we'd walk from room to room, floor to floor, but I often had no idea where we were, what country or culture we were looking at. Yeah, the rooms do have those A4 printouts with some basic info - who's in the paintings, what's in the room, but that's about it. There's no real in-depth info on the religion itself, what it's all about, what its core principles are, or what you're supposed to believe.

I have to say, the first few rooms - the ones about Orthodox Christianity and paganism - didn't really do it for me. They were tiny, and apart from some reproductions of icons and saints' images, and a few pagan gods, there wasn't much to see. But then we stumbled upon the Egyptian room, and it was one of the most interesting ones. There were frescoes, the names of gods written right next to their images, sarcophagi, and even some gypsum reliefs. The whole place was designed to give you a feel for what it's like to be in Egypt. However, I didn't learn anything new about Egyptian culture. To be honest, I'm still not sure what their religion is called...

The Catholic room was empty and looked kind of creepy. (I immediately started thinking about all those horror movies set in churches). I'd read online that the chairs in this room are super comfortable and your back won't hurt even after a long time sitting, but for some reason, I was too afraid (afraid?) to even sit down. At the time of our visit, the room was empty, but they sometimes hold concerts and creative events here. You can also go up to the balcony and take a look at the room from above (and the ceiling with stained-glass medallions featuring saints - a bit closer).

The Shiva room (one of the main gods in Hinduism - and I still can't figure out if it's a man or a woman, because the image of Shiva I found in Yandex looks different from the one in the Temple) has a nice ceiling, lots of images of this deity, a small aquarium with fish, and a statue of Shiva in the center. Oh, and be careful not to slip on the floor!

It's actually here that Ilygiz Khan holds his yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises classes. I wonder how cold it must be in this room during winter...

In the Krishna room (another deity in Hinduism, often depicted in different forms - a young shepherd, a devoted warrior, a baby, or a beautiful lover), the walls are painted with illustrations that symbolize different aspects of his life. I was totally surprised to spot Chaplin and the Mole in the Fog on one of the walls! How did they end up in Hinduism, haha? I didn't even take any photos or videos of the rest of the hall, though – I just wasn't into Krishna, even though the illustrations around were colorful and vibrant.

Now, I'm even a bit sorry I didn't snap pics of everything, even those info boards – a lot of it didn't stick in my memory. But at the time, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't much to see besides the decorated walls and ceiling, and without a guide, it was hard to tell which religion's hall I was in, so I didn't feel like taking any photos. As an agnostic (even though I was baptized as a kid), I wouldn't have gone through the photos obsessing over any deity, but I did want to learn a bit more about other cultures...

But – unfortunately! For example, check out this hall I didn't get – who/what is it about?.. I browsed the temple's website and I think it's the hall of secret societies: Freemasons, Rosicrucians, Lutherans, and so on. Personally, I've never even heard of most of these, let alone learned anything about them. Did I learn anything new about secret societies after visiting the Worldwide Temple? Nope.

Like, why is there a portrait of a goddess that looks like the one of Fertility? Why are there ancient frescoes on the walls? Why are there these mysterious stone busts on the windowsills? What's with that weird tree in the hall?..

And in this hall, there were these weird sounds coming from a tiny TV or speakers – it was like chanting, or a prayer, or meditation, and to be honest, it was really annoying to listen to and psychologically weird – like they were trying to brainwash me or something.

I skipped the Crown Jewel of Faith exhibit altogether – I peeked in through a crack and realized it wasn't my scene (maybe the devils in me are sitting there :D). I didn't even bother taking pictures, but I'll try to explain what it's like in words. There's a small wooden structure near the wall in one of the rooms that looks like a little cottage. If it weren't for the signs on the door, you might think you couldn't enter. Inside this little cottage are icons painted by Ilygiz Khanov, but it's not a place for prayer, it's more like a gallery. The room is small, but incredibly vibrant, and with the mirrored floor and ceiling, it feels bigger than it actually is. I'm not a fan of Orthodox icons, I don't go to church – it makes me feel uncomfortable, and the smell of incense makes me queasy. This little cottage has a mixed association with church, so I didn't go inside.

On the other hand, I felt comfortable in the no less vibrant, bright, and colorful Buddha Hall. It's here that I took the most photos and even shot a couple of videos to remember. By the way, Buddhism isn't a religion, I learned – not in the temple, but online.

Almost every hall has unique ceilings, with stained glass, mosaics, or pictures of saints...

From the hall of Buddhas, you can exit into a small courtyard that's also designed in a traditional Buddhist (Chinese) style. I couldn't find any info on what they call these gates and the little 'house', but it's a nice spot to sit in the shade, take some fresh air, and snap some photos. And then you can head back to explore the temple.

Besides the halls dedicated to different religions, some rooms have held various workshops – people were crafting, painting, gluing, and drawing... And, there are plenty of exhibits here too. For example, Ilgiz Khan's 'Tatar beauties'. I wasn't particularly impressed by the artwork (even the central portrait of Queen Suyumbika, after whom the tower in Kazan Kremlin is named, with her son – I didn't take a photo of), but I liked the little dolls. Unfortunately, I have no idea if they represent any famous Tatar women or not – there was no info on the dolls in the printed materials or on the temple's website.

I came across a few halls with paintings. In one, there were normal kids' drawings of Kazan landmarks. In another, there were portraits of people (unknown to me). And in some halls... some of them were just terrifying: paintings depicting deaths, fires, and other horrors. Some of them were huge! They were created by Ildar Khanov and reflected the horrors of war, urging people not to let a global conflict happen (I think it already did). I took some photos, but not to revisit them later, just for this review.

However, I recognize Ildar's talent - the paintings literally sent shivers down my spine. I felt really uneasy in those halls, and I tried to hurry through them without looking around. The artist didn't consider that people who spark wars are unlikely to see his paintings or be moved by them. We, ordinary civilians, freeze in fear just at the sound of the word 'war.'

Inside the Temple, you can buy souvenirs, paintings, and decorations (there was a room on the upper floors with a woman who looked like a gypsy or a fortune teller, and she was selling all sorts of things). On the street, there are also stalls selling souvenirs related to Kazan, not just different religions: magnets, mugs, t-shirts, sweets, toys, stationery... We bought some souvenirs from one of these stalls, and the prices were reasonable (150 rubles for 300-350 grams, a large and beautiful souvenir plate - about 1000 rubles).

It's a sad fact about the Temple: in 2017, a fire broke out in the building and one person lost their life. Maybe their spirit still lingers within these walls?

Final thoughts. I'm still unsure how to rate the Universal Temple. Unfortunately, I didn't gain any new insights into the represented religions... And touring museums and just looking at paintings isn't really my thing (at least, not yet). For me, this experience was a drawback. Maybe if you book a guided tour, you'll learn something interesting, but I have my doubts that they'll cover Buddhism, Orthodox Christianity, pagan gods, and the like.

Additionally, I felt really uncomfortable in the Orthodox and memorial halls (where there are anti-war paintings), and I also didn't like the background music in the secret societies hall (if the Temple isn't positioning itself as a church and a place for prayer, then why include music that's relevant to the theme?). But these are just my personal pet peeves.

However, I can't deny the grandeur of the Temple, the meticulous, hard work, and dedication that Ildar, Ilgiz, and their team put into it, as well as the talents of the brothers. So, I couldn't recommend against it. Plus, the work is still ongoing, and they're planning to open new locations (like a waterfall imitation in one of the halls).

But! If you're short on time in Kazan, it's a long way to the Temple, and you're not particularly interested in history and religion, then it's not worth wasting your time. That's my verdict after finishing my review.