The majestic building of Kazan Town Hall has stood on Freedom Square since 1854. The three-story palace in the Neo-Renaissance style looks elegant and romantic, with paired arched windows, a porch arcade, and a clock on the roof pediment. In the evenings, the town hall is beautifully illuminated by hundreds of lights.
The building was originally the meeting place of the Nobility Assembly, as well as the center of the cultural and social life of the elite of Kazan society in the 19th century. Architect Korinfsky created a palace that made it possible not only to govern the province, but also to host brilliant balls, creative and musical evenings, and performances.
The main ballroom accommodated about 800 people, and besides it there were several dining rooms for ceremonial receptions, club halls, a library, buffets, offices for staff, and even guest rooms for visitors. Up to 2500 people could be inside the House of the Nobility Assembly at the same time, and its area was about 5000 sq. m. - unheard-of dimensions for those times!
During the First World War, a hospital for soldiers was set up here, and after the Great Patriotic War - a cinema hall and dance clubs.
In 1996, the building passed into the ownership of the Kazan administration. Then it underwent a major reconstruction: the facade decorations were restored, the interiors were renewed - the wall paintings, gilding, and stucco. Today, the halls of the town hall are filled with an exquisite Empire style, done in white, red, and gold tones. In 2005, for the city's 1000th anniversary, it was decided to open Kazan Town Hall here, where various congresses, conferences, summits, and celebrations are now held.
