Chistopol.

Chistopol is a town in the Republic of Tatarstan located on the left bank of Kama River, 135 km away from Kazan.

The Chistoe Pole village was first mentioned in the 17th century. In 1781 the village became a town.

Such known people, as Anna Akhmatova, Marina Tsvetaeva and Boris Pasternak have been lived in Chistopol during the Great Patriotic War. At different times the town was visited by Vasily Zhukovsky, Anton Chekhov, and Vladimir Korolenko.

Such plants as clock plant, dockyard and auto repair plant function in the town. The light and food industry is also well developed here.

The St Nicholas the Wonderworker Cathedral made out of stone is one of the main sights of Chistopol. It was built in 1838 in the classical style. The cathedral includes the temple, a chapel, a gate-house, an arch gate and a metal fencing. The cathedral was closed in 1927, and in 1990 it was returned to church again.

The church of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God was constructed a bit later, in 1848. This brick-built church is the bright example of style of late classicism. Church represents the one-dome temple with a bell tower in the form of two quadrangles with archways. In the thirties of the 20th century the church was closed. Its building has been used as prison for political prisoners from among the Moscow intellectuals. In 1943 the temple was open again.

The District town museum is located in one of the ancient merchant mansions of the town, on Karl Marks Street. The museum was created in 1921. Such exhibit as remains of ancient animals, two wooden bicycles and a Bulgar chain-mail are of great interest to visitors of the museum.

There is a house on Lenin Street, in which some time Boris Pasternak had lived. The first state museum in the country, devoted to this writer, was open in this building in 1990. The exposition includes furniture from his room, materials about life and oeuvre of the writer.