Sviyazhsk island located in the waters of the great Volga river about thirty miles from the city of Kazan. The island is famous for the 16th century it was built the strategic fortress, which became a powerful support base for the troops of Ivan the terrible in the capture of the capital of the Kazan khanate.

In the autumn of 1550, the Russian army camped on the Bank of a tributary of the Volga river Sviyaga. The king and his governors drew attention to round mountain. It was decided to build a city - fortress. It was the territory of the Kazan khanate. Ivan the terrible gave the order, and the construction of the walled city began. The construction was under the auspices of the Moscow region the Trinity-Sergius monastery. He contributed money and spiritual influence. Design drawings of the future fortress was entrusted to the master of construction cases, the clerk Vyrodkov. The fortress was decided to build out of wood, as this material could be constructed quickly.

The construction is secretly in foreign territory of the fortress was difficult. Had to use a trick. The construction was divided into two parts: preparation and Assembly. Winter in the estate of the boyars Ushatoj in PLICSCOM County, hundreds of miles away from Kazan, cut down the forest and built a city with towers, walls and churches. After Assembly, all the logs were marked. Everything was disassembled and loaded on vessels. In the spring of 1551 the court caravan sailed to the construction site. Led a caravan of former Kazan Khan Shah Ali, which counted with the help of the Russian Tsar to obtain the throne. At the same time to Kazan moved troops – the Prince of the host of the Silver Prince, Prince hilkova and Bakhtiyar Zyuzin. They surrounded Kazan and took all under the supervision of crossing the rivers Kama and Volga. Kazan suffered a distracting kick to the army of Prince Silver.

The court and the army arrived in the mouth of Sviyaga 24 may 1551. Round mountain, on which was going to build a fortress, was covered with dense forest. The army cut down the forest, clearing the mountain. The construction was going at a high rate. Going construction of the numbered logs. Because of the difficult terrain had to make changes to the initial plan. The missing parts were built of local woods. The city-fortress was built in four weeks. It was called "New town Sviyazhsk". Later became known as the Sviyazhsk on the name of the river Sviyaga. In the city were concentrated military forces, and warehouses in the city were filled with everything necessary to ensure the army.

In the summer of 1552 150-thousand Russian army moved to Kazan. In October, after a long siege, the city was taken.

Like all of the city-fortress of Sviyazhsk consisted of a fortress and Posada. The fortress was located 6 churches and two monasteries. In the square at Christmas gate was entering the front room of Tsar Ivan the terrible.

The most valuable thing that saved in Sviyazhsk to our days – two 16th-century monastery of the assumption and St. John the Baptist.