X3P4+5M Bulgars, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia
To the east of the Cathedral Mosque lies the Eastern Mausoleum. Like other monuments of Bolghar, it has a unique history. The Eastern Mausoleum is the family tomb of a noble Bulgar clan, a monument of Bulgar monumental architecture from the Golden Horde period.
The building stands on a cubic base, which harmoniously transitions through chamfers into an octagonal tier. The structure is crowned with a tent-shaped roof. The door with a projecting portal is on the south side. On the other three sides are windows of an arched-pointed shape. On the outside, the building features original decoration—false window niches that help reduce the massiveness of the austere stone walls, creating a play of light and shadow when illuminated by the sun. The monument is almost 700 years old.
As mentioned above, Bulgar historical and architectural monuments are built from white and gray limestone and light Volga tuff. Since the interior of the building and the dome have been fully preserved, the heavy limestone in the lower part of the monument and the small, almost airy tuff bricks on the dome stand out clearly. On the dome, we see small openings—a tribute to the traditions of architecture or the yurt. The design of the sound holes to improve the building’s acoustics is also distinctive. While in the Northern Mausoleum we see ceramic vessels, in the Eastern Mausoleum there are pipes 60 cm or longer. The building was plastered both inside and out and was possibly complemented with carved decoration.
The Eastern Mausoleum, together with the Northern Mausoleum, forms the central architectural ensemble of the city.
In the early 18th century, due to the existence of an Orthodox monastery, it was rebuilt and used as a church. The following works were carried out: the entrance opening in the southern wall was converted into a window, the western window was expanded into a rectangular door opening. Two buttresses were erected on the eastern wall, windows were widened, and an additional window was cut on the eastern side. The interior was plastered, a stove was built in the northwest corner, a stone-brick base for the iconostasis connecting the northern and southern walls was constructed, and the floor was laid.
In the 1889–90s, the building was repaired: the stone base of the iconostasis was reinforced, and the stove was covered with tiles. During this repair, a tombstone dated June 4, 1291, was found, installed by Sabar-Ilchi, daughter of Burash-bek. The monument is kept in the Scientific Library of KSU.
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