Novyy Kyrlay: Tukay’s Heritage and the Fairy-Tale Forest

Novyy Kyrlay connects the life story of the Tatar poet Gabdulla Tukay with places from the world of fairy tales. Many of his fairy tales are set in the village. During a stay, you can therefore visit historic houses and a literary collection, as well as follow a fairy-tale trail with riddles and characters.

Tukay’s Life and Work in Novyy Kyrlay

The Gabdulla Tukay State Literary Memorial Museum Complex comprises the Gabdulla Tukay Museum, the Saghdi House and the Akhmatkhan Bai House. The poet lived in Novyy Kyrlay from 1892 to 1895. From 1892 to 1894, he was raised in the family of Salikhov, his foster father, Saghdi Salikhov, on his farmstead. The Saghdi House was rebuilt on the site where Tukay had lived.

The Akhmatkhan Bai House is a two-storey wooden house dating from 1893. Carved and applied ornaments define its design. Together with the Saghdi House, it illustrates the connection between Tukay’s biography and specific places in the village: the poet’s life story takes centre stage here, while his works and their context offer another perspective in the museum.

The Gabdulla Tukay Museum’s collection includes editions published during the poet’s lifetime and photographs of him. It also features newspapers and magazines whose editorial offices he worked with, as well as personal belongings and documents from people in his circle. The museum garden also has a literary connection: spruce and pine trees mentioned in Tukay’s poem “Shurale” grow there. His biography, books and garden each offer a different way into his work.

Fairy-Tale Trail and Experiences in the Forest of Wonders

A map of Shurale guides visitors along a fairy-tale trail to the residence of Kysh Babai. Along the way, they encounter riddles and fairy-tale characters. The trail offers a different experience of Novyy Kyrlay from its houses and museum collection: here, the focus is on stories and their characters rather than Tukay’s life.

A terem, a traditional wooden house, stands in the spruce forest of Novyy Kyrlay. It is designed as the home of Kysh Babai, the Tatar Father Frost, and Kar Kyzy, the Snow Maiden. The fairy-tale forest has a puppet theatre and children’s slides. Sledging and horseback rides are also among the activities available around the residence of Kysh Babai and Kar Kyzy.

The programmes at the residence vary by season. Seasonal interactive programmes, quests and workshops are offered in the “Forest of Wonders” park. If a particular seasonal programme is the reason for your visit, check the dates in advance. This lets you plan for the mix of fairy-tale trail, activities and museum visits you want, without assuming that seasonal offerings are available all year round.

Finding the Right Holiday Rental for Your Stay

When looking for a holiday rental in Novyy Kyrlay, you can first consider which aspect of the place you want to shape your stay: Tukay’s life, the collection and the literary references in the garden, or the fairy-tale experiences around Kysh Babai and Kar Kyzy. If you plan to explore both, search for accommodation in Novyy Kyrlay; you can then check separately which seasonal programme activities fall during your travel dates. This way, you can choose where to stay based on the interests that bring you to Novyy Kyrlay.

Discover more destinations: Chistopol, Vysokaya Gora, Matyushino, Kildebyak, Akbash, Izhevka, Naberezhnye Morkvashi, Bugulma.

For the main travel overview: Republic of Tatarstan.