The city of Kazan is an interesting example of the cultural and racial hotpot that has been going on in the city for centuries. Kazan is one of the older cities of Russia, but it was not a Russian territory until some centuries later. Kazan has a very interesting history. According to the results of excavations, the scientists believe that the city dates back to early 11th century. It was ravaged by the Mongols back in the 13th century and even captured by one of the Golden Horde khans in the middle of 15th century. It became one of the main trading and political centers due to its location and the city had trading relations with many surrounding regions. It was not until the 16th century, when Ivan the Terrible conquered the city and added it to the Russian Empire territories. Most of the population was massacred and the Muslim population that remained in the city was forced to adopt Christianity.
Today, modern Kazan is home to 1.2 million people and is a sixth most populous city in Russia. Kazan is one of the largest industrial and financial centers in Russia and plays a pivotal role in the Russian economy. Due to all these factors, Kazan was one of the host cities for the FIFA World Cup 2018. From the cultural perspective, the days of Muslim oppression are far gone. What exemplifies the city is the fact that there are mosques and churches built right next to each other in the city. Kazan citizens embraced the fact that their city is home to people of different religions and learned how to make the most of it.
The Kazan Kremlin is the historic fortress that was built by Ivan the Terrible after he conquered Kazan. It is located in the place of the old khan’s castle and is now considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This area is open for visitors and you can take a walk through the grounds. Once inside, you will find different buildings within the Kremlin, from old times, as well as new ones. For example, there is a church inside the Kremlin’s wall that dates back to the 16th century and it is still an operating church which is open to public. Right outside of that church, there is a famous leaning Soyembika Tower, an old relative of the leaning tower of Pisa. That tower also dates back to the rule of Ivan the Terrible and might have even been built before Kazan was conquered by the Russian Empire.
Besides the historical buildings that can be found within Kremlin, there are some new buildings that were erected there recently. There is the presidential palace that is the working place of Kazan’s president. It is interesting that the Republic of Tatarstan, the region where Kazan is located, has its own president due to Moscow granting the republic substantial autonomy. This title, however, is set to be replaced with Head of the Republic in 2020. Another beautiful modern building that can be found on Kremlin’s grounds is the Kul Sharif mosque. It was inaugurated in 2005 and is now one of the largest mosques in Europe. While it mostly serves as a museum and is open to visitors, thousands of people come to pray here during the big Islamic holidays.
One of the popular sightseeing destinations in Kazan is the Temple of All Religions. It is a rather unique building as it combines architectural styles found in different cultures and religions. Founded in 1992 by a local artist Ildar Khanov, the temple was built using his own money and the money raised through donations. Recently, the temple caught fire and some parts of it got destroyed. Some believe that it was arson and that someone deliberately set the temple on fire to get the land. Regardless, the parts that got destroyed are currently being renovated and the temple is still open to visitors.
The temple is not supposed to be a place to practice religion but rather to find some spiritual serenity, and the founder stated that he wanted to build a “temple of culture and truth”. That is why inside of the temple, you will find different halls designated for different religions. Among some of the popular religions, such as Christianity and Islam, there are also tributes to those religions that are no longer practiced around the world, such as the religion of Ancient Egypt.
What is interesting about the temple is that all the work inside of the building, including paintings and the Orthodox icons, were created by the founder himself. It was a very interesting place to visit and the founder is definitely a very artistic and a spiritual person if he dedicated his life to creating something so thoughtful. I have not seen any structure similar to the Temple of All Religions, so it was a unique experience that Kazan offered me.
One of the places I visited during my short stay in Kazan was the Victory Park, the commemorative site dedicated to World War II. It’s rather large and features combat vehicles from different eras. There are helicopters, tanks, planes and other vehicles standing in the square, including an actual submarine (unfortunately you can only see the top part). Besides the combat vehicles, there is the Eternal Flame monument and other pieces of architecture erected to commemorate the veterans of various wars. Besides the memorials, there is also a lake and a children playground. Locals come to this park on weekends to take a walk or just enjoy a good weather and spend some time by the water.
Another place I visited while in Kazan was the Bauman street, which is considered the main street in the city. This street is the gathering place of the local artists and musicians due to the street’s popularity among tourists. Here you can find different stores, restaurants offering a wide variety of cuisines, entertainment, as well as historical buildings. Some of the attractions I am going to talk about have been featured in this article, such as the replica of the Catherine the Second’s carriage ride, or a monument to the Kazan cat. The legend has it that Kazan cats were very good at catching mice, that is why Kazan never had a vermin problem even in the early ages. When the empress was visiting Kazan, she was surprised to see that there were no mice on the streets so she asked for Kazan cats as a gift and took them to her palace in Saint Petersburg. There is also a National Bank building on the Bauman street, which is famous for storing all of the country’s gold during the period of turmoil, revolution and civil wars in the early 20th century.
This was my first time visiting Kazan. The city is not as glamorous as Moscow and is not as historical and cultural as Saint Petersburg (some may argue, but that is my opinion), however, Kazan is an interesting example of a historical city that had people of different cultures and religions living next to each other for centuries. As a result, you get a city that has hundreds of mosques and churches built down the street from each other, people who appreciate and value different views and cultures, and the beautiful architecture and designs that won't be found anywhere else in the world. Kazan is a unique city which is worth visiting to get a fresh perspective and it serves as a reminder that Russia is not just Moscow or Saint Petersburg. There are other great cities which are unique in their own way and Kazan is definitely one of them!
