10 interesting facts about Kazan – the third capital of Russia

Kazan is called the fastest growing tourist destination. Throughout its history, the territory of the city has experienced many interesting events – from the foundations of the feudal khanate to gang wars that thundered throughout the country. But what has always distinguished Kazan from other cities is its originality and “separation”.

Now Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, and during the time of the Khanate it was a separate city that the Moscow principality dreamed of capturing.

The unique culture of Kazan is associated with its multinationality and abundance of religions, this and some other curious and interesting facts explain the tourist love for the city.

10 Initially, the city served as a border fortress

A certain topographic location of the future Kazan predetermined its functions: Initially, the city existed as a border fortress.

Around the date of the founding of the city, there was a lot of controversy earlier. Historians testify that Kazan appeared in 1005, but the first mention of the city dates back only to the 14th century.

Even more interesting is that the leadership of the Soviet Union in the 70s of the last century strongly opposed the idea that Kazan is older than Moscow itself, and even forbade celebrating the city’s 800th anniversary. Fortunately, by 2005 both the authorities and their moods had changed, and Kazan celebrated its 1000th anniversary.

The position of critics is explained precisely by the fact that for a long time Kazan did not function as a city, but was only an outpost in the north of the Volga Bulgaria.

9. The capital of the former Kazan kingdom and khanate

After the collapse of the Golden Horde, one of the khans, Ulu-Mohammed, was thrown back to the Volga. He was interested in the fortified city of Kazan, from where he expelled the prince ruling there. Khan declared himself independent in 1438, creating his own feudal state – the Kazan Khanate, which later became known as the kingdom.

For more than a century, the khanate existed autonomously. Inside it, they were engaged in construction and architecture, stone carving. Oriental poetry and writing developed widely. They lived quite peacefully in the khanate: the soldiers made a few sorties to nearby cities only in troubled times.

To approach Kazan – fortified and equipped with artillery – no one wanted to be before Ivan the Terrible. He tried to subjugate the khanate, first with the help of diplomacy, but then he undertook a military campaign and forcibly annexed the territory to the Moscow principality.

8. One of the three oldest cities in Eastern Europe

The fact that in 2020 Kazan will turn 1015 years old makes it not only the oldest city in Russia, but also one of the oldest settlements in what is now Eastern Europe. It is inferior only to Kyiv, founded according to various estimates in the 6th-10th centuries, and Prague, which appeared in the 8th century.

7. Considered the largest city in the country

On account of Kazan and another record. Several times in its history, even after being incorporated into the Russian Empire, it was this city was called the largest in the country.

So, according to the 1798 census, Kazan could already be considered a metropolis at that time – 200 thousand people lived in it. For comparison, in Moscow at the same time – 60 thousand less. Now the situation has changed: now the capital is ahead of Kazan in terms of the number of inhabitants by 10 times.

6. The unfavorable situation in the city in the 80s – 90s was called the “Kazan phenomenon”

At the turn of the 80s and 90s, the first mentions of the “Kazan phenomenon” appeared in the press. Then in the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic there were several gangs that terrorized local residents. At the same time, the security forces tried not to notice them, fearing for the statistics.

It is curious that there were no so-called “concepts” in these gangs: young people were distinguished by boundless cruelty, they were not afraid of either thieves in laws or murderers who had already served time, and fights often ended in deaths.

Almost the entire city was divided into zones, each of which was “held” by a certain group. Often the “Kazan” bandits went to showdown in Moscow. The situation changed by itself under the influence of the new economic realities of perestroika.

5. The famous Kazan Cat – the hero of fairy tales and legends

Every tourist who comes to Kazan can immediately notice how cats are loved in the city. On the main street of the city – Bauman – even a monument was erected to the famous Kazan Cat, which is associated with many legends.

According to one of them, popular prints depicting the Kazan Cat with a mustache and bulging eyes were very popular in the past, because they were easily guessed as a parody of Peter I.

According to another tale, a smart cat saved the Kazan Khan when the warriors of Ivan the Terrible were digging a tunnel in his palace.

And the last legend: it was the cats from Kazan that were once taken to the Winter Palace so that they would exterminate the mice that haunted the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. The descendants of many of them are still “working” in the Hermitage.

4. Vibrant cosmopolitan city

The multinationality of the population of Kazan is what distinguishes the city from other territories of the country. Among the 1 million 177 thousand Kazanians there are Tatars, and Chuvashs, and Ukrainians, and Russians, and Maris, and Udmurts, and Bashkirs, and many others.

According to official statistics, 115 nationalities are represented in the city, which coexist peacefully with each other. The difference of traditions and customs makes Kazan an original city with bright holidays.

3. There are 16 temples belonging to different religions in the city.

The multinationality of Kazan has also shaped its unusual religiosity. In total, there are 16 temples in the city.. The temple-museum, which is located in the village of Old Arakchino, deserves special mention. The sculptors brought together a synagogue, a pagoda, a mosque and an Orthodox church in one place, and the cult elements of the buildings immediately refer to 16 world religions, some of which have already been forgotten.

Residents of the city consider the name symbolic “Kazan”, which, according to one version, comes from the word “kotel” (“cauldron”). After all, here, as in a large cauldron, different religions and cultures are “boiled”.

2. A number of legends are associated with the coat of arms of Kazan

The coat of arms of Kazan depicts a creature that can be mistaken for both a snake and a dragon.. A number of legends are also associated with this mythological creature. So, the Tatar land, rich in everything necessary, was always plentiful and snakes, and they were ruled by the winged Zilant, who exterminated animals and people.

The sorcerers were able to drive Zilant to a nearby mountain, but even from there he annoyed people. Only with the help of magic was it possible to defeat the snake. In honor of this event, his image got on the coat of arms.

The towering Zilantova Mountain in Kazan also reminds of an evil creation: during the time of Ivan the Terrible, the Assumption Monastery was built on it, which is now being restored.

1. The city is the third capital of Russia

Back in 2005 at the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Kazan Vladimir Putin called the city “the third capital of Russia”, and 4 years later the city authorities decided to patent this name.

Interestingly, the leadership of other cities did not like this news very much – many were indignant at the fact that Kazan, in terms of numbers and political influence, could not bear such a high-profile title.

The main rivals of the city for the right to be the “third capital” of the country are Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Omsk and others. But be that as it may, the new title attracted rivers of tourist flow to Kazan, which have not dried up to this day.