My Town: Adel’s Kazan

The city of Kazan is located on the left bank of the Volga River in the European part of Russia, 800 kilometers to the east of Moscow. A fast-growing city with a population of 1,200,000 people, it is the home of a great variety of nationalities and is famous for its ethnic and religious diversity. In 2005 Kazan celebrated its 1000th anniversary, making it one of the oldest cities in Russia. It is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, one of the major political, social, economic and cultural centers of the Upper Volga region.

Why should people come to Kazan?
Photo credit: TASS/Stanislav Vasiliev
Photo credit: Lori/Legion-Media
Photo credit: Lori/Legion-Media
Photo credit: Lori/Legion-Media
Söyembikä Tower, or the Khan’s Mosque, is one of my favorite cultural establishments in Kazan. The tower is considered to be “leaning” just like the tower of Pisa. Its inclination is estimated at almost two meters and lots of tourists take pictures of it as if they were holding the tower in their hands and saving it from falling.

The Qol Åžärif Mosque is also situated in the Kazan Kremlin. It originated in the 16th century and is one of the central monuments for Tatars. The original mosque was destroyed by Ivan the Terrible in 1552 when he conquered the city. The current building is located on the site of its predecessor and was constructed with the donations from 40,000 people. The mosque has four minarets that are 55 meters long and can fit 1,500 people inside and about 10,000 people outside on its grounds. The Qol Åžärif Mosque can be compared to Mecca, as it is a center for thousands of Muslim Tatars who gather here during major Islamic holidays.

What is the city’s favorite holiday?
Perhaps the most important holiday here is Kazan’s birthday or City Day celebrated annually on August 30. On this day locals enjoy the warm weather in city parks, walk along the embankment of the Kazan River and Baumanskaya ul. (a large pedestrian street in the heart of Kazan), visit cafes and attend numerous concerts. In the evening the whole city gathers at the Kremlin grounds where a magnificent fireworks display can be observed.