KAZAN TOURS
Automn, winter, spring, summer 2016 - 2017
Private and group tours
Kazan is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan. It’s a glorious Russian city, often called the “third Capital of Russia”, incredibly beautiful and very hospitable. By many measures, Kazan has one of the highest standards of living in Russia, following after Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Located betweenEuropeandAsia, Kazan has both Russian and Tatar populations, and it peacefully blends Muslim and Christian cultures. There are also many other religions represented in Kazan, and in the heart of the city you can find orthodox churches, mosques, a catholic church and a synagogue. This vibrant city with over 1000 years of history is an excellent travel destination, and the number of tourists visiting it increases rapidly every year.
There are lots of things to see and to do in Kazan. Visitors can enjoy walking around the city, admiring colourful views and historic buildings. Kazan is one of the most important economic, political, scientific and cultural centers of Russia.
One of the main attractions is theKazan Kremlin. Built by Ivan the Terrible on the ruins of the destroyed palace of the Kazan Khanate, this white fortress is beautiful all the year round. The Kremlin of Kazan reflects not only the ethnic mix of Tatars and Russians, characterizing this important region of the Russian Federation, but also the combined strength of the region’s two great religions: Islam and Orthodox Christianity.
The magnificent Kul Sharif Mosque, named for Kazan’s last great Imam before Ivan the Terrible invaded and seized the city, is the Kremlin's main jewel. It is the largest Muslim place of worship in Europe, and serves as home to a rich collection of ancient books. As an equally important place of Orthodox worship, the Annunciation Cathedral within Kazan’s Kremlin is an architectural gem completed in 1561, 9 years after the city was conquered. The cathedral is said to have been designed by Postnik Yakovlev, the same architect who was said to be blinded after completing St. Basil’s Cathedral on Moscow’s Red Square.
Today's Kazan appears to be equally strongly tied with its unique mixture of religious beliefs. Philanthropist Ildar Khanov began work on his Temple of All Religions in 1992 near the shores of the Volga River, and this unique building is still under construction. The Temple makes use of religious architecture from all over the world, and has an Orthodox church dome, a minaret, synagogue-like fixtures, and other items representing 16 of the world’s many faiths.
In 2005 Kazan celebrated its millennium jubilee. Despite of such venerable age, the city is growing and dynamically developing in all respects. There are lots of museums, libraries, concert halls and theatres. There is even "Ermitazh-Kazan" Center - the only branch of the famous museum from Saint Petersburg.
Kazan offers a lot of various events you can visit during your stay here - international opera and ballet festival, different types of music festivals, popular singers concerts and many other interesting things to do. Cirque du Soleil regurlary brings its shows to Kazan. And a must-see event in Tatarstan is a national holiday Sabantuy - tatar summer festival, which is celebrated in the beginning of June.
If you decide to travel to Kazan, you can reach it by plane (Kazan International Airport is situated 30km to the southeast of the city centre), by train or by boat (Kazan has a riverboat terminal on the Volga River and can be reached by river cruise as well. There are river cruises down the Volga operated in summer (from May to September). Dozens of boats operated by different companies run from Moscow to Astrakhan. One way or return cruises may be reserved to/from practically any city along the Volga.)
One of the most evident features of the city life is a peaceful, creative coexistence of different religions, cultures and nationalities. Due to its gorgeous architecture, breath-taking views, and open-hearted locals, Kazan is the perfect destination for travellers of all ages.