Kazan

The first mention of Kazan is in 1391. At that time it was already an important trading town standing at the crossroads of a sea way and a highway. In 1438 Kazan became part of the Golden Order (the Tartar kingdom) and later became its capital.

In the 16th century the Tartar kingdom became weak, and in 1552, as a result of three sieges, Kazan was taken by the army of Ivan the Terrible. To make the town more secure Russians built there a strong fortress - the Kazan Kremlin. Since then Kazan has grown and developed as a centre of that region.

After the Great October Revolution, the Russian civil war in the Kazan region destroyed much of the population. After the war bolshevics continued their evil deeds and blew up churches and mosques, killing many people who were against them. During the Second World war many factories were moved to that area from central parts of Russia and that helped the city to start to grow again.

Following the break-up of the USSR in 1992 Kazan became the capital of the republic of Tatarstan. In our days the city is still growing: many churches and mosques are restored, a metro and many buildings are built. Now Kazan truly is one of the ten most beautiful cities in Russia.

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