Kazan.
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Overview

Kazan (Russian: Каза́нь kuh-ZAHN) is the capital of Russia's republic of Tatarstan and the center of the world Tatar culture.

Understand

With a population of about 1.3 million (2011 census), rich history, deep culture and strong economic influence. Kazan holds the title of "The Third Capital of Russia" (after Moscow and Saint Petersburg), taking this title from the competing Nizhny Novgorod. By many measures, Kazan has one of the highest standards of living in Russia only after Moscow and St. Petersburg.

In the 2010s, Kazan earned the reputation of a sports city due to its investments in this domain. In 2018 it staged several games in the FIFA World Cup Finals. Kazan is also a university city hosting Kazan Federal University (KFU - formerly Kazan State University, TGGPU and the Kazan Finance Institute), Kazan State Technological University (KGTU), Kazan State Technical University (KAI) and "Energa" University. Many foreign students study in Kazan, adding color to the city's tolerant and diverse population. Schools in Kazan and wider Tatarstan tend to be some of Russia's best.

Located between Europe and Asia having both Russian and Tatar populations, Kazan peacefully blends Muslim and Christian cultures. There are also many other religions represented in Kazan, for example, in the city center there is a synagogue and new Catholic church. This vibrant city with over 1,000 years of history is an excellent travel destination and the number of tourists visiting is rapidly increasing every year.

Climate is Continental, but not as severe as Siberia. Summers are pleasantly warm (and wet) and winters drop to around -10 C.

Get in

A reasonably priced Polyot Hotel (, ) is within walking distance from the terminal building.

The airport is southeast of the city and quite far from the city center. It is served by Aeroexpress trains that depart from the main station (Kazan-1) with a 2-hr interval. A taxi from the train station to the airport takes about 60–90 minutes and starts from (when ordered in advance), although it may run well above when you hail a random cab at the terminal and refrain from bargaining. You can also take a taxi to the nearest metro station (Prospekt Pobedy) which is 15 min from the city center and continue by public transport. Or, reach this metro station in about 40 min with bus 97 that runs on a somewhat irregular schedule between 05:30 and 18:00 with 30-40 min intervals.

By train See Russia#By train 2 for general advice on travelling in Russia by train. Kazan has two major train stations:

Kazan-1. This is the downtown station and the terminus of all trains bound for Kazan (both long-distance and suburban); some through-trains call here. All station facilities can be found in the spacious new building (right hand side as you look from the street) - ticket offices, waiting halls, cafes, left luggage, ATMs, etc. The original red-brick building to the left has waiting areas and a cafe, but no ticketing or other facilities.

Lots of food options close to the station: long-distance trains may halt at Kazan-1 for up to an hour, so if you're slick you should be able to restock en route. As well as the facilities within the station, very close by is Dobraya Stolovaya (self-service cafe) and five minutes walk to the right as you exit brings you to the city market. You can also stock up in the Bakhetle supermarket located on the ground floor of the TsUM mall northeast of the train station. This is also your way to the city center and Kremlin. Kremlevskaya metro station is 10 minutes walk from the train terminal, straight ahead as you exit.

Kazan-2. This new station caters to several long-distance through-trains that do not call at Kazan-1 in the city center: it's sometimes difficult to work out from timetables which train calls where. Despite a very drab look, Kazan-2 station has all basic facilities, including ticket offices and left luggage service.

Kazan has good train connections to Moscow (2-3 overnight trains, 11–13 hours) and Saint-Petersburg (daily train, 22 hours). One of the Moscow trains is firmenniy, dubbed Tatarstan, with fancy new double-decker cars and Tatar-style on-board restaurant. Although Kazan is not on the classic Trans-Siberian route (which lies to the north), many trains from Moscow to Siberia and the Far East pass this way, rejoining the classic route at Ekaterinburg (15 hours). Cities like Izhevsk and Ulyanovsk are served at least twice daily (5–6 hours), and there is a suburban train to Yoshkar-Ola (3.5 hours).

By bus Arriving in Kazan by bus is somewhat less common, unless you travel within Tatarstan, where buses and minibuses are by far the main mode of transportation. When coming by bus, you may find yourself at one of the two city's bus stations:

Central bus station. The terminal building is very old, and does not have anything but a ticket office and a small waiting hall. Central bus station is the terminus of most "official" buses. Private (unofficial) buses and minibuses are not using this bus station.

Southern bus station. This bus terminal was built to remove long-haul buses from the city center. While the bus terminal is there, in the middle of nowhere, and long-distance buses do stop at this terminal, they still continue to the central bus station. Bottom line, don't go here unless you really need it.

However, these bus station cater to less than half of bus traffic. Most routes are nowadays served by private-run ("unofficial") buses and minibuses that may terminate in different places, for example, at the train station (Kazan-1), at ploschad Tukaya, at Sovetskaya Sq. in the eastern part of Kazan, etc. The system is haphazard and impossible to track. If you arrive by bus, you will mostly likely find yourself at the train station, which is more or less in the city center. When you leave the city, check where the buses to your destination depart from.

Riverboat terminal. Main building is closed for passengers due to a never-ending renovation process. Tickets for local boat routes are sold in a small building, which is on the right-hand side of the main terminal when you look from the city side. Same building is the ticket office and info point for buses departing from the river terminal, although they have nothing to do with the boats.

Although not very active, the boat traffic in the vicinity of Kazan is the only local boat service in the whole Volga region. Hydrofoils sail from Bolgar twice daily and additionally serve a number of small boroughs on the western bank of the river. Boats to Sviyazhsk depart from pier 8 (fast boat in summer every day at 08:30, a slow boat departs at 09:00). But the most frequent boat connection to Kazan is the shuttle to Verkhny Uslon village on the opposite side of the river (see Go Next section). Navigation starts beginning of May and ends in late September or early October. A lot of cruise boats pass through Kazan or terminate here. One-way or return cruises may be reserved from practically any city along the Volga. Check Turflot and infoflot for information about these tours.

Get around

Much of the city centre is walk-able, and the main attractions for tourists - the Kremlin and Bauman Street - are only for pedestrians. Public buses are abundant and cheap, but you need basic Russian to read the signs or ask where the buses are headed. Bus system maps are hard to find. They also congregate at taxi stands in obvious places such as the railway stations. A great option is to install the "Yandex-Taxi" app. Payment can be made by cash or credit-card. The application is in Russian and English.

Kazan's Metro system has just one line, the red line running from Aviastroitelnaya in the north to Prospekt Pobedy in the south. Visitors are only likely to use it between Kazan-2 railway station (Severny Vokzal «Северный Вокзал») in the north, Kremlyovskaya («Кремлёвская») ie the Kremlin in the centre, and Ploshchad Tukaya («Площадь Тукая») which has eating places and hotels.

See

Kazan Kremlin. The Tatar fortress here was destroyed by Ivan the Terrible when he captured the area in 1551. Over the next century, it was rebuilt in Russian style as a magnificent Kremlin, with new fortifications and a cathedral. It nowadays also contains a mosque, museums, galleries, shops and cafes, and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Enter through the white clock tower (Spasskaya Tower) at the top of Kremlyovskaya Street. Unlike Moscow's Kremlin, you're free to enter and stroll, but you pay for individual sites within the complex. These are lined along the central boulevard, mostly on the left as the buildings on the right are under reconstruction. They're listed below roughly south to north, in the order you'd come to them. Allow a full day to appreciate them all. Guided tours are available for , but you won't get lost here.

Just inside the gate to the left is the small Church of St Nicholas-Ratny.

Natural History Museum. Has fossils, minerals, stuffed animals and interactive displays.

Kul-Sharif Mosque. Gorgeous mosque, completed in 2005, and named after the 16th-century Tatar imam who died at the hands of Ivan the Terrible's army. Usual dress code; women please cover hair, in prayer areas remove shoes or wear plastic shoe-covers ( tip to attendant). Ground floor prayer hall is only open to men, second floor balcony is for women's prayers. Best view is from the third floor observation balcony. The dome is in the shape of a lotus flower and the many windows flood the prayer hall with light. Note the malachite columns on the minbar (the free-standing pulpit). Some of the 99 names of God are inscribed on the inside of the upper dome and on the window glass, and the name Mohammed is written in a blue disk at the front of the prayer hall. Verses from the Koran, including an incantation against envy, are written on tile in the four corners of the hall, and the names on disks suspended lower in the hall are those of the four rightly-guided caliphs and some of the early prophets. Below ground floor is an interesting museum of Islam in the region, including Tsarist repression, tolerance and more repression, the Tatar language in the Soviet era, and the building of the mosque.

Kazan Hermitage. A branch of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, with changing exhibits of material that can't be displayed there.

Warrior Spirit. Museum of archaeological finds relating to the weapons, armour and warrior culture of ancient & medieval Russia.

Annunciation Cathedral. 16th-century cathedral in Tsarist style, with blue onion domes and gold tower. With small museum about the cathedral (Tu-Su 10:00-18:00).

Next to the cathedral is the small Church of All Saints.

The Palace of the President of Tatarstan may not be visited, except by VIPs in plush limousines. However the Palace Church, entrance next to the Tower, is open.

Suyumbike Tower. Söyembikä (various spellings, usually Suyumbike in English; in Cyrillic Сөембикә) was a Tatar princess, and regent of Kazan 1549-1551 during the minority of her son. In 1551 Ivan the Terrible captured the area, and the legend goes that he pressured the widowed princess to marry him. She consented to marry only if he could build the highest tower in Kazan in seven days, which he promptly did; so she jumped to her death from the top of the tower. In truth she was carted off to Moscow, re-married (her third) and died some time around 1554, while the tower was probably built at a much later date. It's 58 m tall, in tiers; it famously used to lean, but was stabilised and straightened in the 20th-century. You can admire it from the outside but you can't enter or climb it.

Moonshine Museum. Museum "Moonshine" will show you in rare exhibits ancient, world-famous folk culture. You will feel the taste of history at the tasting. You will become participants of ancient rites and customs.

National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan. Extensive museum of Tatar and local Russian history. The ground floor displays gifts to Tatarstan on the 1000-year anniversary of the city in 2005, a reproduction of the sultan's throne, and a reproduction of the mausoleum of the sultans. The upper floor depicts Tatarstan from the early settlement of the Volga-Bulgars to the early Tatar state to the Soviet Tatar ASSR to the present. With exhibition on the Revolution.

Soviet Lifestyle Museum. An original and eccentric museum: the exhibits are a jumble of Soviet artefacts and ephemera. But it's more of an interactive nostalgia trip than a museum, with Sunday afternoon jam sessions, stories and personal reminiscences of those dear days.

Tupolev Tu-144 Display. For fans of airplanes and technology, an exemplar of the supersonic Tu-144 "Concordski" is on open display outside the German-Russian Institute of New Technologies.

Obeservatories In 2023, two observatories in Kazan were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Astronomical Observatories of Kazan Federal University:

Kazan City Astronomical Observatory. Russia's first faculty of astronomy was opened in 1810 at the University of Kazan. In the 1830s an observatory was built to serve the students. Today the observatory is a tourist attraction.

Engelhardt Astronomical Observatory. A newer observatory, built in the suburbs and finished in 1901. Next to it, there's a planetarium presenting Space from a popular science point of view.

Do

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. A must-see event in Tatarstan is a national holiday Sabantuy - Tatar summer festival, which is celebrated in the beginning of June.

In summer 2013 four double-decker buses began circulating along their routes in Kazan by "City Sightseeing" company. Tourists will ride on them through the city's downtown and see the main attractions, historical landmarks, and architectural beauties of Tatarstan's capital with their own eyes, and not merely see them, but also learn many interesting things about them. The two-level tour buses have been equipped with an audio guide. The audio recording designed to acquaint guests with the city functions in eight languages: Russian, Tatar, English, French, Spanish, German, Turkish, and Chinese. However the buses have not been seen in 2019.

Stroll Bauman Street. The pedestrian zone that stretches between the Kremlin and Tokai Square and the Hotel Tatarstan. This is Kazan's Arbat, with boutiques, souvenir shops and kiosks, cafes, bars, and plenty of opportunities for people-watching. The statuary (such as a bronze carriage) is especially interesting.

Watch football at Kazan Arena. The home ground of FC Rubin Kazan, who play in the Russian Premier League. The arena was opened in 2013 and seats 45,379; in 2018, it hosted several World Cup matches. It's in the north-east of the city, at the junction of Yamasheva Avenue and Chistopol'skaya Street. The bus & tram stop right outside is "Football Stadium 'Kazan Arena'" ("Футбольный стадион «Казань Арена»"). It's served by trolleybus 7, trams 5 & 6, and multiple buses.

Events International opera festival named after Fedor Shalyapin - annually in February. Russian festival of Folklore "Karavon" - annually in May. International festival of classic ballet named after Rudolf Nuriev - annually in May. Summer Tatar festival Sabantuy - annually in June. International handicraft festival "Spasskaya Yarmarka" in Elabuga city - annually in August. International jazz music festival "Jazz v usadbe Sandetskogo" - annually in August. International open-air opera festival "Kazanskaya osen" (Kazan autumn) - annually in September or 30 August. Entrance is free. Kazan International festival of Muslim cinema - annually in September.

Kyrlay. There are a lot of attractions - including a Ferris wheel, from which you can see all of Kazan.

Victory Park. The park includes a memorial to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. The Victory Column is 42 m high.

Chernoe Ozero. Also known as "Katok na chernom ozere", this is a place where you can go for ice skating. Entry is free and you can rent ice skates for 230 roubles (as of january 2024).

Buy

Souvenirs from Kazan reflects Tatar culture and ethnic colour. You can buy items with national ornaments and scenes from Tatar folk tales, mosque figurines and many others.

The most popular souvenir, that each tourist want to buy, is Tatar national male headwear "Tubeteika".

Tatar national handicrafts is especially known for its unique leather art and tanning. This kind of very soft, yet long wearing leather called "safyan". Using ancient technologies, craftsmen make amazing items from leather - shoes, bags, slippers, keyfob etc.

Shopping and entertainment centers you can visit are: "Mega" is for a family holiday. It's really all organically combined: a relaxing atmosphere conducive to the implementation of the shopping, places for recreation and leisure, entertainment venues. "Koltso". The name of the shopping center "The Ring" was due to the location. It is an area that many residents of Kazan call the "Ring." It appeared in the city in 1768, and the project is creating the architect Vasily Kaftyrev. Historical background, and a convenient location shopping and entertainment areas account for its huge popularity. "GUM". Updated GUM is a 6 floors, which have clothes, shoes, accessories, jewelry and watch showrooms, shops Perfumery and cosmetics. In restaurants and cafes you can find a wide variety of Russian, Tatar, European, Oriental, Chinese, Mexican and Syrian cuisine. "TSUM". was founded in 1940. The complex is located in the historical center of Kazan, and has a rich past. TSUM always changes with the city, and today it is a large shopping complex with a convenient location and ample car parking. Bazar: between the Kreml and the Railwaystation, you may find everything you need (from shoes to hats). Outside there are many fresh fruits and cheap berry sellers. Do not forget to have a try at the bakeryes in the morning and eat some fresh local bread.

Eat

Self-caterers can find a large supermarket (one of the Bakhetle chain) in the TsUM building across from the Mirage Hotel. Please note that the Tartarian cuisine has a lot of meat to offer. It is not always easy to find fish or vegetarian food.

Dobraya Stolovaya. Chain of very cheap self-service cafeterias. Food is everyday Russian style. 14 locations around the city, those central are at 21 Baumana St, and 13 Yakhina St near Kazan-1 railway station.

Dom Chaya. meat-stuffed pastries (echpochmak, elesh, all baked here on the premises) and horse meat. The first floor is a self-service cafeteria, and the second floor is more like a restaurant.

There are four student cafes at 22 Universitetskaya St. These are Salad, Marinad, Rita v Ritme and Blyuz-Rok.

Govindas. Here you can try borscht and the vegetarian version of Tatar ochpochmak pie.

Syuyumbike is a chain of budget restaurants serving Halal Muslim food in Tatar and Uzbek style. Locals come for lunch, but they're mostly open 24/7. No alcohol. Don't expect something special. Branches include: 31 Gabdully Tukaya St, 1 km S of Kazan-1 railway station in Tatar district. 102 Gabdully Tukaya St, another km south in Tatar district 64 Bol'shaya Krasnaya St: 1 km east of Kremlin, open 08:00-20:00.

Sofra Kebab. Small Turkish cafe within GUM. Wide variety of Turkish cuisine, which is otherwise hard to find in Kazan: doner or shwarma wraps, Adana Kebab, Beyti Kebab, Kulbasta grilled chicken, beef & lamb shashlik. Desserts include marinated walnuts and dates, vanilla rice pudding and bakhlava. They have a good "business lunch" special. They have other two outlets, at 97 Prospekt Yamasheva near Kazan Arena, and at 61 Chistpolskaya St north of the river.

Zhiguli. Retro bar recalling the good old USSR, when you quaffed Zhiguli beer and slugged vodka out of a graneny stakan - a tatty beaker. Simple food suitable for Soviet proles.

A'Rome. Reliable Italian restaurant, crowded at weekends.

Western fast food: If you're homesick for this, it's available in Kazan most hours of the day: McDonalds are at 4 Said-Galeyeva St (daily 06:00-00:00), 70A Bauman St and 1 Peterburgskaya, with another north of the river off Prospekt Yamasheva. KFC are at 86 Baumann St (Su-Th 07:00-23:00, F Sa 07:00-02:00) and 1 Peterburgskaya St, plus north of the river at 69 Chistpol'skaya St and south-east at 51 Vishnevskogo St. Burger King are at 4 Pushkin St (daily 07:00-03:00) and 48 Moskovskaya St, plus 56 Prospekt Ibrahimov north of the river, in Gorki Park shopping centre to the south, and at 141 Prospekt Pebody in the eastern burbs.

Baker Street. Eccentric attempt at British cuisine, with Sherlock Holmes references known only to Russians. The game's afoot, maybe stick to chicken?

Malabar. Well, it makes for a change. Indian cuisine, sort of, pricey by Kazan standards.

Rubai. Uzbek cuisine is similar to Tatar and there are several Uzbek restaurants around the city.

Sakhara. An odd mixed menu, but they're aiming for Moroccan ambience.

Priyut Kholostyaka. Restaurant with an eclectic menu of European and Russian dishes. Clean, quiet, this is a good place for relaxing and having tea. Its name suggests something sleazy, but no, it's decent.

Los i Losos. A unique style of Art House and an open barbecue will create unforgettable impressions. Here, for the first time for Kazan, dishes of the south and the Caucasus will play in unison with the latest gastronomic trends.

Drink

Agafredo. A chain of reliable, inexpensive coffee places. Breakfast for gets you coffee or tea, fresh squeezed juice, pancakes or toast, a few vegetables, and then eggs and meat. Lunch is Italian-style. Free wifi, non-smoking sections. Branches are:6 Galyaktyonova St, just off Pushkinskya St, opposite Kazan Federal University, 09:00-00:0017 Chernyshevskogo St, central off Baumann St, 08:30-00:00.28 Chistpol'skaya St, north of river, 08:00-23:00

IQ Intellect Cafe: see IQ Bar below.

Skuratov, coffee roasters. Coffee, frappes, yogurt, snacks.

Gruzinskiye Istorii. Coffee and pizza and borscht.

IQ Bar. IQ offers all types of entertainment, including books, table games, and hookah, as well as a full menu with a decent selection of main dishes. On the downside, there's loud music and obtrusive smoke. For a quiet rendezvous or light bite with coffee, you'll do better next door at 62, the IQ Intellect Cafe. Free Wi-Fi.

Cuba Libre. Popular central bar claims to serve Cuban revolutionary food: it's basically Mexican. Disco starts around 22:00.

i-Bar. Meals, cocktails and hookahs. No i-technology is involved and the source of the name is elusive.

Ugly Coyote. Franchise club with girls dancing on the bar, body-shots, and the like. Guard your wallet very carefully.

Barin bar. Exclusive and no one else like the Russian bar for a wide soul. Elite, but not arrogant format of recreation for lovers of Russian culture. With dancing girls on the bar.

Drive. Same building as Cuba Libre, this small club is in the basement and boasts a huge, wall-size image of John Lennon and a vivid rock scene, where mostly local bands are playing.

Barsuk. A place where gorgeous girls will stir your imagination with unsurpassed skill to undress while dancing on stage. this is real art that only those who can relax will appreciate

Sleep

Fatima. Hard to believe, but this is a decent two-star hotel in the very centre of Kazan. Customer reviews are mostly positive.

Happy House Hostel. Cheap but very cramped.

Hostel Pushkin. Cramped rooms that barely fit the beds, but scores well for comfort, cleanliness and efficiency. They also offer conference facilities. Free Wifi.

Hotel Shushma. Decent 3-star near railway station.

Hotel Volga. Decent 2-star option, very central. Not plush but you get what you pay for.

Ibis Kazan. Reliable chain choice in city centre. Free Wi-Fi.

Berison Hudyakova. In run-down surroundings, but this 2-star hotel is good value. Free Wi-Fi.

Mini-Hotel Prazhskiy Klub. Very good rooms, extremely good quality for the prices. Friendly people. However only Russian language. But, Google Translate does miracles. Rooms have airco, and free wifi. The hotel has a small spa. For RUB 1500 you have a private place for an hour a sauna and a big wirlpool. The hotel has a very good affordable restaurant too.

Courtyard by Marriott Kazan. The rooms have large windows with Kremlin views. The hotel's Lobby Bar has an innovative setting and relaxed atmosphere and a free Wi-Fi. Breakfast buffet in main restaurant. Roof Bar with city views and tasty cocktails.

Grand Otel. 4-star hotel dominating Tukaya sq. in the centre of Kazan. Lower floors are connected to a large shopping mall. Upper floors offer panoramic views of the city. Customer reviews are generally positive. Free Wi-Fi in the lobby.

IT-hotel. 3-star guest house geared to business travellers. Location is not ideal, but this is one of the few hotels offering built-in kitchen. Rooms decorated in a bright whimsical style. Free Wi-Fi connection.

Korston. 4-star hotel, shopping mall and entertainment complex; the hotel gets mixed reviews. On vkontakte.

Mirage. 5-star going on 4, in excellent location near Kremlin.

Volga House. Boutique hotel with only six rooms. Restaurant & free secure parking.

Shalyapin Palace. Decent 4-star, clean & comfortable.