Kazan

Kazan' (Казань), capital of Tatarstan, Privolzhsky District, is one of Russia's largest cities and a major industrial, commercial and cultural center. It lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka rivers in central European Russia.

The city has a beautiful kremlin as well as an Old City dating back to the 15th century. The Kazan' State University was founded in 1804 and has had prominent students as Leo Tolstoy and Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

Kazan' was founded in the 14th century AD and it soon became the capital of a powerful Tatar khanate. In 1552 the city was annexed by Russia under Ivan Grozny. It was largely destroyed in 1774 due to a revolt by border patrol troops and peasants under the leadership of Don Cossack ataman (captain) Yemelyan Pugachev, but was rebuilt soon thereafter, during the reign of Catherine the Great. It remains an important center of Tatar culture.

Population (1999): 1,091,500.

A metro system is being constructed.