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For the Japanese emperor, see Emperor Kazan of Japan.
Kazan (Tatar (now, 1928?1939): Qazan; (1939?2000): Казан; (1918?1928): ﻦﺍﺯﺎﻘ ; (922?1918), Arab: ﻦﺍﺯﻘ ; Russian: Каза́нь [Kazań]; Arab (hist.): Bulgar al-Jadid (in Tatar transliteration:Bolğar âl-Cädid) - New Bolğar; German: Kasan, Latin: Casan, French: Kazan), capital of Tatarstan, Privolzhsky District, is one of Russia's largest cities and a major industrial, commercial and cultural center, remains the most important center of Tatar culture. It lies at the confluence of the Volga (İdel) and Kazanka (Qazansu) rivers in central European Russia.
| In detail | |
| Languages | Tatar, Russian |
| Mayor | Kamil Ísxaqov |
| Area | 425.2 km² |
| Population | 1,154,000 |
| Founded | by Volga Bulgarians ~ 1005 |
| Time zone | UTC +3 |
| City Day | 30 August |
| Calling Code | 7 8432 |
| Religion | Sunni Islam, Russian Orthodox Church, others |
The origin of the name is unclear. The literal translation of Tatar qazan is a boiler. Alternately, it may have been derived from qazğan, Tatar for digged [ditch].
Kazan was founded in the 10th century AD by Volga Bulgarians. It was a block-post on the border between Volga Bulgaria and Finnish tribes (Mari,Udmurt).
In the 11th?12th century Kazan shielded a Volga tradeway from Scandinavia to Iran. It was a trade center, the main city for Bulgar settlers in the Kazan region.
In 13th re-settlers came to Kazan from Bolğar and Bilär, which was ruined by the Mongols. Kazan became a center of a duchy, which was a dependency of the Golden Horde.
After the destruction of the Golden Horde Kazan became the capital of the powerful Khanate of Kazan(1438). The city bazaar Taş Ayaq (Stone Leg) became the most important trade center in the region, especially for furniture. The citadel and Bolaq channel were reconstructed, so the city had a strong defensive capacity.
In 1552 the city was forcibly annexed by Russia under Ivan Grozny (Ivan the Terrible). After the attack the most part of Tatar population was killed, repressed or forcibly Christianized. Mosques and palaces were ruined. The citadel was settled by Russian soldiers.
In 1708 the Khanate of Kazan was abolished and Kazan became the center of a guberniya. After Peter the Great's visit the city became a shipbuilding base for the Caspian fleet.
It was largely destroyed in 1774 as a result of a revolt by border troops and peasants under the leadership of [the [Don Cossack]] ataman (captain) Yemelyan Pugachev, but was rebuilt soon afterwards, during the reign of Catherine the Great. Also by Catherine's decree mosques were been build in Kazan again. But the discrimination against the Tatars continued.
By the end of 19th century Kazan became an industrial center of Middle Volga. People came from Neighboring villages came to the city, looking for work. In 1875 a horse railway, and in 1899 tramway appeared appeared.
After the Russian Revolution in 1905 Tatars were allowed to revive Kazan as a Tatar cultural center. The first Tatar theater and the first Tatar newspaper appeared.
In 1918 Kazan was a capital of the Idel-Ural State, which was supressed by the Bolshevist government. Kazan was also the centre of an anti-Bolshevik Bolaq artee Republic.
In 1919 (after the October Revolution) Kazan became the center of Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In the 1920s-30s most of the mosques and churches were destroyed (as elsewhere in the Soviet Union.
During World War II a lot of industrial plants and factories were evacuated to Kazan. Then the city became a center of the military industry, producing tanks and planes.
In the 1990s, after the dissolution of the USSR Kazan became the center of Tatar culture again, and separatist tendencies intensified.
In the 2000s the city's total renovation had began. A metro system is being constructed.
Kazan is going to celbrate its millennium in 2005.
The city has a beautiful citadel (Russian: kreml, or, sometimes, Tatar: kirmän) as well as an Old City dating back to the 15th century. There are a Qol-Şärif mosque, which is being rebuilt in the citadel now, and Söyembikä falling tower, Kazan' the oldest building. Also interesting are Governor's Palace (19th), now the Tatarstan President's Palace.
Next door, Petropavlovski Cathedral, on Qawi Näcmi Street and Marcäni mosque on Qayum Nasíri Street date back to 18th century.
The main Downtown streets are Bauman, Kreml, Dzerjinski, Tuqay, Puşkin, Butlerov, Gorkiy, Karl Marx and Märcani.
Kazan Downtown is separated by Bolaq channel and the Qaban lake into two parts. The first, historically Russian, is situated on the hill, the second, historically Tatar, is situated between Bolaq and Volga. Mosques, such as Nurullah, Soltan, Apanay, Äcem, Märcani, İske Taş, Zäñgär are in the Tatar part. Churches, such as Blagoveschenskaya, Varvarinskaya, Nikol'skaya, Tikhvinskaya, are mostly in Russian part.
An old legend says that, in 1552, before Russian invasion, Tatar bays (rich persons) hid gold and silver in lakes Qaban.
The Kazan State University was founded in 1804 and has had several prominent students, including Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, Leo Tolstoy and Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov Lenin.
Kazan State Technical University was established in 1932. Today the University is one of the leading institutions in the development of aircraft and rocket engineering, engine- and instrument-production, computer science and radio engineering.
Russian and Tatar languages are widely spoken in the city. Russian is understood by practically all the population, apart from some older Tatars. Tatar is widely spoken only by Tatars. Native Tatars are also bilingual in Kazan. The offensive term Mankurt (Mañqort) is used for Tatars who do not speak the native language.
Not much English is spoken in the city, but young people tend to understand it.
The city's population is mainly composed of Tatars (41?43%) and Russians (50?51%, includes number of Tatar-Russians speaking Russian only). Nearly a third of all marriages in city are between Tatars and Russians.
Most official posts are occupied by Tatars, but others by Russians and some minorities which lived in the city before 1990s.
Native Tatastanlı nationalities mix with Tatars and Russians.
The city's third ethnos is Chuvash (1.2%), who speak their own language, but also Turkic languages group. They are are Russian Orthodox with some pre-Christian elements in their religion. Other native for Middle Volga nation are Maris (0.3%), Udmurts (0.1%), Mordvas (0.2%) and Bashkirs (0.2%). Some of them speak Tatar, some Russian and others their own languages. Bashkirs are Moslems, others, like Chuvash, are Russian Orthodox with some pre-Christian elements in their religion.
Some Mari come to Kazan for seasonal work, mostly woodwork and carpentry. They build summer houses and saunas for local people. Chuvash and Mari come to the city every day from their republics and sell potatoes and mushrooms at bazaars.
Ethnic Germans came to Kasan from the 18th century. They served in the Russian Army, or worked in Kazan State University. Some of them are very famous in Kazan, particularly professor Karl Fuchs. During World War II some of them were repressed by Stalin's government.
Today Kazan Germans mostly speak Russian.
Group of Assurs also live in Kazan. By tradition, they work at shoe repairing. Their community lives a closely guarded life: and they do not mix with other communities.
During World War II a lot of the Western USSR population was evacuated to Kazan, including schools, educational institutes, and plants. Some of that population did not return to their native lands. They are: Jews, Ukrainians, Byelorussians, Poles, and others (nearly 2.5% of population). They speaks Russian, sometimes with Ukrainian accent, some Jews speak Tatar.
One of the biggest Kazan communities is the Azeri community. Most of them are unregistered and work illegally. Azeri tradesmen control all the bazaars. They often sell imitation clothes of famous trademarks or fruits. The number of Azeris is very big. Interestingly, Azeri speak both Russian and Tatar well.
Other Caucasians come from Dagestan, Georgia (country), Armenia and others. They often own cafés or work in construction.
Another big community is the Central Asian community, which includes Uzbeks, Tajiks, Roma and Kyrgyz. Some of the Uzbeks and Tajiks own cafés or fast-food restaurants; sell dried apricots, popular among Kazan citizens]]. Güli, one of Roma tribes, beg near mosques, at terminals in trams and trains. They give all alms (called sadaqa) to their barons.
Other Central Asians, such as the majority of Uzbeks and Tajik, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs work in construction or demolition of old buildings. There are some Afghanians and Turkmen in city. East Asians, such as Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese work in the textile industry
The majority of these people living in Kazan are illegal immigrants. They often don't understand neither Russian nor Tatar, and never mix with them.
Other nationalities are represented by some foreign specialists, foreign companies' representatives, and students at the Kazan universities. Nearly 2000 Turkish specialists work at renovations.
Kazan is served by the Kazan airport approximately 15 kilometers from the city centre.
Kazan is connected with Moscow, Ulyanovsk, Yoshkar-Ola and Yekaterinburg by railways and highways. There are highway connections to Samara, Orenburg, Ufa, Cheboksary, Naberezhnye Chelny (Yar Çallı), Almetyevsk (Älmät), Bugulma (Bögelmä), and Chistopol (Çístay).
There are municipal tramways, trolleybuses and buses, and also a lot of private mini-buses, called marshrutka. A metro system is under construction. There are four bridges connecting banks of Kazanka (Qazansu), and one bridge connecting Kazan with another bank of Volga.
Tatar (Turkic) and Muslim celebrations
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