Kazan
City and Population
Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan with more than 1 million residents. It also is an academic hotbed with 30 of Russia's largest universities and more than 180,000 students. More than 100 nationalities live in this diverse city.
Lying at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka rivers in central European Russia, it is a major industrial, commercial and cultural center, and remains the most important center of Tatar culture. Since April 2009 Kazan has had the legal right to brand itself as the "Third Capital" of Russia. The famous Kazan Kremlin, a citadel, is a World Heritage Site.
Sights
Since 2000, the city has been undergoing a total renovation. The historical centre, including its Kremlin, has been rebuilt. A single-line metro with six stations opened in 2005. The spires of many mosques dot the skyline. In 2005, the city celebrated 1000 years since its founding, with parks and buildings being renovated around the city. Some famous landmarks are the Annunciation Cathedral and the mysterious leaning Soyembika Tower, which is named after the last queen of Kazan.
Football
Rubin Kazan currently is the top club in Russian football. Crowned league champions after winning the 2008 Russian Premier League, the club is at present very much the benchmark according to which others are measured. Rubin Kazan, whose roots date back to the 1930s but which was re-founded in the late 1950s is a relative newcomer to the top flight in Russia, having been promoted in 2003, but it gradually has been improving its rankings. Currently the club is participating for the first time in the UEFA Champions League.
In 2013, Kazan will also host the FISU Summer Universiade.
Stadium
As part of the preparation for the University Games in 2013 the City will build a new 45,000 capacity stadium.
