Historic and Architectural Complex of the Kazan Kremlin

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Two sites in Tatarstan may be included in World Heritage List

Voice of Russia; March 19 2012

Tatarstan, an autonomous republic within Russia, has asked UNESCO to include two historical sites in the World Heritage List.

One of the sites is the remains of an old city called Bolgar, and the other is the village of Sviyazhsk.

In the 13th and the 14th centuries A.D., the city of Bolgar was the capital of a state called The Volga Bulgaria, which existed on the territory of today’s Tatarstan. Bolgar was situated in 120 kms from today’s capital of Tatarstan, Kazan.

Kazan: A Gem Of Culture And Diversity

By Alexandra Zakharova & Yulduz Krepostina; Voice of Russia; March 3 2012

The capital of Tatarstan, Kazan continues to successfully compete with Moscow and St.Petersburg in terms of tourism development, the Voice of Russia’s Alexandra Zakharova reports. More than one million tourists annually visit Kazan, an ancient city which is due to host the World Student Games in 2013. The city is internationally known for its unique combination of Christian and Muslim cultures.

There are places of interests southeast of Kazan which date back to the Golden Horde and Ivan the Terrible eras. These include the ancient town of Yelabuga and the Sviyazhsk Island, where tourists may get a better knowledge of national traditions and culture, says tourism expert Rozaliya Galiyeva.

"A spirit of Russian merchantry is still felt on the streets of Yelabuga, where renowned Russian painter Ivan Shishkin was born in 1832, Galiyeva says. In Yelabuga, you can just walk down the ancient streets and have a good time. You can also buy gingerbread, baked according to traditional recipes, or drop into a small restraint where the furniture is fully in line with the traditions of the 19th century. This will certainly be of interest to both Russian and foreign tourists who could also choose to visit the Sviyazhsk Island. Sviyazhsk was founded in 1551 as a fortress which became a military base used by the Russian army during the siege of Kazan by Tsar Ivan the Terrible’s troops. Several unique Orthodox churches with rare frescoes dating back to the 16-17th centuries are located on the Sviyazhsk Island, Galiyeva says, adding that the frescoes will soon go on display for tourists. One can safely say, therefore, that Tatarstan may well compete with Moscow and St.Petersburg in terms of tourism industry," Galiyeva concludes.

Emerging Markets Economic Strength Will Help Rebalance Global Growth

Menafn Press; January 23 2012

As Clinton Continues Russia Tour, Many Ask: Why Kazan?

By Brian Whitmore; Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty; October 14 2009

In what officials describe as an effort to see Russia "beyond the Moscow ring road," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will spend several hours in the city of Kazan on her second and final day of a Russia tour. Clinton's October 14 visit, coming after meetings in Moscow with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, marks the first visit by a senior U.S. official to predominantly Muslim Tatarstan.U.S. officials say the short visit will highlight interfaith cooperation, with the secretary meeting religious leaders and young Muslims to discuss how to bridge the divide between faiths. She will also meet with Tatarstan's independent-minded president, Mintimer Shaimiyev.