Kazan, Russia

Kazan, sometimes spelled Kasan, is a city of west-central Russia on the Volga River east of Moscow. Founded in 1401, the modern city became the capital of a powerful Tartar khanate in 1455 but was conquered by Czar Ivan IV in 1552. Kazan, is the capital city of Tatarstan, Eastern European Russia, on the Volga River. Kazan's port and shipyards on the Volga make it an important water transport center. Founded in 1401, Kazan became the capital of a powerful, independent Tatar khanate (1445), which emerged from the empire of the Golden Horde.

Tolstoy and Lenin studied at the University of Kazan, founded in 1804. The city also has a branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, an ancient cathedral, several monasteries, mosques, and the Russian Islamic University Medrese, founded 1998. Kazan is also famous for it's museums, theaters, restaurants and breathtaking views.

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