Kazan
For the Japanese emperor see Emperor Kazan
Kazan (Qazan, Каза́нь, hist: Bulgar al-Jadid (Bolğar ÃÂäl-CÃÂädid)), 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 Qazansu, 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 several prominent students, including Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, Leo Tolstoy and Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.
Kazan was founded in the 10th century AD by Volga Bolgars. It was a block-post on the border between Bulgaria and Finnish tribes (Mari,Udmurt). After destoying of Golden Horde it became the capital of a powerful Kazan khanate (1430s). In 1552 the city was annexed by Russia under Ivan Grozny (Ivan the Terrible). 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 afterwards, during the reign of Catherine the Great. It remains an important center of Tatar culture.
Population (2002): 1.1053 million
A metro system is being constructed.