Kazan yesterday

Saturday evening, August 18. Nice summer day.

Off the train and into our little van off we went to visit this fascinating place. Kazan, the centre of the autonomous area of the new Russia.

1013 years old, it was conquered by Russia in the 15th century. It is considered the border between Europe and Asia. They speak a different language than Russia and it was originally a Muslim state but now it is 50% Muslim, 40% Russian and 10 various.

The population of Tatarstan is 3,800,000 and 1,200,000 live in Kazan. It is a city that has basically 19th century architecture and escaped the ugliness that seemed to be associated with big cities. It does not have a city feel, more like a town. Neat, clean, easy traffic and a relaxed atmosphere.

We visited their Kremlin which is a complex of government buildings, it almost looks medieval in style.

We were allowed in a very large and beautiful mosque and allowed to take pictures which was very nice to be able to do. Kazan and the whole of Tatarstan is a mix of Muslims and Orthodox Russian Church that mix freely without any issues, unlike some states with the same mix.

It was great day, busy but just about right. We lunched in a very nice French restaurant and then went to a 40 minute concert inside a rather stuffy old building. It was a performance by students who are children of accomplished musicians, ages ranged from 6 to 16. Culture is taken seriously here.