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Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan on the junction of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers about 500 miles south-east of Moscow. Founded circa 1005 AD, it later served as the capital of the Kazan Khanate.
It is an ancient city filled with magnificient buildings, monuments, boulevards and many other incredibly beautiful sights to see. In fact, Kazan is devided into two distinct parts : the upper town with the Kremlin, where the Russian gentry, merchants and craftsmen lived, and the lower town , the Old Tatar and new Tatar settlements, where Tatar tradesmen, merchants and even peasants lived, since cultivated fields extended to the very edge of the lower town.
In the cultural sense, Kazan always struck a balance between Europe and Asia: the life-style of a provincial capital combined with the traditional mode of existence, resulted in a fascinating synthesis unique to Kazan. The capital of Tatarstan on historical-cultural value and safety of heritage concerns to class "A" (like Moscow and Saint-Petersburg). The Kazan Kremlin is included in the UNESCO list of monuments of "the World heritage".
Kazan is a multi-confession city. In the city there are the Catholic chapel, Judaism synagogue and other cult establishments, 20 mosques, Orthodox temples, Lutheran kirha. The orthodox theological seminary and the Russian Islamic university are open.
High cultural traditions are kept by philharmonic society, 4 state orchestras, Ensemble of songs and dance of Tatarstan Republic, second-largest in Russia Bolshoy concert hall, opera, drama and doll theatres. In the city there are 7 higher and secondary educational institutions of culture and art, over 50 musical and art schools.
The attention is paid to development of sports: available and new stadiums and pools are restored and under construction. The new shape has received the Palace of sports with artificial ice with two ice arenas. August, 30, 2005 in the life of the capital of Tatarstan there will be a significant event - Kazan will mark the 1000-anniversary.
By 1000-year anniversary of city a number of major for Kazan programs and building projects will be finished: the Program of liquidation of shabby habitation, the Program of reconstruction of the Kazan Kremlin, construction of the first line of underground. To this date reorganization of housing and communal services of city should be finished.
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