Kazan (; Tatar: Qazan, قزان; Russian: Каза́нь, IPA: [kɐˈzanʲ]; Tatar: Казан) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia . With a population of 1,243,500, it is the sixth most populous city in Russia . Kazan is one of the largest religious, economic, political, scientific, educational , cultural and sports centers in Russia .
Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia , about 715 kilometres (444 mi) east from Moscow . The Kazan Kremlin is a World Heritage Site.
The millennium of Kazan was celebrated in 2005.
In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the right to brand itself as the "ThirdCapital" of Russia . In 2009 it was chosen as the " sports capital of Russia " and it still is referred to as such. In 2011 , the European Weightlifting Championships were held here. The city hosted the 2013 Summer Universiade , 2014 World Fencing Championships, the 2015 World Aquatics Championships, and is one of the host cities for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and, for the first time in Russia , the official stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship under the auspices of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).
