Categories: World

Kazan – Russia’s ‘third capital’ impresses allied Central Asian commanders

<div id="cke_pastebin">
<p>
<strong>Led by Russia, it is not just the military games that the security forces of the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) are bonding over regularly these days. Besides promoting the heritage of a joint military culture, Moscow is also busy reviving the deep cultural connection with Central Asia and countries in the Caucasus region, once part of the Soviet Union.</strong></p>
<p>
Holding of 'Indestructible Brotherhood 2021' – the latest joint exercise of the Collective Peacekeeping Forces which began in the Russian city of Kazan from today – serves the double purpose of being battle ready in a changing geopolitical scenario and also make the participating contingents aware of the region's centuries-old history.</p>
<p>
On Sunday, just a day before the start of the large-scale military drills at the training ground of the Kazan Higher Tank Command School, the servicemen of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan were taken on a guided tour of the Tatarstan capital, an ancient city with a long history, located on the left bank of the Volga River.</p>
<p>
<img alt="Kazan" src="https://www.indianarrative.com/upload/news/kazan_russia_map.webp" style="width: 100%; height: 100%;" /></p>
<p>
Experiencing the cultural heritage, the servicemen visited the Kazan Kremlin, saw the cathedral Juma mosque Kul-Sharif and 'Annunciation Cathedral', the 16th century masterpiece of Russian architecture.</p>
<p>
They also visited the monument to the famous Tatar poet Musa Jalil, the tower of the ruler of the Kazan Khanate (1549-1551) Syuyumbike and the Taynitskaya tower.</p>
<p>
<strong>Why is Kazan so special?</strong></p>
<p>
On the list of UNESCO World Heritage cities, Kazan, Russia's fifth-largest city, has always been drenched with culture and history. A significant economic and cultural center of Russia, it is also a meeting place between Europe and Asia, Orthodoxy and Islam.</p>
<p>
It is believed that about 1.2 million people – representatives of over 100 nationalities – live in Kazan in the atmosphere of cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.</p>
<p>
There are 136 places of worship in the city, including 70 mosques, 45 Orthodox churches, five Old Believer places of worship, 13 churches of other Christian denominations, 1 synagogue besides houses of worship of Bahai and an Iskcon temple.</p>
<p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lYjmpOSgJKU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>
"Kazan is one of the brightest examples of how people of different nationalities and religions live in one city peacefully, in an atmosphere of friendliness and tolerance. Ethnic and religious diversity in the capital of Tatarstan has been preserved for more than one century," says the local government of the city. </p>
<p>
At the same time, it is also regarded as one of Russia's most modern cities, a bustling hub having witnessed a convergence of the different eras that have shaped it throughout time.</p>
<p>
In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the right to brand itself as the 'Third Capital' of Russia and also as the 'sports capital' of the country.</p>
<p>
<strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/world-news/putin-s-pet-geographical-project-going-places-including-antarctica-122813.html">Putin's pet geographical project going places, including Antarctica</a></strong></p>
<p>
 </p>
</div>

Ateet Sharma

Ateet Sharma reads the pulse of the geopolitical contests in Eurasia, and India’s outreach in the region and beyond.

Recent Posts

“India, Pakistan agree to cease military action on land, air and sea”: FS Vikram Misri

In a crucial step toward de-escalation, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed that Pakistan's Director General…

2 days ago

Op Sindoor strikes kill Jaish Chief Masood Azhar’s brother-in-law, the man behind IC-814 hijacking

Indian Armed Forces launched a strike on May 7, targeting nine terror infrastructure sites in…

2 days ago

PM Modi chairs high-level meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, CDS and armed forces chiefs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security…

2 days ago

Pakistan’s actions being seen as escalatory, provocative in nature, says Foreign Secretary Misri

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasised that the actions being undertaken by Pakistan against India are…

2 days ago

Fragments of projectile retrieved from Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer

As Pakistan continued its aggression targeting even civilian infrastructure, fragments of a projectile were retrieved…

2 days ago

India exposes Pak propaganda war, debunks claims of damage to defence systems, air bases

India on Saturday categorically rejected Pakistan's malicious misinformation campaign, which falsely claimed the destruction of…

2 days ago