Kazan: Where the Volga meets the Ganges

Kazan, Oct 15 (PTI) Perched gracefully at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka rivers, Kazan is a city that quietly asserts its own identity. It is neither Russian nor entirely Asian, its heart beats to its own rhythm, thrumming ever so softly to the sounds of India’s cultural and economic connect.

The capital of Tatarstan in western Russia is where mosques and cathedrals share the skyline and where Tatar heritage intertwines with Russian sensibilities. It is also where you can catch a local humming an old Dev Anand song, people watching Hindi films – and yes some cricket of course.

A friendly T20 cricket match between Indian students and local Tatar students last week summed up this new spirit perfectly. Cricket is not a Russian sport. Yet, on that mild afternoon, the small stadium was decently packed. Curious locals watched with enthusiasm as players in bright jerseys sprinted across the pitch. Every good shot was met with cheers.

“We don’t understand all the rules, but we understand the excitement.” said a local university student, grinning as she filmed the game on her phone.

In attendance were Indian delegates from Agra to Hyderabad. Among the chief guests was India’s ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar.

In recent years, Kazan has evolved from a historic trading post to a symbol of modern Russia’s diversity and diplomacy. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the BRICS summit here last year, the event was more than a high-level diplomatic meeting. Moscow’s renewed push to strengthen ties with New Delhi is not just about defence and energy anymore.

In places like Kazan, that ambition takes on a softer, more human form visible through sport, cinema, cuisine and conversation.

While addressing a meeting of a high level Indian delegation that has come to the city to attend The Tatarstan India Mutual Efficiency (TIME) Business Forum, Ambassador Kumar announced that India is opening a consulate in Kazan in a matter of “few weeks not months”.

Bollywood has long been India’s most persuasive ambassador abroad, and in Kazan, it has found a receptive audience. The youngsters are interested in Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra while the old remember Raj kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan.

“I love Hindi songs,” said Ilia, a local resident while humming "Phoolon ke rang se dil ki kalam se” from the 1970 Dev Anand starrer “Prem Pujari”. A Hindi film festival organised in the city has been witnessing interest young and old. It screened films such as Varun Grover-Jahnvi Kapoor starrer "Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari" and Akshay Kumar's "Jolly LLB 3".

The business meets, the cricket matches and the film festivals - it all seems to be a part of the soft diplomacy at play between the two countries. A significant move particularly in the Trump era where ties between New Delhi and Washington have been strained over tariffs.

Kazan’s universities have become a magnet for Indian students especially in medicine and engineering who bring not just academic ambitions but also cultural exchanges. For many of them, the city feels welcoming yet distinct, with a gentler pace than Moscow or St Petersburg.

“You can feel the warmth here,” said Khushi, a medical student from Gurgaon. “People are curious about India, and that curiosity feels genuine.” It’s a sentiment that mirrors the essence of Kazan, a city open to new experiences, comfortable in its multicultural identity.

As the capital of Tatarstan, a semi-autonomous republic within the Russian Federation, Kazan is home to a proud Turkic Muslim population that has coexisted with Orthodox Russians for centuries.

Its streets reflect this coexistence: the Kul Sharif Mosque and the Annunciation Cathedral stand within walking distance of each other inside the Kazan Kremlin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The result is an urban landscape that feels like a dialogue between civilisations, rather than a divide.

The city’s young energy is unmistakable. Walk through Bauman Street, Kazan’s lively pedestrian promenade the cosmopolitan confidence is evident. Cafés play a mix of Russian pop and Bollywood songs, small boutiques sell handmade crafts alongside imported Indian scarves, and students chatter in a blend of Russian, English and Tatar.

It is this people-to-people warmth that Russia seems eager to nurture. Kazan’s strategic location makes it a natural bridge geographically between Europe and Asia, and metaphorically between cultures.

For Indian entrepreneurs exploring Russia’s markets, the city offers a welcoming entry point. Local authorities have been promoting special economic zones, and there is talk of joint Indo-Tatarstan ventures in technology and education.

Kazan may not yet feature on every Indian traveller’s map, but it should. With a stopover at Moscow it takes about seven hours to reach the city by air from New Delhi. The city has some great hotels that offer a direct view of the famous Kazan Kremlin.

Kazan’s cuisine also blends Tatar and Russian flavours, offering rich and diverse dishes. The savoury echpochmak, a traditional Tatar triangular pastry filled with meat, potatoes, and onions is a must try staple. For those who love their sweet, chak-chak, reminiscent of our puffed rice-jaggery 'gajak', offers a treat to remember.

Beyond politics and commerce, what stays most with you about Kazan is its poise. The way the city balances tradition and modernity.

The skyline tells this story beautifully: the ancient white walls of the Kremlin juxtaposed against shining new towers, the call to prayer at the Kul Sharif mosque blending with the sound of church bells, and the golden evening light reflecting off the Volga’s waters as young couples stroll along the embankment. PTI SHJ MIN MIN MIN