Russia’s Third Capital
Nestled at the intersection of the Volga and Kazanka rivers some 700 kilometers east of Moscow, the thousand-year-old city of Kazan is the capital of the semi-autonomous region of Tatarstan and often referred to as the Third Capital of Russia due to its significance as a cultural, industrial, and religious center.
The city holds the beautiful Kul-Sharif Mosque, one of the largest to be found in Russia or Europe outside of Istanbul, as well as the historic Kazan Kremlin built during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. On the premises of the Kremlin, you can find the Annunciation Cathedral, a uniquely designed church from the 16th Century, as well as the Soyembika Tower. And just down from the Kremlin you can find the Kazanka River embankment, a favorite place of locals with numerous cafes, merry-go-rounds, open-air gyms, and more. And as you head to embankment, watch out for the spectacular Farmer’s Palace, one of the most photographed buildings in the city.
Connecting the Kremlin to Tukay Square at the city center are two streets popular as pedestrian walkways – Bauman Street and the parallel Kremlyovskaya Street. Bauman is the livelier of the two, with shops, restaurants, musicians, and frequent events, while Kremlyovskaya is quiet stroll through history, lined with beautiful buildings of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
And of course, as the capital of Tatarstan, Kazan offers a chance to immerse yourself in Tatar culture at the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan near the Kremlin, or at the centuries-old Tatar Quarter, not far from Tukay Square. Or sample Tatar cuisine at the city’s Tatar restaurants, a famous Tatar Café on Bauman Street.
The Moscow to Kazan train route winds some 793 kilometers eastward, leaving out from the Kazansky Station in Moscow, with anywhere from two to eight stops, depending on the train. The Premium, with only two stops, reaches Kazan in an overnight run of just over 11 hours. Travelers wishing to see Kazan as well as points further east can also choose the Moscow to Yekaterinburg train out of the same station, which has Kazan as a stop on the way to the Ural Mountains.
The History of the Railway to Kazan
When Alexander II became Tsar in 1855, he continued his father’s plans to extend rail across Russia. Unlike his father, however, he believed private capital could be the key to financing the rail network. A year later, the Main Company of Russia was established, bringing in French and British investment for a guaranteed rate of return. Numerous lines were planned connecting Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod and the Baltic to the Black Sea. Among those planned lines was one connecting Moscow to the port city of Saratov, on the Volga River.
This private financing approach was a dismal failure with many railways showing little or no progress years later. And when the Main Company and other private interests did complete lines, it was often at the expense of quality, creating limitations in the Russian rail system that would persist well into the Soviet Era. Construction on the Moscow to Saratov line stalled only about a fourth of the way, at the city of Ryazan. It would be 30 yours before the line, now reimagined as a Moscow to Kazan route, would be completed. And while there are a number of options on the Moscow to Kazan route, two trains in particular are worth a look:
The Premium
The fastest of the Moscow to Kazan trains, the Premium makes only two stops on its journey to Kazan – at the historic city of Murom and the town of Kanash. Leaving Kanzsky Station nightly just before 9 pm, it arrives in Kazan at approximately 8 in the morning.
Operating since 1993, the Premium offers VIP compartments (with private shower and toilet), and 1st Class and 2nd Class compartments, which each have one shower and two toilets per carriage. The 2nd Class compartments sleep 4, while the 1st Class and VIP compartments sleep 2. VIP and 1st Class tickets include meals and a basic hygiene kit.
The Double Decker
Operating since 2015, the Double Decker makes daily runs from Kanzsky Station at about 11 pm, arriving just before 11 in the morning. Along the way, it makes stops at Murom, Sergach, Pilna, Shumerlia, Kanash, Urmary and Zelenyl Dol before reaching Kazan.
It offers 1st and 2nd Class tickets, with up to 30 passengers in the 1st Class and up to 64 in the 2nd Class. Note that there is no overhead storage for the upper bunks, as there is in most Russian trains. A cold mead is included in the ticket price, but the train also includes a restaurant car with more options for a price.
Nestled at the intersection of the Volga and Kazanka rivers some 700 kilometers east of Moscow, the thousand-year-old city of Kazan is the capital of the semi-autonomous region of Tatarstan and often referred to as the Third Capital of Russia due to its significance as a cultural, industrial, and religious center.
The city holds the beautiful Kul-Sharif Mosque, one of the largest to be found in Russia or Europe outside of Istanbul, as well as the historic Kazan Kremlin built during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. On the premises of the Kremlin, you can find the Annunciation Cathedral, a uniquely designed church from the 16th Century, as well as the Soyembika Tower. And just down from the Kremlin you can find the Kazanka River embankment, a favorite place of locals with numerous cafes, merry-go-rounds, open-air gyms, and more. And as you head to embankment, watch out for the spectacular Farmer’s Palace, one of the most photographed buildings in the city.
Connecting the Kremlin to Tukay Square at the city center are two streets popular as pedestrian walkways – Bauman Street and the parallel Kremlyovskaya Street. Bauman is the livelier of the two, with shops, restaurants, musicians, and frequent events, while Kremlyovskaya is quiet stroll through history, lined with beautiful buildings of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
And of course, as the capital of Tatarstan, Kazan offers a chance to immerse yourself in Tatar culture at the National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan near the Kremlin, or at the centuries-old Tatar Quarter, not far from Tukay Square. Or sample Tatar cuisine at the city’s Tatar restaurants, a famous Tatar Café on Bauman Street.
The Moscow to Kazan train route winds some 793 kilometers eastward, leaving out from the Kazansky Station in Moscow, with anywhere from two to eight stops, depending on the train. The Premium, with only two stops, reaches Kazan in an overnight run of just over 11 hours. Travelers wishing to see Kazan as well as points further east can also choose the Moscow to Yekaterinburg train out of the same station, which has Kazan as a stop on the way to the Ural Mountains.
The History of the Railway to Kazan
When Alexander II became Tsar in 1855, he continued his father’s plans to extend rail across Russia. Unlike his father, however, he believed private capital could be the key to financing the rail network. A year later, the Main Company of Russia was established, bringing in French and British investment for a guaranteed rate of return. Numerous lines were planned connecting Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod and the Baltic to the Black Sea. Among those planned lines was one connecting Moscow to the port city of Saratov, on the Volga River.
This private financing approach was a dismal failure with many railways showing little or no progress years later. And when the Main Company and other private interests did complete lines, it was often at the expense of quality, creating limitations in the Russian rail system that would persist well into the Soviet Era. Construction on the Moscow to Saratov line stalled only about a fourth of the way, at the city of Ryazan. It would be 30 yours before the line, now reimagined as a Moscow to Kazan route, would be completed. And while there are a number of options on the Moscow to Kazan route, two trains in particular are worth a look:
The Premium
The fastest of the Moscow to Kazan trains, the Premium makes only two stops on its journey to Kazan – at the historic city of Murom and the town of Kanash. Leaving Kanzsky Station nightly just before 9 pm, it arrives in Kazan at approximately 8 in the morning.
Operating since 1993, the Premium offers VIP compartments (with private shower and toilet), and 1st Class and 2nd Class compartments, which each have one shower and two toilets per carriage. The 2nd Class compartments sleep 4, while the 1st Class and VIP compartments sleep 2. VIP and 1st Class tickets include meals and a basic hygiene kit.
The Double Decker
Operating since 2015, the Double Decker makes daily runs from Kanzsky Station at about 11 pm, arriving just before 11 in the morning. Along the way, it makes stops at Murom, Sergach, Pilna, Shumerlia, Kanash, Urmary and Zelenyl Dol before reaching Kazan.
It offers 1st and 2nd Class tickets, with up to 30 passengers in the 1st Class and up to 64 in the 2nd Class. Note that there is no overhead storage for the upper bunks, as there is in most Russian trains. A cold mead is included in the ticket price, but the train also includes a restaurant car with more options for a price.
