KAZAN

Micha Jelisavcic
John Sloan

Location

Kazan is the capital of the Tatarstan Republic. It is located at 55 degrees 48 min North and 49 degrees, 26 min East on the Kazanka andVolga rivers. It is 650 miles east of Moscow by rail and 253 miles east of Nizhni-Novgorod by the Volga. The population in 1883 was140,726, at that time all Russians except for 20,000 Tatars.

Volga Bolgars

The key location at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers has been occupied for millennia. For centuries it was part of the dominion of the Volga Bolgars who controlled trade on the Volga. This Turkish speaking people migrated up the Volga from the region between Don, Volga and Caucasus in the 7th century, while another part of their people migrated into the Balkans. The early history of the Volga Bolgars is closely tied to that of the Khazars, which in turn invariably turns to the two cities of Sarkel and Itil. Itil was a main Khazar center on the lower Volga. In the IXth century, Byzantine craftsmen built for the Khazars a fortress (Sarkel) on the Don, at the point, where it comes closest to the Volga. In the Xth century a similar request to have a fortress built on the middle course of the Volga, was made by the Bolgars to the caliph and Islam was introduced by the Khwarismites. The emissaries from the Caliph went around from Central Asia, to avoid the Khazar territory. Other Bulgars, settled in the lower Danube basin and accepted Christianity.

The association of the caliphate and the Bolgars was conducted thru an intermediary in Khwaraism, and the embassy of the caliph traveled to the Bolgars in a circuitous route to the east up to Bukhara and Khwarism and from there to the north-west to the shores of the Volga, despite the fact that it would have been much closer to travel thru the Caucasus. When discussing the trade routes it is mentioned that the Volga was not the sole trade route to the Bolgars as they conducted a lively caravan trade. From the shores of the Aral sea thru Khazrem (Khiva) stretched the steppe route on which trode the camels of the caravans.

After the annihalation of the Khazar kingdom by Svyatoslav in 969, at the mouth of the Volga there no longer was a sizeable trade city such had been Itil'. The fall of the Khazar Kaganate brought about more benefits to the Volga Bolgars, but their rule was not to grow to the mouth of the Volga. In the XIIth century and in the beginning of the XIIIth century there is mentioned the city of Saksin, perhaps, at the place where stood Itil' (the question as to the exact location of Saksin is still argued), but its trade importance had wained and at the time of the Mongol invasion, Saksin was destroyed and was never to be rebuilt. The Bolgars were at war off and on over three centuries with the expanding Kiyevan Rus and then Rostov-Suzdal and Vladimir principalities.

The Bolgars where spared during the first Mongol raid in 1223, however when the descendants of Chingis'-Khan moved west their first victims were the Bolgars. In 1237-8 the Volga Bolgar state was destroyed by the Mongol armies of Batu and Subadai and the remanents were incorporated into the Kypchak Khanate whose capital became Sarai on the lower Volga. From this time (1236) they ceased to exist as a people, many fled to the north of the Kama river and those who remained were absorbed by their vanquishers, who establish their support base for attacks on Rus' in the city of Kazan'. What remained of this once powerful military and trading people was that Ivan III called himself the prince of the Bolgars. Batu established his headquarters initially at Great Bolgar until his new capital at Sarai was prepared. The ruins of the city of the Great Bolgars are now seen in the village of Uspenskoye. Kazan became the site of the capital of the newly independent Tatar Khanate when the Kypchak Khanate (called popularly the Golden Horde) broke up after the devastation wrought by Tamerlane and then years of internal strife.
The Kypchak Khan ruled through local princes. One of the Bolgar dynasty remained in the area between Kazan and Great Bolgar. The names of a few of these rulers are known to us today. Initially there were a few attempts to revolt, all supressed. But after the Kypchak Khanate itself became officially Muslim under Khan Ozbeg, (1313-1341) they were more closely integrated, even if in a subordinate, tribute paying, position. Under the indirect rule from Sarai the Bolgar people paid a series of taxes, and duties and had military obligations similar to those of the Rus and other peoples. One result of the Tatar policies and methods was the expansion of social stratification all along the Volga. The wealthy landowners became richer and the peasants poorer, falling into the status of serfs. The main economic activities were cattle raising, agriculture, crafts and trade. Gradually the Bolgar towns regained their wealth. By the end of the 14th century Bolgar had a population of 50,000 and was a trade center to which Russians as well as a wide variety of Asiatics gravitated. Conditions changed again at the beginning of the 15th century. First, the region was the main battleground between rival Tatar factions, such as those led by Toktamysh and Bulat Timur, and then between Toktamysh and Tamerlane. Then it also became the locale for raids and campaigns by the Russian princes from Suzdal and Nizhnigorod against the Tatars. Many people again had to flee to the north and north west. During this period Kazan gained prominence over Great Bolgar and was the seat of a local emir of the Bolgar dynasty until 1445. The last local Bolgar ruler was Ali (Gali) Bek (1429-1445)

Kazan Tatar Khanate

The Kazan Khanate was founded in 1438 by Ulu-Mohammed who was followed by his son, Makhmutek (or Mahmud) (1445-1466). Ulu-Mohammed was the former Khan of the Kypchak Horde and grandson of Toktamysh. Political control was in the hands of the Tatar descendants of the Volga Bolgars. But the Khanate included also Mari, Chuvash, Udmurts and some Mordva and Bashkirs. Most of the population was agricultural, but the towns supported much local handicraft arts and the merchants used the location to profit from international trade between Central Asia and the Caucasus on one side and Europe on the other.
As with other Tatar principalities the ruler was the Khan, but he had to share power with his council of elders. The bulk of the population were peasants, either free or serf or slave. The Khanate continued the Tatar tradition of conducting raids on the various Russian towns. The army consisted of the Khan's personal force plus those of the many emirs and chieftains and service people who could be called up militia style for campaigns. At a maximum they could muster 60,000 warriors.
Here is a list of the Khans of Kazan.

During the first half of the 15th century the Tatars took advantage of internal civil war in the Russian principalities to conduct offensive raids. They captured one Muscovite grand prince, Vasili II, and held him for ransom. By the second half of the century the Russians were becoming more united with Moscow as the center and they were able to reverse the process. At the same time there was rivalry between the Tatar Khanates at Kazan and Crimea. Ivan III (the Great) sponsored a Russian offensive in 1467-69 against Kazan and Viatka. The Muscovites replaced Khan Ali-khan with his brother, Mohammed Emin, one of Ivan's supporters. Anti- Muscovite Tatars attempted to overthrow the Muscovite domination several times unsuccessfully but Ivan III and Vasili III kept Mohammed on the throne. After Mohammed Emin died in 1518 the Muscovites brought in their tame Tatar Khan of Kasimov, Shah-Ali, as the new ruler. He was overthrown in 1521 by Sahib-Girei, brother of the Crimean Khan. This brought Kazan and Crimea back into alliance. With Ottoman support they also drew in the other Tatar groups, most notably the Nogai, and began a half century of nearly continuous raiding against Muscovy and-or Poland as circumstances seemed best. Ivan IV made war against Kazan a central part of his foreign policy during the first part of his reign. By 1546 the Russians gained control of the western side of the Volga. Political leadership within the Tatar Khanate was split three ways between supporters of Crimea and subordination to the Ottomans, the Nogai Khord in Astrakhan and the Siberian Khord, with the later succombing to the former, and the ultimate overlords, the supporters of Muscovy as the lesser evil. Ivan IV's major campaign against Kazan in 1545 had the indirect effect of strengthening the base of the pro-Muscovite party. They managed to exile Khan Safa- Girei and bring in one of Ivan's protégées, Shah-Ali. However Safa-Girei went to Crimea and called upon his relatives to restore him, which they did. The next Muscovite campaign, in 1547-48 failed. Safa-Girei died in 1549 leaving his minor son, Utemish-Girei under control of the Crimean faction. Another Muscovite campaign in 1549-50 also failed. At that Ivan IV decided to mount an all-out campaign. For this he instituted major reforms in the Muscovite military system, including establishment of the streltzi (shooters) infantry units.

In 1551 he constructed a fortress a short distance up and across the Volga at Sviazhsk for future use as a logistic staging base. This was an engineering marvel. It was pre-fabricated in Uglich and shipped on the Volga to Sviazhsk, with a church congregation to populate the new town. That same year he put Shah-Ali back on the Kaganate throne. But Shah-Ali was unable to control the internal struggle against the Crimean faction. He fled in February 1552. At that point the Tatar emirs invited the Tsarevich of the Khanate of Astrakhan, Yadigar, to become ruler. That brought Ivan into concentrated action. He led the Muscovite army himself out of Moscow in mid-June. He reputedly (according to chronicles) was able to muster 150,000 men with 150 cannon. The Crimean Khan, Devlet-Gerei, attempted to sidetrack the expedition by launching another raid directly against Moscow. This forced Ivan to shift the line of march toward Kazan to the south via Kashira and Kolomna. He detached one Polk of 15,000 troops to act against the Crimeans. They met the Tatars, who may have numbered as many as 30,000 at Tula and defeated them. By this time the Crimeans were mostly interested in raiding and plunder and not in serious warfare, so withdrew. Meanwhile Ivan continued on to Kazan. Ivan travelled via Yaroslavl where he proclaimed the future of Russia turned to the East, and reached Sviazhsk by mid-August. The siege began on 30 August. All efforts by the Tatars to mount relief expeditions from outside the town failed. Ivan used cannon, foreign mining experts who placed explosives under the city walls, and even belfries (ancient siege towers). Several explosive mines brought down sections of the walls and also cut the city water supply. Ivan led one assault. The city was taken on 2 October.
With Muscovite conquest of Kazan (and subsequent taking of Astrakhan) the entire route to Asia, both via the Volga and Caspian and across the Urals and Siberia. Expansion rapidly followed. With this Tatar threat eliminated Ivan was able to turn his attention to the west, where he soon launched the disastrous for Moscow Livonian War. The threat from the Crimean Tatars continued. In an effort to counter it extensive fortifications were constructed all across the southern frontier. And a special 'shore duty' military service was organized to patrol the frontier and warn of Crimean raids. Here is a longer description of the Siege of Kazan.

Kazan after the Russian occupation
Read The Volgar Tartars, by Azade-Ayse Rorlich, Hoover Institution press

A Brief discussion by out tour guide in 2003

Photographs

Here is a catalog of the photography of Kazan, the capital of the Tatar Republic of the Russian Federation. For a description of many other cities along the Volga visited during our cruises please go to Volga Cruise

	Photo number - link	Description
		Map showing the route of the Muscovite army to Kazan during the campaign.
		Map showing Russian positions around Kazan during the siege
		Diorama of the siege of Kazan in the Artillery museum in St Petersburg
		Diorama from different perspective
		Diorama
		Sketch showing the look of the wooden siege tower seen in the diorama.
		Map of Kazan in 1500's.
		Another map of Kazan in 1500's.
		Map of the kremlin in Kazan
		Corner tower of Kazan kremlin built by engineers from Pskov sent by Ivan IV after capturing the city.
		Tower of kremlin wall, note the architecture design is the same as at Pskov
		Kremlin wall from inside grounds, note covered parapet
		Kremlin wall and tower from inside grounds
		Kremlin, outside wall and lower, Tainitskaya, gate tower
		Suyumbeka tower, 246 feet tall The tower is named for princess Suumbeki, the widow of the last Kazan Khan, Safa Girei. She was taken with her young son to Moscow after the city was captured in 1552.
		Suymubeka tower
		Cathedral of the Annunciation, founded in 1562 by Gurii, the first archbishop of Kazan in the kremlin
		Cathedral of the Annunciation, close up of roof line and dome
		Cathedral of the Annunciation, view of all domes
		Cathedral of the Annunciation, seen at sunset over roof of adjacent buildings
		Cathedral of the Annunciation, full view
		Cathedral of the Annunciation, full view
		Another church outside kremlin
		Detail of upper part and domes.
		View of domes from above roof line.
		Detail of Cathedral of Annunciation.
		Detail of Cathedral of Annunciation.
		Cathedral of Peter and Paul, decorated wall. In honor of Peter's visit the wealthy industrialist, Mikhlyav paid for the construction of a magnificent new, stone church. The wooden Peter and Paul church was torn down in 1723 and the new one finished in 1726. The Kaz'modem'yanovski church was torn down in the early 19th century.
		Cathedral of Peter and Paul, wall and entrance door to lower level.This was the Petrovski quarter just outside the kremlin. Until the 18th century this was the location of two wooden churches, one dedicated to Peter and Paul and the other to Kazimodem'yansovski. Peter came to Kazan in1722 where his ships were built for his campaign against Persia on the Caspian Sea.
		Cathedral of Peter and Paul, central tower
		Cathedral of Peter and Paul, bell tower
		Cathedral of Peter and Paul, View of upper part of main tower
		Cathedral Peter and Paul, bell tower behind apse of cathedral on left.
		Mosque with minaret
		Mosque and minaret
		Same Mosque - detail
		Decoration inside mosque
		Oriental carpet on main floor of mosque
		Ceiling in mosque
		Entrance door into main worship room in mosque
		Huge new mosque under construction in Kazan kremlin as of summer 1998.
		Diagram of the new mosque as seen in 1998.
		The new mosque in the Kazan kremlin as of summer 2003.
		The new mosque in the Kazan kremlin as of summer 2003.
		The new mosque in the Kazan kremlin as of summer 2003.
		Picture of the new mosque on a sign next to the construction site - summer 2003.
		Another view of the new mosque in kremlin
		Another mosque in the old Tatar section of Kazan.
		Government building across square from entrance to the kremlin
		Same government building
		Corner of the same building
		Church with bell tower on pedestrian street down town.
		Detail of church with bell tower on pedestrian street down town.
		Bell tower of church in downtown Kazan.
		Older building in kremlin next to location of the new mosque.
		Government office building in Kazan kremlin
		Government office building in Kazan kremlin
		Church in the kremlin.
		Office building outside kremlin
		Church near the kremlin
		Church in kremlin

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