A Weekend in Kazan

Last weekend, overseas students fr om India and their advisers fr om the Russian language section made a mini-trip from Nizhny Novgorod to Kazan.

Cozy streets and squares of Kazan were filled with rapturous glances and words of admiration in Hindi and Marathi. This was the first tourist trip for all the guys.

They were lucky to see breathtaking Russian landscapes from the window of the electric train: high banks of the Volga and endless fields still covered in snow, dense pine forests and village houses.

The weather was delightful with the bright spring sun enabling to get a clear picture of the sights.

The students met the symbol of the city, Zilant the Dragon, at the walls of the snow-white Kremlin. One of the most memorable places was the Kul Sharif Mosque. The visitors were struck by its elegance: the turquoise roof, soaring minarets and white marble walls. They even managed to go inside and see the interior.

After a short walk along the Kazanka River embankment, it was decided to go to the Temple of All Religions wh ere the students got acquainted with the Orthodox and Catholic faith, Judaism, Buddhism and the Muslim religion in an interactive format.

The day continued in a Tatar village: all the houses in the territory of the complex were made of wood, old style. And the day ended at a national Indian restaurant wh ere the chef from India treated international students to "homemade" food. They tried national Tatar confections– chak-chak.

It was agreed to spend the second day of the weekend in Kazan at a waterpark. Swimming pools, fast water slides, hot saunas helped to relax after long walks around the city and a busy academic schedule.

The guys enjoyed the trip immensely. They did not only see another Russian city, new for them, but they were also introduced to another culture that permeates Kazan, and felt it. Full of new impressions, refreshed from their academic routine, the students resumed their studies. And they are already planning a new trip!