Kazan
| Kazan | |
|---|---|
| |
| Country | Russia |
| State | Tatarstan |
| Settled | 1438 |
| Population | 1,143,535 |
| Area (sq mi) | 164.2 sq mi |
| Current mayor | Ilsur Metshin |
Kazan (Russian:Каза́нь) is the capital city of Tatarstan and has a population of 1,143,535 inhabitants as of the 2016 est.
The city is located on the Volga River and the Kazanka River and has the historical Kazan Kremlin which contains a great mosque and church, it is declared as a World Heritage Site in 2000, in 2005 the Kazan Metro was opened.
1552 Siege of Kazan
On June 16, 1552, a large and well-armed Russian force led by Ivan IV set out from Moscow towards Kazan. The Russian army numbered 150,000 men with 150 cannons, facing Khan Yediger’s 65,000 troops. Kazan’s garrison had 33,000 men and 70 cannons.
On August 30, a detachment led by General A.B. Gorbaty defeated Kazan’s field forces and took control of the Arsk side of the city. The city’s water supply system was destroyed, and sections of the walls were breached. By September 30, the siege ring had tightened, with only a moat remaining between the Russian siege towers and the fortress. On October 1, during the Feast of the Protection of the Virgin, the moat was filled in, tunnels were dug under the city walls, and the walls were blown up.
On October 2, 1552, after the garrison refused to surrender, the Russian army launched an assault on the fortress, and by midday, the defenders were overcome, and Kazan was captured.
After the fall of Kazan, the Kazan Khanate was dissolved, and the Middle Volga region became part of the Russian Tsardom. This set the stage for expansion into the Urals and Siberia, as well as increased trade with the Caucasus and the East.
