Main Kazan Hotels

When the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible entered Kazan after he conquered it, he saw how beautiful the Queen of Kazan Kingdom Suyumbike was. His only dream was to marry her, but she resisted because her nation was invaded by him and treated so badly. So she told him to build the highest tower in Kazan in seven days, and if he accomplished it, she would marry him. Ivan the Terrible called the most skilled workers at the time, and told them to do that. In seven days the tower was finished. It had seven stories. Then Suyumbike climbed the tower to the seventh story floor and jumped out of the window. She refused to give herself to Ivan. Tatars called the tower Suyumbike Tower to remember the tragedy of the nation.
But it's only a beautiful legend. In reality, Suyumbike with her little son was kidnapped and taken to some little Russian town. There she spent the rest of her unhappy life. But the tower does exist, and it is carrying the name of Suyumbike.

Since Kazan became a part of the Russian Impire, new part in Russia was created. At the time, the country was divided into "guberniyas", and new Kazanskaya Guberniya was created. Obviously, Kazan became its capital. Up to 1917 it was called like that, but when Bolsheviks took over the country, and later Soviet Union was created, Kazanskaya Guberniya became Tatarian Autonomic Soviet Socialistic Republic (TASSR). After 73 years TASSR declared that it might separate from Russia, but instead only special condition of the Republic was created. Since then the state is called the Republic of Tatarstan. It is a subject of international law, it can sign treaties with foreign countries, and it is still part of Russian Federation. Kazan is still its proud capital.