Kazan and the World Cup 2018

Kazan and the World Cup 2018

The capital of Tatarstan is one of the largest and most developed cities in Russia. Today it is informally known as the sports capital. This is not only thanks to the Universiade, which was held at the highest possible level and, in barely a year, has changed the city infrastructure. In recent years, Kazan remains at the forefront of Russian football, hockey, basketball and volleyball. Kazan clubs have always been the champions renouncing the authority of the teams from Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The matches of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, a rehearsal tournament to the World Cup 2018, were held in Kazan. A new arena has already been built where the football matches were held. By 2018 it has been imbued with the spirit of football and fans’ energy. During 2015-2016 seasons FC Liverpool visited this stadium in the framework of the Europa League. This match was held at the highest level and generated lots of buzz.

We will try to introduce you to the infrastructure of Kazan designed especially for the Mundial 208, the game schedule and the main places of interest.

How Kazan is preparing to meet the guests of the World Cup 2018

The national teams of Australia, Japan and Columbia are going to live in Kazan. The national team of Japan is going to bring one hundred journalists to Kazan. A total of 200,000 guests are going to visit Kazan this summer. The Japanese will train at FC Rubin training ground, Australians — at Ak Bars Kazan training ground while the national team of Columbia will stay at the Sviyaga Complex. All teams will get settled a week prior to the World Cup and live there throughout the Mundial leaving for the matches in other cities. These training grounds are comfortable and modern. Just a few years ago Rubin training ground was unattractive for the teams. Only after its reconstruction in 2015, sportsmen started to size it up. Ak Bars training ground has its advantages and, primarily, its inland territory. The players don’t even need to go out for a walk since there is a park inside. The same is about the Sviyaga Complex.

It is all about the right logistics. Australia will have the matches in Kazan, Samara and Sochi. Colombians will also play one game at the Kazan Arena, in Saransk and Samara. Japan is the only exception. Japanese football players have chances of taking the field of the Kazan Arena only in quarterfinals. The group matches will be held in Yekaterinburg, Saransk and Volgograd. Thus, according to the logistics, everything is properly organized. It takes no more than an hour and a half to get to each of these cities. Oddly enough, everything worked out for the best with the start time of the matches. All the matches with Japanese national team will start no later than at midnight JST offering benefits to television since Japanese TV market is large and rich. Thus, it is of great significance to the FIFA.

In total there are three 5-star, twenty 4-star, 35 three-star, 30 two-star and five hotels with one star in Kazan. MATCH Accommodation 2018 has exclusive rights to host the main client work groups of the Championship: FIFA, organizing committee, judges, teams and broadcasters. These are the work groups without which there cannot be any Championship at all.

Game schedule

In June 2018, Kazan will host six matches. The group stage will include four games while the playoff stage will comprise two more games.

The first game in Kazan is scheduled for the 16th of June. The spectators will have a chance to see an all-star national team of France. They will compete against the Australians. France is a heavy favourite, however, the first game at Mundial is always an exciting and touching moment for all teams.

The next game will be played on the 20th of June. That will be a competition between the national teams of Spain and Iran. This is a quartet from Group B.

On the 24th of June Poland will compete against Columbia. The final first place in quartet H depends on the outcome of this match.

Aside from the national teams of France, Spain, Columbia and Poland, football fans will have a chance to see one more star-class team. The last match in group F Germany will take in Kazan against South Korea on the 27th of June.

Below you can see a game schedule:

Kazan will open a series of games of last 16. This is where a match between the first team of Group C and the second team of Group D will take place. Regardless of which teams will finally make this pair, the competition is going to be quite interesting.

The capital of Tatarstan will say goodbye to the World Cup 2018 on the 6th of July. On this day, we will know who will be the first semifinalist. In the evening slot arena in Kazan will host the second quarterfinal game.

Kazan Arena and its benefits

The Kazan Arena is situated in Novo-Savinovsky Region, on Chistopolskaya Street, not far from the “Riviera” water park. This is a versatile stadium of the highest fourth UEFA category which was founded on the 14th of June in 2013. This is a home arena for Kazan FC Rubin. The Kazan Arena is the most capacious stadium in Russia (more than 45,000 seats). And according to the construction workers, this is also the safest stadium in the whole world. The exterior of this building is truly one of the most beautiful in the world.

The media facade that looks like a huge screen broadcasts the events inside the stadium. It’s all up-to-date and high-end. There is no any other place in Russia where you can access the Internet through Wi-Fi throughout the stadium. The cost of the stadium is 14,4 billion roubles. The Kazan Arena provides a perfect view from any point of the stand. The infrastructure is well-developed. However, the locals complain about the lack of comfortable parking lots around the stadium. However, by summer 201 this problem will be solved.

Where else to go in Kazan?

Kazan is the third capital of Russia, a city dating back thousands of years, modern and at the same time archaic. The culture of East and West are intertwined here. One religion peacefully coexists with another. On the streets one can see monuments of architecture from an earlier epoch as well as futuristic skyscrapers, mosques and Orthodox churches, residents and tourists of different nationalities. However, attractions of Kazan that reflect a centuries-old history of the capital of Tatarstan merit special attention.

Monuments, museums, monasteries, churches, unique historical and cultural buildings — they were all inspired by Russian and Tatar traditions. The majority of them are based in Old Kazan, which is a historical and cultural centre of the city. Architectural ensembles of the 19th century, ancestral mansions and merchant houses were left untouched.

The main attraction of the city is the Kazan Kremlin, which founded in the 10th century and rebuilt on the order of Ivan the Terrible. This is a snow-white medieval building that is more than 1,000 years old. The Kremlin is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Visiting Kazan and not seeing it is absolutely impossible since this is a hallmark of the city.

On the territory of the Kremlin you can see such places of interest as the Qolşärif Mosque, the Spasskaya Tower and the Cathedral of the Annunciation. Tourists are allowed to enter the mosque, however, you must obey some rules. The construction started if the Qolşärif Mosque was finished in 2005. It was named after the last imam Saide Kul-Sharif. This is a reconstruction of the ancient mosque of the Kazan Khanate, which was destroyed during the assault on the city in 1552.

Here you can find the so-called “falling tower” of Söyembikä of Kazan which is associated with many legends. A myth about a proud Tatar Queen who threw herself off this tower in order not to surrender to Ivan the Terrible who besieged the city gets mouth-to-mouth. The fact is that the spire of the tower deviates a few meters from the ground.

The Kazan Kremlin stands on the high bank of two rivers — Volga and Kazanka. That’s why many people come here not only to get closer to history but also enjoy the picturesque landscapes.

Thus, the best view is opened from the observation point near the Taynitskaya Tower to the city of Kazan and its surroundings. From here you can see the streets, the circus and the registry office as well as the central stadium, glass pyramid-like complex and even the Volga River. On the site behind the Cathedral of the Annunciation you can enjoy the views of the Millenium Bridge and the Kazan Arena.

The official residence of the President of Tatarstan is situated on the territory of the Kremlin. It was erected in the 19th century by Konstantin Ton, an architect known for one of his best projects — the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.

Take a walk along Bauman Street in the centre of the city. This is a cult place you must visit for sure. Here you can see the monastery, the monument to legendary Feodor Chaliapin as well as numerous souvenir shops and trendy boutiques in the ancient buildings of the 19th century.

During the tour you can see the famous attractions of Kazan, including the Bell Tower of the Cathedral of the Epiphany, the restored building of “Kazan” hotel, zero kilometer, Kachalov Theater, the Press House, etc. The monument to Kazan Cat is a tribute to the famous cats given to Catherine the Great as a present to get rid of mice living in the Winter Palace. Not far from it there is a monument to the carriage which she rode on her way to Kazan.

Summer is the best time to visit Kazan since the parks are full of greenery, the smell of blossoming trees is in the air, the fountains start to work and the streets move to the rhythm of jazz. The city brightens up. Tourists from different countries come here to see a cascade of colourful fountains on the river Bolaq. This is quite a spectacular sight to see which you will never forget.

However, it is more interesting to see the city when behind the wheel.

How to rent a car in Kazan

Many local rental companies have websites with 24-hour online booking. Thus, you can rent a car by phone or fax. Paperwork takes no more than 15 minutes. The locals took into account the lessons learned from the world leaders of rental market, implemented the recommendations of the best specialists and new requirements in this service sector. Today rental companies of Kazan managed to win the reputation of reliable partners that offer favourable terms of car rental while using an individual approach to each client.

These are the advantages:

• an option to choose a new car (domestic or foreign, economy or business class);
• a greater choice of services including transfer to the airport or railway station;
• an option of long-term renting with a purchase option;
• no hidden payments and transparent conditions of rental and insurance;
• various payment methods including Visa, Master Card, Maestro cards;
• work with individuals and legal entities;
• special offers, client loyalty bonus programs;
• 24/7 technical support;
• assistance in case of hijacking or car accident;
• high-quality service and individual approach.

If you still have no International Driving Permit, click here to apply for it online. This document helps you to drive confidently not only across Kazan at the World Cup 2018 but anywhere in the world.