Kazan is a city of unusual destiny, which played a great role in history. Thousands of threads are connecting the city with neighbouring and faraway countries, turning it into a crossing point of different civilizations and religions and the centre of various cultures. Thus, Kazan is the symbol of united culture of great variety.

Kazan is a peculiar city. Cultures of many peoples have been interacting here for a few centuries. A. Gertsen wrote: "... Kazan is of great value. It is a meeting point of two worlds. And that is why there are two origins, the western and the eastern ones, and you can meet them both at every crossroad; they are here...they have got accustomed with each other and became friends, representing something unusual in character".

The city met a new millennium with a new Program of Education Development for the Kazan city during the period from 2001 to 2005. The Program has a special section, called "National Education". It completely implies aims, purposes and certain events on the national education development of peoples, living in the republic.

The progress of Kazan educational system, which considers interests of all nations, living in our capital, has always been an attraction. At the 1998-year session the Kazan Soviet of people Deputies adopted the Languages' Program, which implied remaining, learning and development of languages of peoples, living in Kazan. A considerable part of the Program is dedicated to the section of National Education and Culture development. One percent of the budget was given for its realization. More over, the "Omit" city foundation of cultural and language development as well as the department of nationalities were organized in Kazan. It allowed passing from words about the death of national cultures to deeds on their renaissance and development.

At present the second Languages' program is being realized in the city. It includes measures on remaining, learning and development of languages of peoples, living in Kazan, for the period from 2003 to 2007. The realization of this program helped to reduce and prevent ethnic tense in the whole region, opening a new page in the culture of international affairs.

The educational centre "Multinational Sunday School" was opened for the children of nationalities, which small number doesn't allow organizing separate schools. The Chuvash, Mari, Mordovian, Bashkir, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Georgian, Kazakh, Ivrit, German, Ukrainian, Polish, Assyrian and other languages are studied there. More than 500 children study in 22 departments of this school, which collaborates with the Association of National and Cultural organizations of Tatarstan.

Religion today is an important factor, which defines spiritual life of the city. Religious situation in multinational Kazan more or less reflects the consequence of those main changes both in the State and Political system, which took place during the last decades. Religious relations are based on liberty of conscience, which implies equality before the law for all religions and the person's right of professing any religion.

Nowadays 153 religious organizations, including 68 Muslim, 48 orthodox ones and others, which are not traditional for Tatarstan, are functioning in Kazan. There are 67 cult buildings at the confessions' disposal, and 32 of them are the monuments of history and architecture.

There are four theological institutions of higher education in Kazan, namely The Kazan Theological Seminary, the Islamic University of Russia, the Higher Muslim Medrese (Religious School) "Mukhammadia" and the Higher Muslim Medrese, named after 1000 anniversary of Islam adoption. Besides, there are 20 medreses at mosques, 9 Sunday Schools at Orthodox temples, 6 Protestant Schools, 1 Old-Belief and 2 Jewish schools with extensive learning of Jewish ethnic culture.

In May 1999 the Centre of Peoples' Friendship was opened in Kazan in order to unite all the nationalities, living in the city. It is to develop their creativity, remaining national traditions, customs, folklore, and mutual cultural enrichment with the help of Languages' Program. 34 national-and-cultural organizations are situated there at present. The association of National and Cultural Societies of Tatarstan, set at the Centre of Peoples' Friendship, has been working a lot on the remaining and development of language, history, culture, customs and traditions of peoples, living in Kazan. They pay a lot of attention to the problems of renaissance and development of national artistic handicraft, trades, and folklore, i. e. everything, which represents national originality of the nation.

Our general task is to use wisdom of many centuries, represented here, and energy of all peoples, living in Kazan, for further development of our one-thousand-years capital and to provide high standard of life for the citizens and all people of the republic.