Kazan's inclusion in the Twin Cities movement began in 1988 with the signing of the Treaty on Friendship with the German city of Braunschweig. For the city it was the first twinning agreement in history, an agreement that opened up opportunities for the residents of Kazan and Braunschweig to get to know each other better, to learn the ancient history and culture, and most importantly, the lives and everyday life of the people.
Today Kazan has 74 sister cities and partners in countries such as Germany, Italy, Latvia, Bulgaria, France, Turkey, China, Iran, Kazakhstan and many others.
City diplomacy is one of the effective tools of maintaining the stability of international relations, cohesion, and conflict prevention. The development of ties between cities allows the countries to improve the implementation of economic, social and cultural projects.
Photo: Turkmenistan Altyn Asyr
Year of foundation: 2019
Population: 64 086 people
Area: 10,02 km² (2021)
Time zone: UTC+5
About city:
The construction of the city began with the selection of the construction location. Many factors such as natural, climatic, seismic, availability of engineering infrastructure and others were taken into account when choosing the place of construction. The new city of Arkadag, which is the administrative center of the Akhal province, is located in a picturesque place in the foothills of the Kopetdag mountain range, surrounded by gardens and forest plantations, which favorably affects the ecological and climatic situation of the city. A land plot with a total area of more than 1000 hectares (approximately 2470 acres) was allocated for the construction of the city.
The city is located 30 kilometers from Ashgabat and its construction is planned in two phases. At present, the first phase has been completed and 336 different objects have been built. One of them is a monument to an Akhalteke horse named Akkhan. In 2018, this horse entered the Guinness Book of Records by passing 10 meters on its hind legs in 4.19 seconds.
Arkadag will use environmentally friendly transport, «smart car parks», and solar panels. The two parts of the city will occupy an area of 1,002 hectares (2475 acres), and the population will be about 73,000 people.
Joint actions, contacts:
Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin made an official visit to Turkmenistan on June 29, 2023 and took part in the opening ceremony of the first part of a new city of Arkadag. After taking part in the ceremony, Ilsur Metshin signed a co-operation agreement with the Head of Arkadag.
Photo: gov.kz
Document: Agreement on Cooperation in Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Cultural Fields (1996)
Year of foundation: 1854
Population: 1.9 million (2021)
Area: 682 km2 (2021)
Time zone: GMT +6
Website: http://almaty.kz/
About the city:
Almaty is a city of national importance and the largest population center of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is a cultural, historical, industrial and financial center of the country. It is a major transportation hub, as well as the center of science of Kazakhstan. Almaty has the headquarters of the People's Bank, Kazkommertsbank, Kaspi Bank and other major banks of Kazakhstan. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Petroglyphs of the Archaeological Landscape of Tanbaly is situated near the city. Numerous fountains give a unique flavor to the city, and the most famous holiday "Fountain Day" is celebrated annually on May 25.
Joint events, contacts:
On June 10, 2017, Kazan City Hall hosted a meeting between Evgeniy Varakin, Chief of Staff of the Executive Committee of Kazan, and representatives of the AO Almaty City Development Center, headed by Zhanna Tulegenova, Chairman of the Board of the Center. During the meeting, there was a presentation of the project Smart and Safe City. The parties exchanged their experience in implementing smart projects and discussed the prospects of cooperation in the application of innovative solutions aimed at the development of the city.
On December 15, 2017, the international passenger railway route Almaty - Kazan was launched. The Kazan - Astana - Almaty railway service was launched in pursuance of the order of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and on the initiative of the Kazakhstan Congress of Tatars and Bashkirs.
From April 19 to 22, 2018, young musicians from Almaty took part in the II International Rudolf Gummert Competition for Young Performers in piano, which was held in Kazan at the Ilias Aukhadeev Music College.
On September 23, 2020 the representatives of Almaty took part in online format in the session of Mayors’ Round Table "Smart City" within the International forum Kazan Digital Week-2020 as listeners.
On December 2, 2020, Evgeniya Lodvigova, Deputy Mayor of Kazan, took part in the international Almaty Investment Forum 2021 in the format of an online conference. Almaty Mayor Bakytzhan Sagintaev, Bishkek Mayor Aibek Junushaliev, Samarkand Deputy Hokim Shakhzod Eshonkulov, Chairman of the St.Petersburg Transport Committee Kirill Polyakov, Istanbul International Relations Department Director Mehmet Alkanalka, Shenzhen Deputy Head of Development and Reforms Department Zheng Tiejun also participated in the event.
On December 3, 2020, the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin made a presentation at the annual Almaty Investment Forum 2020 in the format of an online conference.
In December 2022, as part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, a press tour was held for the delegation of Kazan in Almaty. An important result of the trip was the signing of an Agreement on cooperation in the development of the tourism sector between the Committee for Tourism Development of Kazan and the Tourism Department of Almaty.
Photo: ankara.bel.tr
Document: Sister City Agreement between Kazan Municipality and Ankara Municipality (2013)
Year of foundation: 600 BC
Population: 5 million people (2018)
City area: 25,632 km2 (2020)
Time zone: GMT +3
Website: http://www.ankara.bel.tr/
About the city:
Ankara is the capital of the Republic of Turkey. One of the oldest cities in Asia Minor, where the Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Greeks, Galatians, Romans, Byzantines and Turks left their «traces». Ankara is the second most important financial and credit center of Turkey after Istanbul. The basis of the urban economy is the service sector. Ankara is conditionally divided into two parts - the Old and the New City (Ulus and Yenisehir), each of them is interesting with its unique sights.
Joint events, contacts:
On September 28, 2012, the Center for the Study of Turkey was established in Kazan within the framework of the signed agreement between the Institute of Oriental Studies and International Relations of Kazan Federal University and the Yunus Emre Institute (Ankara). There is an exchange program for students.
In 2015, a Program for the development of twinning relations was signed in Ankara.
As part of the promotion of Kazan on the international tourism market in 2018, information booklets about Kazan in Turkish were developed. They were subsequently sent to the tourist centers of the Turkish twin cities (Ankara, Eskisehir, Antalya and Istanbul).
In 2019, a week of Turkish cinema was held in Kazan.
On September 21, 2021, a Mayors’ Round Table «Evolution of Smart Cities» was held in Kazan within the framework of the International Forum Kazan Digital Week – 2021, which was attended by Ankara Secretary General of the Republic of Turkey Mr. Reşit Serhat Taşkinsu.
On October 29-30, 2023, the Kazan delegation took part in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic in Ankara, except for officials, Kazan creative teams arrived to congratulate and participate in the event.
The delegation of Ankara, headed by the Mayor of Ankara, Mansur Yavaş, took part in the International Architectural and Construction Forum «Kazanysh», which was held on December 5-7,2023 in Kazan. At the plenary session of the forum, Mansur Yavaş made a presentation on the topic «Identity as the most important resource for the development of modern cities».
On June 21-23, 2024, a delegation from Ankara headed by Mansur Yavaş, the Mayor of Ankara, visited Kazan to participate in the International Forum of the BRICS+ Cities.
On September, 9, 2024 Head of Foreign Relations Department of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Ramazan Kabasakal made a report at the Cities' Round Table «Modern Urban Services» in an online format within the framework of the International Forum Kazan Digital Week-2024.
On February 6-8, 2025, the Ankara delegation visited Kazan to participate in the international architectural and construction forum «Kazanysh».
Photo: wikipedia.org
Agreement: Treaty of Friendship (1997)
Population: 4.3 million (2017)
Area of the city: 2,499 km² (2020)
Time zone: GMT +2
Website: http://www.monofeya.gov.eg/
About the city:
Al-Manufia is a governorate (administrative region) in the Arab Republic of Egypt, located in the north of the country. The administrative center of Al-Manufia is the city of Shibin El Qom. Al-Manufia consists of 9 administrative centers, 10 cities, and 69 rural local communities, which include 315 villages and 898 small settlements. The main sector of the economy is agriculture.
The district is especially known as the birthplace of two Egyptian presidents, Anwar Sadat (1918-1981) and Hosni Mubarak (1928-2020).
Joint activities, contacts:
Health cooperation and exchanges.
Photo: arhcity.ru
Document: Treaty of Friendship and Partnership (1999)
Year of foundation: 1584
Population: 346,000 (2020)
Area of the city: 294.42 km² (2021)
Time zone: GMT +3
Website: http://www.arhcity.ru/
About the city:
Archangelsk is a City of Military Glory. It is the largest center of timber processing and wood chemistry industry. There are also mechanical engineering and shipbuilding companies. Leading state enterprises of fish industry - trawl fleet base, fish factory and Archangelsk seaweed processing plant.
Joint actions, contacts:
Archangelsk is a member of UCLG Eurasia.
It takes an active part in UCLG events.
On March 31, 2017, the Chairman of the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs of Kazan met with representatives of the Department of Culture and Youth Policy of Archangelsk. The meeting was held as part of the official visit of a delegation from the capital of Tatarstan to the Archangelsk region.
On April 5, 2019, a delegation from Archangelsk visited Kazan. During the visit, the delegation got acquainted with the activities of the Arkadiy Gaidar Kazan Youth Center, as well as youth and volunteer associations in Kazan.
Representatives of the Arkhangelsk city administration took part online as listeners in the session “School Exchanges as a Key for Intermunicipal Cooperation” within the framework of the II International Forum “SPROUTS: Russia and China - Mutually Beneficial Cooperation”, which was held on November 14-15, 2024 in Kazan.
On February 6-8, 2025, a delegation from the Arkhangelsk city administration, headed by the city Mayor Dmitry Morev, visited Kazan to participate in the international architectural and construction forum «Kazanysh».
Photo: astrgorod.ru
Document: Treaty of Friendship (1997)
Year of foundation: 1558
Population: 529,000 (2020)
Area of the city: 208.70 km² (2021)
Time zone: GMT +4
Website: http://www.astrgorod.ru/
About the city:
Astrakhan is the oldest economic and cultural center of the Lower Volga and Caspian region. Astrakhan transport hub is part of the global transport system. It is located on 11 islands. The city received its name Astrakhan from Tatar Astrakhan, which is located nearby and known since the XIV century. The main industry of Astrakhan region is the fuel industry. Here is the Astrakhan gas condensate field, the largest in the European part of Russia. Astrakhan is home to a lake with snow-white salt beaches Baskunchak, the water in this lake is believed to have healing qualities.
Joint activities, contacts:
Astrakhan is Kazan's first partner city.
Astrakhan rendered invaluable support in realization of the State program on preparation for celebration of 1000 anniversary of Kazan city foundation.
Astrakhan is a member of UCLG Eurasia and the Association of Cities of the Volga region since 2002 and is active within the framework of these organizations.
It took an active part in the project The Great Volga Way.
On November 29, 2018, during the visit of the delegation of the Astrakhan region to the Republic of Tatarstan, the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin met with the Head of the Astrakhan city administration Radik Harisov.
On January 16, during the visit of the leadership of Astrakhan to Kazan, issues in the field of urban services, including the conclusion of concession agreements for the development of urban infrastructure were discussed.
On January 18, 2019, the delegation of the Astrakhan region got acquainted with the experience of enterprises of the agricultural complex of Tatarstan. As part of the visit, the delegation visited the Kazan agricultural park and the Maysky greenhouse complex.
Astrakhan provided great support to Kazan in Durban, South Africa, in November 2019 when Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin was elected President of the UN Advisory Committee of Local Authorities.
On December 18, 2020, Aleksey Melnik, Deputy Head of the Municipal Formation City of Astrakhan, took part in the General Meeting of Members of the Association of Cities of the Volga Region, which took place in Kazan.
From June 24th till June 26th, 2021 in Kazan representatives of Astrakhan took part in the 17th World Conference of Historic Cities "Historical and Cultural Heritage as a Basis of National-Cultural and Local Identity".
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Year of foundation: 1589
Population: 1 million people. (2020)
Area of the city: 859.353 km² (2021)
Time zone: GMT +3
Website: http://www.volgadmin.ru/
About the city:
Volgograd is a Hero-City. Here is the main height of Russia Mamaev Kurgan and the sculptural composition The Motherland Calls, recognized as one of the seven wonders of Russia, a unique museum-panorama The Battle of Stalingrad, Pavlov's House and many other memorable places of military history. In Volgograd you can find the biggest river island in Europe, the only in Russia underground tramway, which occupies the fourth line in the list of the most interesting streetcar routes according to Forbes magazine, the largest river port in Europe, unique museums and the famous dancing bridge over the Volga. There is also the world's largest monument to a real man - a monument to Lenin, 57 meters high, set at the entrance to the Volga-Don Canal, the longest street in Russia - More than 50 km long, the longest house in the world, which length is 1142 meters. The conclusion of the twinning agreement between Volgograd (Stalingrad) and Coventry in 1944 marked the beginning of the international movement of twin cities. In 2018, Volgograd hosted four matches of the FIFA World Cup.
Joint activities, contacts:
Volgograd is a member of UCLG-Eurasia since 2006 and the Association of Cities of the Volga Region since 2005, is active within the framework of these organizations.
Actively participated in the Great Volga Way project.
From May 26 to 28, 2016 Volgograd City Duma Deputy, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Youth Policy, Sports and Tourism Irina Fomina took part in the Executive Bureau of UCLG and made a report at a meeting of the Association of Volga region cities.
Participant of the 2016 press tour.
In 2016, the Agreement on mutual cooperation in the field of tourism between the Committee for Tourism Development of Kazan and the Committee of Youth Policy and Tourism of Volgograd was signed.
On September 23, 2020 the deputy head of Volgograd Sergey Razumniy took part (as a listener) in the work of the Mayors’ Round Table of Smart City within the framework of the International forum KAZAN DIGITAL WEEK - 2020.
On October 19-20, 2020, the specialists from Volgograd represented by Sergey Ushakov, Deputy Head of the Foreign and Regional Relations Department of the Volgograd Mayor's Office, and Alexander Kiselev, Head of the Regional Relations Department of the Foreign and Regional Relations Department of the Volgograd Mayor's Office, took part (as listeners) in the Forum of Twin Cities and Municipal Entities of BRICS - 2020.
In October-November 2020, the Kazan Tourism Development Promotion Committee conducted a joint project with Volgograd. In the streets of Volgograd a banner advertisement appeared, inviting residents and guests of the city to visit the capital of Tatarstan. Kazan, in turn, also placed similar Volgograd banners on several billboards.
On December 18, 2020, Andrey Lyakh, Deputy Mayor of Volgograd, took part in the General Meeting of Members of the Association of Cities of the Volga Region held in Kazan.
On September, 24th, 2021, Oleg Teteriatnik, the Deputy Mayor of Volgograd, took part in the General Meeting of the Association of the Volga Region Cities in Nizhny Novgorod.
On October, 30th, 2021 the staff of the Committee on tourism development of Kazan made a presentation of Kazan city at the round table on activities of city administrations on development of domestic tourism on the Volga and the Volga river in the conditions of COVID-19, organized by the Volgograd city administration and the Association of Volga region cities.
A representative of the Volgograd City Administration took part in the General Meeting of the Association of Volga Region Cities held on May 26, 2022 in Izhevsk.
On October 27 - 28, 2022, a delegation from Volgograd visited Kazan to exchange experience in information technology, landscaping, architecture and urban planning.
In 2022, advertising of the Kazan bicycle ride «Night Bike Fest» was organized on media facades of Volgograd.
On October 6, 2023, the General Meeting of the Association of Volga Cities was held in Perm, and was personally attended by the Chairman of the Volgograd City Council Vladlen Kolesnikov.
On June 21-22, 2024, the head of Volgograd Vladimir Marchenko visited Kazan to participate in the International Forum of the BRICS+ Cities.
The delegation of the city of Volgograd, headed by the director of secondary school No. 54 of the Sovetsky district of Volgograd, Nadezhda Belibikhina, took part in the session “School Exchanges as a Key for Intermunicipal Cooperation” within the framework of the II International Forum “SPROUTS: Russia and China - Mutually Beneficial Cooperation”, which took place November 14-15, 2024. A team of chess players from Volgograd took part in a chess tournament within the Forum and took 2nd place in the team competition.
Photo: flickr.com/photos/alexxx-malev
Year of foundation: 1818
Population: 305 thousand people. (2020)
Area of the city: 324 km² (2021)
Time zone: GMT +3
Website: http://www.grozmer.ru/
About the city:
The city of Grozny is the capital of the Chechen Republic. One of the major cities of the North Caucasus.
In the 19th century Grozny was not only the administrative center of the Chechen District, but also the largest industrial center in the North Caucasus, the center of oil production and refining. Today the capital of the Chechen Republic is a modern, well-appointed city with almost 300,000 inhabitants, green public gardens, residential quarters that have grown from the ruins, and social facilities that function perfectly. The mosque Heart of Chechnya named after Akhmad Kadyrov, built in 2006 in the center of Grozny and opened to the public in 2008, has become one of the largest in the world. In 2015, the Fortress Grozny driving range was opened, hosting international level competitions.
Joint events, contacts:
Grozny has been a member of the UCLG-Eurasia since 2005.
In 2012 Grozny representatives paid an official visit to Kazan in order to exchange experience in the implementation of municipal programs and the development of municipal services.
On May 25 - 28, 2016 the delegation of Grozny took part in the Executive Bureau of UCLG.
On April 27, 2019, Kazan took part in the III International Festival of Tourism and Active Recreation «Shashlyk-mashlyk» under the brand of the famous gastronomic festival «Tasty Kazan». The Kazan delegation, headed by the Director of the Committee for Tourism Development Daria Sannikova, included representatives of the Kazan Cooperative Institute and the Brew Barrel restaurant. An agreement was reached with the Ministry of Tourism of the Chechen Republic on mutual cooperation and exchange of info tours among tour operators.
Grozny provided great support to Kazan in Durban (South Africa) in November 2019 when Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin was elected President of the UN Advisory Council on Local Governance.
On September 23, 2020 the First Deputy Mayor of Grozny Magomed-Ali Turaev took part (as a listener) in the Mayors’ Round Table within the International Forum Kazan Digital Week - 2020.
A bilateral banner exchange was held in April 2021.
On May 11-13, 2022, Kazan hosted the Days of Chechen Culture in the Republic of Tatarstan with the participation of Aishat Kadyrova, Minister of Culture of the Chechen Republic. Aishat Kadyrova met with Rustam Minnikhanov, Head of Tatarstan, and also held a meeting with Irada Ayupova, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan. The Chechen delegation visited cultural institutions in Kazan. Azat Abzalov, head of the Culture Department of the Kazan Executive Committee, presented the cultural sector of Kazan at the Saidash Cultural Center.
First Deputy Chairman of the Grozny City Council Magomed-Ali Turaev was a part of the delegation of the Eurasian Branch of UCLG, headed by the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin, and took part in the World Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Daejeon on October 10 - 14, 2022.
On June 10, 2022, a delegation from Grozny, including the Mayor of Grozny Khas-Magomed Kadyrov and the Mayor of Argun Iles Masayev, visited Kazan. Over the course of four days, the guests studied the experience of Kazan in solving local issues in various areas of urban economy, particularly, in the areas of landscaping, construction, housing and communal services, industry and economy. The delegation of the Chechen Republic also met with the Head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.
Within the framework of the Grozny delegation, an agreement on inter-municipal cooperation between Kazan and Grozny was signed.
The signed agreement provides preparation and holding of joint events to strengthen friendship and cooperation between the residents of the two cities. Kazan and Grozny plan to exchange information on programs and technologies that are being implemented and introduced in the two capitals, as well as to cooperate in other areas of urban economy to study the best municipal practices.
On October 5, 2022, representatives of the municipal educational system of Kazan participated in the celebration dedicated to the 204th anniversary of founding of the city of Grozny.
From April 25 to April 29, 2023, the delegation of the municipal educational system of Grozny, consisting of 12 people, made a working visit to familiarize with the educational institutions of Kazan.
On May 25 - 26, 2023, the delegation of Grozny administration headed by Magomed-Ali Turaev, took part in the Eurasian training «Eurasian Cities and Global Trends» held in Kazan.
The Chief Architect of Grozny took part in the International Architectural and Construction Forum «Kazanysh», which was held in Kazan on December 5 - 7, 2023.
On December 16, 2023, the Kazan delegation took part in the tourism exhibition of the North Caucasus Federal District in the format of Workshop «Open Caucasus – 2023», which was held in Grozny. Aliya Zhavoronkova, Head of the Promotion Department of the Tourism Development Committee of Kazan, made a presentation of the tourism potential of Kazan at the business part of the program.
On June 21-23, 2024, the delegation of Grozny headed by Khas-Magomed Kadyrov, the Mayor of Grozny, visited Kazan to participate in the International Forum of the BRICS+ Cities. As part of the Forum in Kazan, the opening of the Representative Office of the Head of the Chechen Republic in Tatarstan took place.
Deputy Head of the Department for Physical Culture, Sports and Youth Policy of the City Hall of Grozny Said Goltakov took part as listener in the session “School Exchanges as a Key for Intermunicipal Cooperation” within the framework of the II International Forum “SPROUTS: Russia and China - Mutually Beneficial Cooperation”, which was held on November 14-15, 2024 in Kazan. A team of chess players from Grozny took part in a chess tournament as part of the Forum.
On December 14, the tourism exhibition “Open Caucasus - 2024” took place in Grozny, at which the capital of Tatarstan was represented by the Committee for Tourism Development of Kazan. During the visit to Grozny, several events were held from Kazan: the signing of an agreement on mutual cooperation in the field of tourism between the Committee for Tourism Development of Kazan and the Ministry of Tourism of the Chechen Republic, a drawing of branded souvenirs, the organization of a stand of Kazan with authentic souvenirs, a presentation of the tourist potential of Kazan, and also, the organization of a culinary master class.
In 2024, within the framework of an agreement on network interaction and cooperation dated June 11, 2022, the municipal budgetary educational institution “Multidisciplinary Gymnasium No. 189 “Zaman”” of the Kirovsky district of Kazan and the state budgetary educational institution “Republican Complex of General and Additional Education “Kvant” of Grozny interacted in educational and cultural fields, as well as in the field of the Olympiad movement.
On February 6-8, 2025, the Chief Architect of Grozny, Alikhan Tokshaev, visited Kazan to participate in the international architectural and construction forum «Kazanysh».
