Along the 2023 Silk Way Rally: Kazan, the Republic of Tatarstan

We are starting the cycle stories about the regions that in 2023 will be covered by the route of the 13th edition of the Silk Way Rally

The International Silk Way Rally will be held from July 6 to July 15, 2023 and will cross 13 regions of the Russian Federation and three time zones. Approaching the start of the 13th edition of the Silk Way Rally, we invite you to take a foray into the regions along which the 2023 Rally route has been laid – like 14 years ago, it begins in Kazan.

The Republic of Tatarstan is not just one of the key regions of the Russian Federation, but also one of the main motorsport centers of the country. The legendary KAMAZ-master team was created here in the late 1980s, and since then it has claimed dozens of victories around the world. And in 2009 it was in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, that the first the Silk Way Rally started, connecting three countries: Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Kazan is one of the oldest cities in the world, it is older than Moscow and Amsterdam and has more than a thousand years of history. Founded in 1005 around the citadel, today known as the Kazan Kremlin, the city has become one of the leading sports, cultural and financial centers of Eurasia.

The unique architecture, containing many centuries of history, is adjacent to one of the largest technoparks in Russia. Gourmet cuisine from all over the world is intertwined with modern art and the constant desire for self-expression. Respect for traditions and the search for new formats of cooperation and development are the two cornerstones that have determined the development of the Republic of Tatarstan in recent years.

The sports industry is one of the most developed in the region. In 2015 Kazan hosted the FINA World Aquatics Championships, and in 2018 Ak Bars Arena hosted six matches of the FIFA World Cup, one of which was the memorable quarter-final, when Belgium defeated Brazil 2-1.

For the Silk Way Rally it will be the third visit to the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. The first rally started here in 2009, and the event came back in 2016 when the route connected Moscow and Beijing. Then right in the center of the city, in the immediate vicinity of the audience, a small sandy Super Selective Section was created that gave rise to a two-week rally marathon and allowed tens of thousands of fans to see the struggle of the best drivers in the world.

In 2023, like 14 years ago, the International Silk Way Rally will start in Kazan. During these years, representatives of 41 countries – the best drivers in the world and the world champions, more than 982 crews from the strongest motorsport teams, came to the start of the rally, and the competition became a platform for international cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian spheres. Today the Silk Way Rally is a whole series of projects that contribute to the development of territories and give new impetus to the logistics infrastructure.

Fast facts:

• In terms of area, the Republic of Tatarstan is approximately equal to such countries as Latvia or Lithuania, while the population of the entire Republic is approximately three times smaller than the population of Moscow.
• Moscow time is applied on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan. And in neighboring Bashkiria, where the rally caravan will go next, there are two hours more. Therefore, the bridge between these republics is called the longest.
• Tatarstan is famous for its sports dynasties and the family of the Head of the Republic of Tatarstan is no exception: Rustam Minnikhanov is an International Master of Sports and the Honored Master of Sports of Russia in motorsports, his brother Rais is the Master of Sports in motorsports, and his nephew Rasul performed very well in rallycross. All three are titled winners of international, federal and regional competitions.