Good evening, dear parents!

It was a very, very eventful first day!

The flight went perfectly — 5 out of 5!

We were met at the airport by Victoria, our guide. She didn’t leave our side for a moment and enthusiastically revealed the historical significance of this amazing city to us!

We’re now in our room, checked in about an hour ago and very tired 😊 We’re going to dinner, then we’ll share our impressions of the day and go to sleep.

Tomorrow awaits a new day of discoveries and, of course, feedback in the form of a diary entry from the participants. In the meantime, here’s a video story of the first day — enjoy and be happy for the kids!

Day 1. The Day of Responsibility.

The diary is written by all participants of the “Kazan Innovative” expedition.

Upon arrival, we learned that Kazan Airport has been named “Best Regional Airport in Russia and the CIS” four times. This year it turned 100 years old — on its very first flight, there were only 6 passengers.

The first impression Kazan makes is that it’s a very hospitable city, for several reasons, for example:

• There are many tourists;

• From October 22 to 24 (just recently!), Kazan hosted the BRICS heads of state summit, with representatives from countries not in the bloc but showing interest (about 20 such countries);

• The 2013 World Universiade was held here, with participants from 160 countries;

• More than 115 nationalities live here — 170 if you count students coming from all over the world to study.

We learned all of this within the first hour of our stay. Then we were immersed in the historical side:

The official founding date is considered to be 1005. Kazan was first established as a fortress, tasked with protecting an important area. The fortress itself was named “Kazan.” During the Khanate period, the city became an important economic center. After the capture by Ivan the Terrible (October 2, 1552), the construction of the white-stone Kremlin began, and people with various skills moved to the city from other settlements.

Throughout the day, we managed to explore the historical district of Kazan and its most interesting places. Here are some of them:

• Tatar Settlement — a unique complex where you can fully immerse yourself in history and everyday life (home to the oldest mosque, built by order of Catherine II, which is 254 years old);

• National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan (formerly the Cultural Center of Kazan);

• Kazan Cathedral;

• Kazan Kremlin (a UNESCO World Heritage Site);

• Kul Sharif Mosque. By the way, did you know that the Quran has been read continuously in this mosque for 9 years? Hafiz (those who know the Quran by heart) take turns day and night!

• At the end of the day, we visited the “City Panorama” Museum, where through models, panoramas, and virtual tours, we were able to see the city in its entirety from its founding days to the present.

The first day was very bright and eventful, but at the same time it required responsibility from us. And that’s right — because we understand that being in an unfamiliar city, even with supervision, we must always stay alert. Thanks to Day 1, we learned to act as one big team: we watched out for each other and helped formulate questions to ask our guide.

Ahead is Day 2 of adventure, and we already know which teamwork skills will help us make it exciting and interesting.

Good morning, dear parents! We’re sharing our thoughts, as well as photo and video materials from Day 2.

Day 2. Innopolis — The Day of “Purpose.”

The diary is written by Alexandra Koada, Mikhail Sazonov, and Veronika Trekhalina.

This day was strikingly different from yesterday, as we got to know a place that is creating the future!

The road to Innopolis, the youngest city in Russia, is very beautiful — we drove across the Volga River.

Upon arrival, we were met by Ruslan, a 4th-year university student, who gave us a tour.

Innopolis was founded on June 9, 2012, by Dmitry Medvedev and Rustam Minnikhanov.

The cost of tuition at the university is high — 800,000 rubles per year — but there is the possibility of receiving a grant that can cover the entire cost of tuition, after which you must work in the relevant field. To get a grant, you need a total of 270 points on the Unified State Exam (USE) in English, Computer Science/Physics, and Mathematics. To be admitted on a budget, you need 98 points in each of the above subjects. In general, to enter this university, you must pass an online test and write a motivation letter in English. Then, if you successfully pass the online stage, you are invited to the in-person stage, where you must again pass several tests in various subjects and even take a stress-resistance test. This is very important, because statistics show that 30% of students are expelled in their first year due to the heavy workload.

Students live in very comfortable and modern rooms. The classrooms and lecture halls are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. The city itself has everything for life: apartments, kindergartens, a school, and places of work. The kindergarten is not for the faint-hearted either! Children there learn English, mental arithmetic, and public speaking from the age of 2, and programming from the age of 5. Naturally, the knowledge is simplified, but the fact that a full-fledged education starts at two years old is impressive.

Popov Technopark is one of the workplaces. It houses the offices of all companies cooperating with the city. The technopark has three zones: stone, wood, and grass. The interior of each zone is decorated accordingly.

This day was very interesting and educational. Many in the group became interested in applying to Innopolis University. The future lies behind technology, and this city proves that statement. Most likely, in some time, when the city grows even more, many people will live there, and perhaps we will be among them.

Upon returning to Kazan, we went for a walk to buy souvenirs, but thoughts about the university didn’t leave us. This day made us understand that learning new technologies is not an easy task, but it is important for the development of our future.

Good morning!

Day 3. The House of Entertaining Science and Technology.

The diary is written by Semyon Shapovalov, Lev Remizov, and Mikhail Vasilkin.

Can a powerful magnet slow down time?
How do you turn a bottle of water upside down without the water spilling out?
Can you move objects with the power of thought?

Today we had the opportunity to learn the answers to these questions and more.

After breakfast, our guide met us, and we headed to the House of Entertaining Science and Technology — the first interactive science center in Tatarstan.

First, we took part in the “Science Battle” show, where in a practical session format, we found answers to the questions above. It was very interesting! Then we went on a tour of the entire house. It was amazing to see a real capsule used by cosmonauts for descent, as well as a real jet aircraft (trainer) inside the building!

Here, through play, you can get acquainted with various phenomena of the surrounding world, learn about the structure of technology and understand how it works, and solve complex problems and puzzles together — which we really enjoyed. It was also very useful, as we easily became familiar with serious scientific laws.

When the time came, we returned to the already beloved Tatar Settlement street for lunch, and also took another walk before the next event — the VR Park.

At the VR park, we were divided into 2 teams and played a shooter game — it was great! The park is located in one of the shopping centers, where we also took a walk afterward.

Since this was effectively our last full day in Kazan, we decided to walk back to the hotel. The walk took about 30 minutes. We were a bit tired after VR, but it was great to take our time and enjoy the city once more.

Conclusion of the day: It is very important to plan your free time so that you can learn something useful and also have an exciting time with friends.

P.S. Today our small expedition is coming to an end, and we are ready to head home. The kids are happy to return to their parents and share new knowledge and impressions, even though they say that 4 days in Kazan isn’t enough — you need at least 7!

Let’s wish them a smooth flight!

What must you visit in Kazan? Whom are we grateful to for the opportunity to participate in the expedition?

These questions will be answered by Alexander Kuzmenko, Alexandra Koada, Mikhail Vasilkin, and Lev Remizov.