Kazan has the status of the third capital of Russia after Moscow and St. Petersburg; it is proud not only of its distinctive architecture or international-class sports facilities, but also of its industry. Military and civil aircraft are assembled here, helicopters are raised into the sky, unique radar systems and optical instruments are created.

The meeting point of two worlds

In Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, like in a metallurgical crucible, people and culture have been fused over a thousand-year history. Here the West meets the East, modernity meets archaism, tradition meets innovation.

Today Kazan is the center of the cultural, economic and scientific life of the Volga region. Every year millions of tourists come to the city to admire the architecture and join the traditions of the Tatar people. Kazan is also attractive for business - it is regularly included in the ratings of cities with the most favourable business climate. The city has the largest technology parks in the country, and on the opposite bank of the Volga River from Kazan, one of the youngest science cities in Russia, Innopolis, is growing.

The development of industry in Kazan has a long history. In the XX century, the industrialization of the 1930s, construction projects of the pre-war years and the evacuation of large enterprises to Kazan from the European part of the country to the Great Patriotic War became the key events of the industry.

Sports traditions are also strong in Kazan. In addition to the 2013 Universiade and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the All-Russian Corporate Games are held here year after year with the support of Rostec. And in 2019, the best masters of blue-collar professions from all over the world gathered in Kazan for the 45th WorldSkills Championship in Professional Skills, where Rostec traditionally represented its team and acted as a partner.

Walking in the Aviation District

The history of industrial Kazan since the 1930s is inextricably linked with aviation. If you get off at the Aviastroitelnaya metro station, which is located in the district of the same name, you will find yourself within walking distance from two Rostec aviation enterprises in Kazan.

The oldest enterprise of the Tatarstan aviation industry is the Kazan Aviation Plant named after S.P. Gorbunov. The production was founded in 1932, before the World War II, civil and military aircraft were produced here, including the world's largest ANT-20bis. During the war, the plant grew with the capacity of an evacuated Moscow colleagues, and the number of workers reached 30 thousand. At a fantastic pace (10-12 aircraft per day), the Kazan aircraft plant supplied the military with Pe-2 dive bombers, for which there was even a special ferry regiment to send to the front.

During peacetime, the citizens of Kazan continued to produce bombers - Tu-4, Tu-16, Tu-22, Tu-22M. In the 1980s, the largest and one of the most powerful combat aircraft in the world, the Tu-160 strategic bomber, which is called the "White Swan" for the elegance of its lines, was mastered here. In 2015, the production of the Tu-160 was resumed. Among the civilian models of the plant are Tu-70, Tu-104B, Tu-214. The last of them, a medium-haul narrow-body airliner, is still being produced at the plant in various modifications. The enterprise is part of PJSC Tupolev in the structure of the United Aircraft Corporation Rostec.

Kazan helicopters

The Kazan Helicopter Plant, which celebrated its 80th anniversary last year, did not immediately get its modern profile - during the World War II, Po-2 combat "whatnot" biplanes were produced here. These almost entirely wooden planes caused quite a bit of trouble for the enemy, carrying more ammunition than heavy bombers. Every second combat mission during the World War II was carried out on biplanes, created by the hands of Kazan residents.

In 1952, a new chapter in the history of Kazan Helicopters began with the large-scale production of the first helicopter under the Mi brand. The next rotary-wing aircraft, which consolidated the success of the Kazan enterprise, was the first Soviet military transport helicopter Mi-4. Before that, no one in the world made helicopters with a cargo compartment inside the body of the machine.

Since 1965, the legendary multipurpose Mi-8, one of the most massive helicopters in the world, has become the hallmark of Kazan helicopter builders. And today machines of the Mi-8/17 series continue to be produced by Kazan Helicopters. Helicopters Mi-8MTV-1 (the export version is called Mi-17-1V), Mi-8MTV-5 (Mi-17V-5) and Mi-172 are used for military, transport, medical, agricultural and other purposes.

Today the Kazan Helicopter Plant is part of the Russian Helicopters holding and is a key enterprise in the industry that carries out a full cycle of helicopter technology development. The first light helicopter Ansat in modern Russian history was designed and built here, as well as the heavy multipurpose Mi-38 helicopter.

Friend or Foe password

"Radioelectronic Technologies" Сonsortium of the State Corporation Rostec is the leader of the Russian market for state radar identification systems. This most important technique makes it possible to determine the belonging of military and special-purpose objects on land, at sea and in the air. Electronic means for state recognition are developed and produced at the enterprises of the concern located in Kazan.

Responsible for the development of the systems is the Scientific and Production Association "Radioelectronics" named after V.I. Shimko, since the 1960s - the country's leading institute in the field of "friend or foe" equipment. The enterprise is the main manufacturer and supplier of the latest radar identification and cryptographic coding equipment, including export versions. Its own system of state recognition, expensive and difficult to develop, is the privilege of superpowers. Therefore, all over the world there are two main types of "friend or foe" devices - Russian and American. According to Andrei Belov, the interim director general of the Radioelectronics NPO, Russian systems are not inferior to American ones, and in some ways even surpass them.

The Kazan plant "Radiopribor" is engaged in the serial production of Radioelectronica's developments. In addition to state recognition systems, the enterprise produces electronic warfare (EW) complexes for aviation. Products of Kazan "Radiopribor" are installed on almost all types of aircraft and helicopters manufactured in Russia.