Kazan – capital of champions

In 2009 Kazan gained another slogan. Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiyev thrilled the supporters of VC Zenit-Kazan during the third match of the Russian Championship final series. “Kazan is the capital of champions!” was the slogan announced by Mintimer Shaimiyev by virtue of the already acquired championships of Dinamo-Kazan FHC, of FC Rubin and of HC Ak Bars. The fourth gold medal of Zenit-Kazan became more than a strong reason for announcing the slogan. “Go, Kazan, capital of champions!” Ak Bars fans were yelling this season. Four Ak Bars championships, two championships of Rubin and Zenit-Kazan, six sets of gold medals of Dinamo-Kazan FHC, one victory of Sintez WPC. The victories of the “snow leopards”, Sintez and Dinamo-TTG (former name of Zenit-Kazan), the UNICS basketball team in the European tournaments – there are enough arguments for naming Kazan the capital of champions. It wasn’t always like this that’s why the recent victories became another reason for the pride of Tatarstan citizens.

FC "Rubin"

Two-time Russian champion, holder of the Super Cup and of the Commonwealth of Independent States Cup FC Rubin was on the brink of extinction during the season of 1994. The team had a bad start in the second league of the Russian Championship and nearly lost its professional club status. Fortunately Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiyev and later on Kazan Mayor Kamil Iskhakov took interest in the team’s future. Rubin faced serious financial problems in 1998 once again, however like many other Russian sports clubs. The football club shares its success with the Board of protectors: the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Kazan Mayor’s Office, the TAIF and Tatenergo Companies.

Defending Russian Cup holder, bronze winner of the National Field Hockey Championship Dinamo-Kazan was twice near extinction. The catastrophe happened in the period of 2006-2008 when long-living head of the Sovetsk region Albert Kamaleyev deceased and later Nikolay Kolesov left Kazan missing the chance to become the second sponsor of the club.

BC "UNICS"

2004 FIBA EuroLeague champion, two-time Russian Cup holder UNICS basketball team forgot the time when it was on the verge of closedown. The National Bank of the Republic of Tatarstan with the Bank’s and the UNICS president Evgeny Bogachev at the head has been responsible for the the financial well-being of the club for more than 10 years. But in the 1990s the Kazan club escaped the bankruptcy once again. It happened thanks to the Kazan branch of the Gorky railways which led to the change of the name to UNICS-Lokomotiv.

VC «Zenit-Kazan»

Three-time Russian Champion, EuroLeague winner Zenit-Kazan faced grave problems at its start. Every season in the period of 2000-2003 could be the last in the team’s history but the Kazan volleyball players completed every sports year successfully, consistently moving to a higher division. After the Tatransgaz Company became Zenit-Kazan’s general sponsor in 2004 the club solved its financial problems once and for all.

Six-time Russian field hockey champion Dinamo-Kazan has been hovering between life and death for ten years. They were much closer to death though. The teams’ sponsors were the already non-existent Tan Company (after which the team was named Idel-Tan) and later on Idel-ICL KPO VS. And only in 2000 the team got a prosperity secured by the head of the Ministry of the Interior of Tatarstan and found a reliable sponsor in the person of Tatnefteprodukt.

WPC «Sintez»

Ex-champion, European water polo LEN Trofy winner Sintez also faced problems in the 1990s. It was the home enterprise Orgsintez and later on the TAIF Company that lent a helping hand. The team also had a uneasy time in 2009 when it had to abandon the second-string Khimik team. But the present silver medals proved that the team had overcome financial problems.

HC "Ak Bars"

Major sports clubs of Tatarstan

- FC Rubin
- HC Ak Bars
- KAMAZ-master
- BC UNICS
- WPC Sintez
- FHC Dynamo-Kazan
- VC Zenit-Kazan
- HC Neftekhimik