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T
he Swedish furniture monolith of Ikea looms International ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has given
large on the outskirts of Kazan, and its it a thumbs-up on the investment front, and a city-centre
construction is as significant as the sparkling Kempinski hotel is the pipeline.
new Kul Sharif mosque that sits proudly in At the moment, 80% of all visitors to Kazan are here
the city’s Kremlin. These icons are at the on business. “That’s because the local government is very
heart of a Russian region that’s now coming of age, more liberal about investment,” says Sergey Ivanov, director
than 1,000 years since the city was founded. general of the Kazan city tourist information centre.
Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan, a Turkik-speaking,
largely Muslim autonomous region. And the city is Life outside Moscow
booming, both culturally and economically, buoyed by Russia’s business travel market may still be centred on
soaring oil revenues and a robust chemical industry – Moscow and, to a lesser extent, St Petersburg, but the
despite being 500 miles east of Moscow, which is a
FLYING FROM
importance of the regions is creeping up. It’s no coincidence
12-hour train ride away.
THE CAPITAL TO
that Stewart-Sandeman is polling Ikea’s shoppers in
“Flying from the capital to Kazan makes you realise
KAZAN MAKES
Kazan; retail is a growth market across this country that
the vastness of the country, the endless plains and straddles 11 time zones. Ikea-owned MEGA malls are
massive rivers,” says Peter Stewart-Sandeman, a London-
YOU REALISE THE
looking to expand into 36 cities by the end of 2016.
based market researcher working for Ikea. “Yet there are VASTNESS OF But it’s not just retail. ATP has also seen interest in its
opportunities for business in Russia’s regions, and that’s
THE COUNTRY,
other Russian services. “There is obvious support from
why I am here.” the oil industry, where a number of companies, often
Kazan is now Russia’s fifth largest economic region.
THE ENDLESS
from Scotland, provide technical support services,” a
It is one of the country’s largest cities, and more than
PLAINS AND
spokesman says. It is also working on accounts in banking,
100 international companies have business interests here.
MASSIVE RIVERS
construction, engineering and renewable energy sectors.
ttgbusiness.com a79 november 2008
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