Kazan, a city in Russia, is one of the few cities in the country with a significant ethnic minority population and serves as the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. Its rich historical heritage, accumulated over the past millennium, places Kazan alongside Moscow and St. Petersburg as one of the only three A-level historical and cultural cities in the nation. Shenzhen signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance exchanges and cooperation with Kazan on April 29, 2012.