Kazan — cultural capital of Islamic world: enough halal catering?

Spiritual food is being prepared for Kazan

At the conference of culture ministers from countries of the Islamic Organization for Education, Science, and Culture (ISESCO), a decision was made to grant Kazan the status of “Cultural Capital of the Islamic World” for 2026. The city became the first outside the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to receive such a status.

The official opening of the “Kazan — Cultural Capital of the Islamic World” year will take place on May 14, 2026, as part of the “Russia — Islamic World: KazanForum” event.

Throughout the year, various events are planned in the capital of Tatarstan. These include: an international Quran reciters' competition, a forum on language preservation, the “Izge Bolgar Jyeny” event dedicated to the adoption of Islam by Volga Bulgaria, and an Olympiad in Islamic disciplines and the Arabic language. There will also be an ethno-fashion festival, the “Altyn Minbar” film festival, an Islamic art festival, a calligraphy exhibition, and a youth festival of contemporary Muslim culture.

The status of cultural capital will allow Kazan to develop international cooperation, attract tourists, and showcase its cultural achievements. The city will be able to display both its historical heritage and modern cultural projects.

When it comes to tourists from friendly Eastern countries, it's impossible to give exact figures. They are still just in forecasted data. However, last year, in 2025, KazanForum was visited by more than 22 thousand guests, which is almost a third more than in 2024, indicating a growth potential. Incidentally, those same guests consumed over 130 tons of chak-chak and several hundred kilograms of ice cream. This raises the question — where and with what will hospitable Tatarstan feed visitors from friendly OIC countries?

But you can't live on that alone

According to the Halal Standard Committee of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan, there are 80 establishments in Kazan under the board's supervision. However, most of them are budget establishments, and every sixth is a gas station. You clearly wouldn't take guests there. Moreover, only 25% of catering establishments in Kazan that position themselves as halal have the relevant certificate, lamented Abbyas Hazrat Shlyaposhnikov, chairman of the Halal Standard Committee of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan.

— The official figures about the number of halal establishments in Kazan that appear in discussions — about fifty locations — clearly do not correspond to reality. My feeling is that there are many times more, — asserts Azat Nazmutdinov, founder of the “Kystyby” chain.

According to him, the issue lies in a certain misunderstanding in the counting. For example, in the “Kystyby” chain, only the production factory that supplies all the chain's restaurants is officially certified. This was specially organized this way to have centralized production. As the interlocutor notes, not all establishments undergo official inspection through the Halal Committee, but they practically adhere to these principles in their work.

— It's important to understand that certification is a complex process. Absolutely everything is checked: technological flow charts, the absence of forbidden ingredients, compliance with production standards. For example, even in regular coffee syrup, there might be a component that doesn't meet halal standards — and this has happened in our practice, — notes Nazmutdinov.

The expert is confident there is no real shortage of halal establishments in Kazan. The issue is rather about official statistics and the willingness of enterprises to undergo certification.

According to Galina Sharafutdinova, General Director of the Association of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Kazan, the current situation with halal establishments in the city fully meets the existing demand.

— At the moment, we do not register any significant complaints or requests to expand the network of halal establishments. Mostly, national restaurants are presented in halal format, and there are also a considerable number of specialized cafes operating, — the expert notes.

According to her, special attention should be paid to the fact that in the “medium-plus” segment, not all restaurants operate according to halal standards, but this does not create a shortage of offers on the market. As Sharafutdinova notes, people find suitable establishments for themselves; there are practically no complaints about a lack of halal food outlets.

In her words, the prospects for developing the halal establishment network in Kazan directly depend on the potential growth of tourist flow from OIC countries. The expert noted that if the number of city guests increases, the need to expand the network of halal restaurants might arise. However, at present, such a need is not observed, as the existing infrastructure fully satisfies the current demand.

Kazan hotels have long been able to accommodate according to halal standards

As noted by Sergei Ivanov, Chairman of the State Committee for Tourism Development of Tatarstan, in connection with the KazanForum and other events related to Islamic countries, the necessary infrastructure has already been created in the city's hotels.

— We have been remodeling VIP rooms into suites and so on. Many of our hotels already provide all services according to halal standards. Our hotels are trained in this regard. That is, they have prayer rugs, all breakfast food is halal, the reception staff is also adequately dressed, — Ivanov noted in a conversation with Realnoe Vremya.

Ivanov emphasized that no additional serious requirements are being imposed on hotels. Meanwhile, Ivanov “does not yet know” about introducing “traditional” bans on the sale of alcohol near places of residence or event venues.