Kazan State University

Kazan State University, also known as Kazan Federal University, is a public research university located in Kazan, Russia.

The history of Kazan State University (KFU), also known as Kazan Federal University, can be traced back to 1804, when it was founded by Tsar Alexander I as Imperial Kazan University. The university was established as part of Alexander's plan to modernize Russia and to create a new generation of educated citizens.

KFU quickly became a leading center of education and research in Russia. The university's faculty included some of the most distinguished scholars of the time, including the mathematician Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, who is considered to be the founder of non-Euclidean geometry. KFU also played a major role in the development of Oriental studies in Russia.

In the 19th century, KFU was a center of student activism and revolutionary thought. Many of the leaders of the Russian Revolution, including Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, were students at KFU.

After the Russian Revolution, KFU was renamed Kazan State University. The university continued to be a leading center of education and research in the Soviet Union. KFU's graduates included many prominent scientists, engineers, and writers.

In the 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, KFU underwent a period of reform. The university was renamed Kazan Federal University and it began to expand its international ties. KFU now has partnerships with universities all over the world and it attracts students from over 100 countries.

Based on the QS World University Rankings of 2025, Kazan State University is positioned as the #401 top university in the world, which makes it the #5 top university in Russia. The university's global rank decreased by 5 points from last year.