title: Chapter 2 The Conquest of Kazan
abstract: In the wake of the 1552 conquest of the city of Kazan, the capital of the Tatar khanate on the middle Volga, Muscovy suddenly appeared on the mental map of European powers. 1 Whether or not showing off the conquest to visitors and foreign embassies made an impact on the European public, an attempt was made to boost the positive image at home. It was an unfolding story of vast dimensions, not entirely uncommon in this era of newcomer empires on a world scale, but with its own specific features. U