Regular observations of variations of the Earth’s magnetic field began in Kazan in 1941. Due to the Moscow-Kazan and Kazan-Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg) railroad electrification, observation in Kazan became impossible, and in 1972—1974 the new observatory complex meeting the contemporary requirements was built in the protected zone of the Raif area of the Volga-Kama reservation near the Belobezvodnoye village (approximately 40 km north-east from the Kazan city). It began functioning in 1975.

Kazan observatory was the one of the best magnetic observatories in the world due to its location and infrastructure, but its funding decreased in 1990’s, and that led to the degradation of the observatory complex.

The observatory is managed by the Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University.

Observatory equipment:

• Analogue quartz variometer station, registering data on photographic paper;
• Digital quartz magnetic variometers made in IZMIRAN;
• LEMI fluxgate vector magnetoneter;
• POS proton Overhauser magnetoneter;
• fluxgate D&I magnetoneter.

Main technical building

Absolute pavilion

Variometer pavilion

CONTACT INFO:

Name: Dr. Roman Sidorov

E-mail: geomag‹at›gcras‹dot›ru

Tel.: +7 (495) 930-05-46
Fax: +7 (495) 930-05-06