Kazan on the Volga river is a multi-ethnic city known for its racial and religious tolerance. It is populated mainly of orthodox Christians and Muslims. However, the capital of Tatarstan is also home to a community of Roman Catholics, who are celebrating

It was an event they had been looking forward to since the fall of communism. And top Vatican officials traveled from Rome for the big opening.

Kazan’s first Catholic church, built 150 years ago, was confiscated by the Soviet authorities and turned into a technical college.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazan’s Catholic community has been gathering in a small chapel – but not any more.

The story of the new church is linked to one of Russia’s most revered icons – Our Lady of Kazan. The ancient icon was lost shortly before the Russian revolution.

Kazan's icon which is now kept in the city is a copy. It was offered to Russia’s Orthodox Church by the Vatican in what many saw as an attempt to warm frosty relations between the two churches. When the icon was given to Kazan three years ago, the city authorities made a pledge to build a new place of worship for the local Catholics.

The church is the latest addition to the city’s mosaic of mosques, Orthodox cathedrals and synagogues. Home to Tatars and Russians, Kazan is known as a model of ethnic and religious tolerance.

“We all share common problems. But overcoming differences is not easy and the tolerance we have here is a result of many efforts and a lot of goodwill,” says father Pytirim from the Virgin Monastery of Kazan.

One man is taking these efforts even further. Ildar Khanov, a local sculptor, is building what he calls a Temple of All Faiths. He sees it as a cultural centre of the future and a unique meeting point for people of all beliefs. The construction, financed with his own money, has been under way for the past 13 years. But the idea came to him years earlier.

“I had this idea since childhood. It really is the goal of my whole life. I wanted to find a way towards understanding among people. The temple is meant to symbolise peace and unity,” he said.