Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan Airat Sibagatullin made a report to the Permanent Council of TURKSOI
Distinguished members of the Permanent Council of TURKSOI!
Dear Secretary-General!
Ladies and gentlemen!
Allow me to welcome all the participants of the 32nd meeting of the Permanent Council of TURKSOI in Kazan - the cultural capital of the Turkic world!
The year 2014 has become a star for the Culture of Tatarstan: this Culture Year in Russia and in the Republic of Tatarstan, this year has included the ancient Bolgar in the UNESCO World Heritage List, this year has given us the opportunity to accept in a status of cultural capital all the flags of the Turkic world.
In this regard, I want to again thank my colleagues - Ministers of Culture of the TURKSOY member countries, which at a meeting in 2012 in Ufa took such an important decision for us, supporting the initiative by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Nurgalievich Minnikhanov. I hope that the Republic of Tatarstan honorably has coped with a mission and presented its capital Kazan as a multifaceted phenomenon in the constellation of Russia and world culture.
We express our deep gratitude to the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, which supported the implementation of the Programme, as well as part of the funds allocated for its implementation within the federal program "Culture of Russia".
The "Kazan - the cultural capital of the Turkic world" included 16 measures, covering the entire humanitarian sphere. However, under the auspices of the Capital of Culture year, many events were held that are not included in the main plan. These events took place within the walls of a variety of institutions of culture, science and education, with the participation and support of trade unions and social organizations. We can say that the entire country supported the initiative of TURKSOY.
Grand opening of the year, on April 26, 2014, at the Tatar State Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Musa Jalil, gathered on the scene the brightest talents of the countries - participants of TURKSOY. For us, this day was filled with a special meaning. April 26 - the birthday of the great Tatar poet G. Tukai. This day is traditionally celebrated in Tatarstan as Mother Language Day. It is namely the Tatar language, which in the era of Tukai was even more clear representative of each of the Turkic peoples, and today brings us together with millions of Turks of Eurasia.
Having envisaged in the Programme "Kazan - cultural capital" scientific forums, festivals, symposia and concerts, we sought to demonstrate our cultural traditions in all their diversity. Under the auspices of the Cultural Capital of the Turkic world, all brand activities took place of cultural life of our country, the major international scientific forums - Sixth and Second Bulgarian forum, Museum Forum of TURKSOY Symposium "Outstanding educator of the Turkic world: Mehmet Akif Ersoy and Gabdulla Tukai", Conference on Intangible Cultural Heritage, problems of development of cinema Turkic-speaking countries, the sources of literature and music of the Turkic world, including - the works by the great Turkmen poet Makhtumkuli’s 290th anniversary in the Turkic world, which is celebrated this year. Partners of these projects happened to be the Kazan Federal University, Institute of History n.a. Marjani, Institute of Language, Literature and Art n.a. G.Ibragimov, Foundation of Philosophy and Arts named after Mehmet Akif Ersoy, the European Academy Museum, State University of Culture and Arts, Kazan State Conservatory named after N.Zhiganov, National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Republican Center of traditional culture and other social and cultural institutions. As part of the program, more than 800 scientists visited Kazan. In general, during the year, the events in Kazan were attended by hundreds of participants from dozens of foreign countries.
I want to dwell only on one such project - the exhibition "Common language - a sign", which yesterday respected members of the delegations had the opportunity to see. The exhibition was created by Russia's largest museum - a repository of ethnographic heritage of Turkic peoples - Russian Museum of Ethnography. The exhibition introduces the traditions and customs, and is an encyclopedia of life of the Turkic peoples. This unique project, created for Kazan, may in the future represent our common culture in different regions of Russia and abroad.
Work on the projects of the program is reflected in the special editions, collections of materials of symposia and congresses. The anthology of Turkish literature, conference proceedings intangible heritage symposium on tanning in the Turkic world conference on literature and music of Turkic peoples; writings and other scientific forums, catalogs and booklets of exhibitions, special issues of periodicals have been published.
Ladies and gentlemen!
Today we can say that the traditions established by the X Summit of the Turkic states in Istanbul to announce one of the cities of member countries of TURKSOY cultural capital of the Turkic world, has become a new impetus to the joint efforts of the creative community to strengthen cultural ties, promote common human values, increasing international community's interest in joint cultural projects in the space of the Turkic world. This sign of the times - when the Turkic peoples once again turn to the common roots, when our fellowship again able to spiritually enrich peoples of Eurasia at a new stage of history.
I dare to hope that we were able to highlight a multicolor brand of the Cultural Capital of the Turkic world by national colors of our land.