Ilsur Metshin: “It is important that we see in the eyes of children a true desire to do good”

(KZN.RU, May 20, Mikhail Chentsov). The charitable “Fair of Good”, which has already become traditional, was held today in parks “Kontinent”, Gorky Park, “Sosnovaya Roscha”, and Gorkinsko-Ometyevsky Forest. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, visited one of the sites of the city's fair that was located on the territory of the renovated Gorkinsko-Ometyevsky forest. The head of the city purchased several paintings, toys, and hand-made articles, made by the schoolchildren themselves, and also photographed with the participants of the fair.

The fair unfolded throughout the park. A lot of shopping rows ran along the pedestrian paths and near the stage. Everyone could buy sweets and original, exclusive in their own way handmade crafts at the charity market. In addition, everyone could learn how to set up a tent and make a bonfire, try real field porridge, and feed animals in a touching zoo. About 15 thousand people visited the fair in the Gorkinsko-Ometyevsky forest, who visited the park to take a walk and do a good deed by helping those in need.

Ilsur Metshin with other participants of the fair walked along the trading lines. The Mayor bought a few paintings from schoolchildren, there were works made with oil, burnt on a plate, woven from beads among them, as well as several souvenirs and handmade toys. In addition, the head of the city made a number of donations to schools and boarding houses, charitable funds, which also took part in the “Fair of Good”, presenting the creativity of their pupils.

In addition to the traditional sale of schoolchildren's products, young Kazan citizens collected money for charity in various ways, showing resourcefulness that any adult would have envied. The pupils of the Youth Army Detachment of the lyceum №110 showed to all the guests the skill of assembly and disassembly of the machine gun, and the pupils of the school №84 brought flowers to the fair, which they raised by themselves. “By selling plants, we transfer all the money received to the Angela Vavilova Fund to help children suffering from cancer. Such events are very important because, in the age of the Internet and high technologies, we should teach the children kindness and mutual assistance since childhood”, Liliya Garifullina, a teacher of the school №84, shared her opinion.

The festival of good was accompanied by a concert program, performed by Tatar pop stars and youth musical groups of Kazan. Alexey Romanov, a young man without hands, masterfully performing melodies from popular movies, shared his ability to play the synthesizer with the guests of the fair. Also, the awarding of the most active schoolchildren of the Sovetsky district, participants in the “Diary of Good Deeds” action, took place on the main stage.

Speaking about his impressions of the “Fair of Good”, I. Metshin noticed that it is becoming a nationwide event. “Thanks to all buyers, this money will go to help the needy. It is important that we see a true desire in the eyes of children. We see that they want to do good from the bottom of their hearts. This is the most important achievement for us and the most important result. I really want this to become a tradition and go from parents to children, from children to grandchildren, and that we live in good Kazan”, said the head of the Tatarstan’s capital.

The tradition of holding fairs of good was born in Kazan several years ago on the initiative of students of one of the schools who wanted to raise funds for the treatment of their classmate. Soon, other schools joined this format of charitable events, thanks to which the “Fair of Good” is held twice a year (in spring and autumn) throughout the city and on several sites at once. All funds collected at the fairs are donated to charitable purposes: to help children in need of treatment.