Ilsur Metshin: "It is very nice to see queue for books in Kazan"

(Kazan City KZN.RU, December 14, Zilya Gayfi). For two years in Kazan 55 "Literary Yards" with the participation of well-known cultural figures were held. Events were attended by a total of more than 100 thousand citizens and guests. During this time, more than 2.5 thousand poems were read, 100 workshops were held, more than 50 thousand books have found new readers at book crossing. Only this year the municipal library held about 5000 activities and projects. Head of the Department of Culture of Executive Committee Aigul Gornysheva told about results of the Year of Literature in Kazan today at the Business Monday.

According to her, Kazan is gradually becoming a magnet for current brands and cultural projects, becoming a city with a high level of reading activity, where it is fashionable to read and the parks are filled with life. "One of the last projects was a large-scale literary flash mob, in which frames the last week in 10 Russian cities for three days all sorts of people have read Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace". In Kazan the project was attended by 35 people, including eminent Kazan residents Renat Harris, Leonid Lyubovsky, Dina Garipova, Alexander Sladkovsky and Lilia Gazizova"- said Aigul Gornysheva.

In the Year of Literature in Kazan the project "Literary Yards", started in the Year of Culture, continued. Kazan was visited by celebrities such as Evgeny Evtushenko, Valentin Gaft, Konstantin Habensky, Sergei Bezrukov, Dmitry Kharatyan and many others, each of whom brought contribution to the popularization of reading. Kazan residents of all ages read poems - the youngest participant was 3 years old, and the oldest - 81. According to Aigul Gornysheva, Kazan "Literary Yards" started a cultural wave across the country - today this project is being replicated not only in Tatarstan, but also in many cities of Russia: Chelyabinsk, Novocheboksarsk, Irkutsk, Abakan, Tyumen, Zabaikalsk and others.

2015 was not only the Year of literature, but also the Year of parks and gardens: updated and landscaped grounds and green areas have received a new cultural content. Thus, in the new format in the parks the project “Literary Yards” began to pass. Also in June in Gorky Park with the reading of the novel of Tatar writer Abdurrahman Absalyamov "White flowers" a new campaign "Kazan reads" started.

A calendar of events was added with literary performance "Kazan RU.LIT" organized by the Committee for Children and Youth, which won first place in the Moscow competition of student projects. Second city festival "The Book Fest 2015" gathered hundreds of bibliophiles and masters of words in Lyadsky garden. In the Year of parks and gardens Aksenov garden opened, where a memorial sign dedicated to our fellow countryman the famous writer Vasily Aksenov was installed and Alley of writers was laid. Next year it is planned to publish a new book of Vasily Aksenov, translated into the Tatar language, and to establish a monument to our famous countryman.

With the support of the Mayor of Kazan the book "Anthology of the new Tatar poetry", which united 22 verses of Tatar poets of the new generation, has been created and presented. After the release of the book it became known that on the basis of the same principle federal cultural project, which will bring together 44 of the region, will be implemented.

The opening of a new name was a significant event of the Year of Literature in Kazan. "A native of Kazan Guzel Yakhina won the International Prize "Star Ticket" at "Aksenov-fest", which really became her ticket into big literature. Following this, she received the National Literary Award "Yasnaya Polyana" in the nomination “XXI Century". Finally, in December Guzel Yakhina won the National Literary Prize "Big Book" for her novel "Zuleikha opens her eyes", which today has become a best-seller, "- said Aigul Gornysheva.

Aigul Gornysheva believes that the main effect of the Year of Literature is the interest in the book as not the exception to the rule, but as the sign of time, a key feature of the image of representative of modern youth. A striking example is the book fairs, implemented by the Center for Contemporary Culture "Change". Now such festivals, the largest in the Volga Federal District, are held 2 times a year - in summer and winter. Last weekend at the Center for Contemporary Art "Change" with the support of the Mayor of Kazan Winter Book Festival was organized, which was attended by the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin. "It is very nice to see queue for books in Kazan. There are plans to hold next year's book fair in the large open area ", - said the Mayor.

A rich palette of cultural activities will be continued in 2016, declared the Year of the Russian cinema. "Our heads are in the midst of these events, setting an example to all residents. So, Aigul Gornysheva took part in the action on the reading of the novel "War and Peace" live on the channel "Culture". I am pleased with the fact that the project "Literary Yards" has stepped far beyond our republic. It is a good initiative, which was born in Kazan and which was picked up by others. We will certainly support similar projects, "- said Ilsur Metshin.