Ilsur Metshin: “Every time I’m coming at a Business Monday, I know that you are with us”

(KZN.RU, December 23, Alsu Safina). Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, traditionally met with representatives of the federal, republican and city mass media in the Kazan City Hall to summarize the results of the year. The head of Tatarstan’s capital answered journalists' questions, relating to the social sphere, adopted at the last session of the Kazan City Duma on the Strategy of socio-economic development of the Kazan 2030, personnel reserve for the Executive Committee, road markings, construction of the underground, purchasing zebras for a new zoo and much more.

Ilsur Metshin came to the meeting with the journalists directly from the RT Investors' Club meeting, which was held with the participation of Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of Tatarstan, and immediately apologized for the forced delay. “The New Year's meeting of the Club of investors just ended. They opened a new office for Taliya Minullina (the head of Investment Promotion Agency of the RT - ed.), a very modern and beautiful, like the investment attractiveness of Tatarstan and Kazan”, said Ilsur Metshin.

“I caught myself thinking that we are spoiled now in a good way by the fact that, since there was not any great events as the Universiade in 2013 and FINA World Cup 2015, it seemed it was an ordinary year. At the same time, of course, it was not”, shared the Mayor. He reminded that the year began with anxious thoughts about how the economic and political pressure will affect the country. “A year was lived without a loss, nonetheless, it was creative”, said Ilsur Metshin and announced the main indicators of the year.

Kazan today is in second place among the cities with million populations on capital investment, the fertility in the city continues to please, programs have not been closed, most of which are national and have no analogues outside Tatarstan, in particular, the program of housing, social infrastructure and yards overhaul. The Mayor pointed out that Kazan has the new rolling stock of public urban transport.

Work on the parks and gardens continued. Ilsur Metshin invited all journalists to the opening of the Gorkinsko-Ometevsky forest, calling it a special honor. “This is a great gift for residents of the Azino-1 and the Azino-2, the Gorki, the Tankodrom. Well, fans of skiing will come here as well, I think. There is the 5 km long lighted trail and all the conditions for recreation are created”, assured Ilsur Metshin.

“The main thing is that, despite all the difficulties, we were able to realize all that was promised to the city residents in the past year”, he said. “At the same time, the volume of the not-done maintained as always. We know our weak points, where we did not finish. We will try to strengthen our focus on these issues in the next year”.

Ilsur Metshin thanked journalists for their cooperation during the year. “We work together Every time I’m coming at a Business Monday, I know that you are with us, in consideration of all the most complex issues of urban life, and that you fairly and professionally bring these issues to the public, rightly criticize. We need the criticism. It is a feedback in order to know what we do wrong”, said the Mayor. “But I want to emphasize that this criticism is always born in the light of the love to the city, the concern for what it will become. And it very much sets you apart from journalists from other cities”.

“We want to give our fans and to declare the country outside of our homeland with victory in the Europa League in 2020, for the anniversary of Tatarstan. The coach was invited for this task”, reminded Mayor of Kazan and the president of the FC “Rubin”. In addition, according to Ilsur Metshin, his dream is that all the games of the "Rubin" have full stadium of viewers and fans.

The main event of 2017 will certainly be the Confederations Cup. As Ilsur Metshin noted, in addition to it, the large number of cultural events, festivals and activities will be held in the city, around which it is planned to develop the tourist industry.

There were also personal questions to the head of the city. Reporters asked about the fate of zebras, which the Metshin’s family purchased for a new site of the Kazan zoological and botanic garden named “Zambezi River”. The Mayor said that the animals have already been purchased and now they are on overexposure. They will be transferred to the new zoo in the summer.

At the end of the meeting, Ilsur Metshin was asked for what he is proud of his team to achieve this year, and for that he is ashamed. “As the Mayor I share with my team all the reached achievements. They are professionals, despite the fact that many of them are young. Ashamed? Thank God, there was no shame. But there is a feeling of dissatisfaction for some areas of the city life, which was not realized”, said Ilsur Metshin, and added that there is always something to strive for, and the city will continue its development.