Kazan houses of culture were transformed into cultural centers

(KZN.RU, January 30). The concept of transformation of culture urban palaces into cultural centers was developed in Kazan. Azat Abzalov, the head of the Culture Office of the Executive Committee, said this today at the Business Monday.

According to the speaker, at the moment most of the culture centers work in the aspect of clubs and activities on the existing Soviet-era scheme. “A cultural center for us is a modernized cultural institution, the adjacent parkland and in a broad senses all the courts of the district buildings. It is an institution that helps people self-generates, forms a new way of entertainment, creative development and the social and cultural life in general”, said A. Abzalov.

The project clubs network “Zhiznelub" for pensioners has already launched in the framework of formats changes in the HoC operation in December 2016. More than 1,000 of Kazan “the third age” citizens, which had not previously visited HoC, participated in it for 1.5 months. “We plan to start the spring schedule and extend the network of clubs in March, and in the summer, we are also actively employ the parks of the city for employment of retirees – “Zhiznelub in the park”, said A. Abzalov.

Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, said that despite the difficult situation, they managed to keep the house of culture in Kazan yet. “It is fair to say that the financing of the sphere of culture each year was carried out on the residual principle, but we are still solved urgent issues by the additional income from extra-budgetary sources, and, thank God, in contrast to other regions, did not sell the houses of culture”, said the Mayor.

“Yes, it was difficult, and it was hard, and as the living water, there was two highly anticipated capital repairs – HoC Uritsky (now CCS “Moskovsky” and HoC Lenin. This year we will, I think, will put objects into operation. Thanks to the President, thanks to all indifferent, who sought the decision, and, of course, the creative groups that exist, despite the dilapidated state of the buildings. The buildings have not seen major overhaul since the Soviet era, but life there was always in full swing, so we look forward to it. The system needs to be upgraded, it should be focused primarily on people”, the head of the city shared his opinion.

The Mayor noted that the results of such “first swallows”, as the project “Zhiznelub”, speak for themselves. “Thousands of people who have gone through the project in a short period are a good step, but we have almost 300 thousand pensioners, so the coverage should be broader. I ask the heads of districts that the work on the territory, entrusted to you, has been taken under control, and there will be more creative proposals”, concluded I. Metshin.