The winners of the contest “Blooming Kazan” were awarded in the City Hall

(KZN.RU, September 28, Alsu Safina). Winners of the “Blooming Kazan” and the “Flower Festival” were awarded today in the City Hall. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, presented letters of gratitude and prizes. The most original floral composition was recognized the “FIFA Wall” at the stadium “Kazan Arena”, and the winner of the “Flower Festival” was the housing estate of the Moskovsky district with the composition “Remember how it all began”.

The project “Blooming Kazan” has been held on an ongoing basis since 2014, and during this time, residents and visitors of the city are very fond of it. The streets of the city, the entrance groups of organizations, cafes, hotels, schools, kindergartens, and yards are decorated with flowers and floral arrangements.

Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, reminded how the idea of holding the contest was born during the preparation for the World Summer Universiade 2013. “Then, we saw how we can transform the city, change the mood in with colors”, said the Mayor. “It seems like nothing new, flowers always adorn our lives. But when we took a tiny step, we saw what effect this had produced. The words of residents and guests of Kazan are best indicative of how much work is being done”. “We can’t imagine our city today without the project “Blooming Kazan”, he added.

The total area of flower gardens, arranged on the territory of the city this year, was 56 thousand square meters. 10.5 thousand flower elements (cache-pot, flowerpots) were placed on the Kazan streets. In total, 27 million flowers were planted in the city for 4 years, said Igor Kulyazhev, the deputy head of the Executive Committee and the chairman of the Committee for External Improvement.

The number of participants of the “Blooming Kazan” has increased twice during the project, as well as citizens voting for the participants on the site flowers.kzn.ru. In 2017, about 43 thousand people voted for the participants of the action. This is 26 thousand more votes than in 2016. In total, 316 applications from Kazan were received (in 2016, there were 284 ones).

Next year, the capital of Tatarstan will host the World Cup. “This is the highest point of flight, where we have not yet climbed”, marked the Mayor. “The World Cup is the biggest event in the world. There is no larger one neither by the number of guests nor by the number of television time, advertising, promotion. And this is an opportunity for us to show our beautiful Kazan, our hospitality, and cordiality, including through the project “Blooming Kazan”. Ilsur Metshin appealed to the heads of the districts, the management of the MUP “Trust “Gorvodzelenhoz” and the Committee for External Improvement and instructed to prepare plans for the flower arrangement of the city for the next year in October.

The Mayor of Kazan called the contest “Flower Festival” a fulfilled project. It runs from 2015 in the framework of the project “Blooming Kazan” on the stage in front of the children's puppet theater “Ekiyat”. According to I. Metshin, Kazan citizens and tourists like the site of the “Flower Festival”, including the youngest ones. “The project is fulfilled, and we need to take a step together to the next level”, believes the Mayor.

Flower compositions and a children's playground were created on the site of the “Flower Festival” by the forces of landscape firms, plant nurseries, housing and communal services, the construction complex, and citizens. Each composition is unique. Not only flowers but also art objects, structures, decor elements were used for the creation of the plot. The site of the festival was equipped with pedestrian paths for the convenience of visitors, benches, urns, hammocks, shaded shelters, glowing butterflies, a mirror labyrinth were installed, and recreation facilities are organized. And the innovation of the “Flower Festival” this year was a decorative wall for taking a selfie with evening illumination.

Every week since July, the project “Cultural Wednesday” with the participation of city communities, organizations, institutions, business structures, and all creative Kazan residents was held on the festival site.

I. Metshin thanked all participants of the projects and handed them the letters of gratitude by the Mayor of Kazan and memorable gifts. So, the 2nd place in the nomination “The Best Design of the Facade” was awarded to the OOO “PIRR”, the first place – to the OOO “KamaStroiInvest”.

The most original flower arrangement is the new voluminous flower figure in the form of the wall FIFA-2018, prepared by the MUP “Trust “Gorvodzelenhoz”.

Special gratitude and applause were given to residents who decorated their yards.

The championship in the nomination “The Most Blossoming District” was given to the Aviastroitelny and Novo-Savinovsky districts’ administration.

The Mayor of Kazan also presented letters of gratitude for the active participation in the improvement to the nominees for the “Flower Festival”.

The “Le Figaro” composition won the People Choice Award of the “Flower Festival” (the OOO “Trade House “Kedr”).

“You are all winners, and the main prize is words of gratitude from Kazan residents for you and your collectives”, said I. Metshin and thanked all those present for their caring attitude to their city.