R. Minnikhanov and I. Metshin visited the Chak-chak Museum and the Mardzhani Museum in Kazan

(KZN.RU, January 15). Today Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of the RT, visited a number of facilities in the historical center of Kazan. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, the assistants of the President of the RT Olesya Baltusova and Natalia Fishman, Adel Vafin, the Minister of Health of the RT, and others also took part in the meeting.

The President and his entourage visited the Chak-chak Museum in the Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda (Parizhskaya Communa Street, №18). The museum building is owned by the Republic of Tatarstan and is an object of cultural heritage (“The House of the merchant Bigaev”). The life of the Tatar merchant's house of the late XIX-early XX centuries was recreated in the museum on the basis of original photographs of the interiors of that time. The museum includes the shop where you can taste and buy chak-chak, baursak and other Tatar dishes. In addition, master classes on the cooking of Tatar cuisine dishes are held in the museum.

Rustam Minnikhanov was also presented with the project of the “House of National Cuisine”. It is assumed that this will be a complex of buildings, one of which is a monument of history and culture on Mardzhani Street, №10 (“Bikmukhametov's House, 1883”). “House of National Cuisine” will include a restaurant, a coffee shop where some of the dishes will be cooked on a wood stove. It is also planned to open a farm store of national delicacies here, etc.

The President visited the Shigabutdin Mardzhani House-Museum (Kayum Nasyri Street, №10), reports the press service of the President of the RT. The house was built in 1858 for Shagibutdin Mardzhani, the Tatar scientist and educator. In 1863, the house was rebuilt after a fire by the architect P. Romanov. Mardzhani lived in this house and died in 1889. In 2012-2013, the house was resettled according to the program for the demolition of dilapidated housing and reconstructed by the Kyzyl-Yulduz branch of the “Training and Experimental Suburban Forestry”. The house was transferred under a contract of gratuitous use to the Association of Muslim Businessmen of the Russian Federation for the organization of a gallery named after Sh. Mardzhani on October 28, 2017.

The head of the republic positively assessed the content of the house and the collections exhibited in it. In particular, handmade shamails, namazlyk of unique Tatar tambour embroidery presented there, a set of Tatar photographs collected. The President noted that the Mardzhani House-Museum is a face of Kazan, the face of the Tatar nation since the life of the Tatar enlightened elite of the XIX century is represented there.

The guests also visited the newly opened museum of the Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda “Tatar Bistase”, which is located on Kayum Nasyri Street, №38. An excursion in the halls of the museum was organized for guests. Then on the street of Kayum Nasyri, the prefecture of the Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda and students of the KSUAE presented a sketch proposal for the development of the street with the strengthening of tourist navigation, and small architectural forms. Rustam Minnikhanov supported the proposal.

R. Minnikhanov also visited the cultural heritage site of regional importance “Pharmacy, XIX Century” on Bauman Street, №49. Its building has been under restoration since 2012. Five years later, it began its work again in September 2017. Today, there are also information stands about the history of the old pharmacy in the former Bolshaya Prolomnaya Street (now the corner of Universitetskaya and Bauman streets).