Tourists will be able to watch the Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda on electric cars

(KZN.RU, March 5, Ekaterina Vislavskaya). A new type of excursion will be launched in the Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda in Kazan in April. Tourists will move along the pedestrian street on electric cars, said Marat Usmanov, the prefect of the territory “Stary Gorod”, on the Business Monday.

Last year, more than 1 million tourists visited the Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda. They come to Kazan on average for 2-3 days and spend 5-6 thousand rubles a day. According to Marat Usmanov, hotels and hostels on the territory of the Sloboda are loaded almost completely, especially during the tourist season. The survey showed that visitors to the village are attracted by its convenient location, the availability of cultural heritage, pedestrian areas, national restaurants, museums, as well as festivals and other major events. However, tourists advise refining the concept of the territory, navigation, routes for independent walks, sanitary zones, art objects, and landscaping.

This year, the Prefecture is preparing several innovations. By the summer, art objects will be installed on a pedestrian street and embankment, including a photo frame. In April, excursions along the pedestrian street on electric cars will be launched. Two cars have already been purchased for this but the fleet will be replenished in the future. The MBU “Historical Environment” has developed 4 excursion tourist products only in the Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda, now more than 100 guides are trained. The festival of blacksmith's art, the opening day on Kayum Nasyri Street, the festival of modern Tatar music, historical quests, projects “Kitap bistese”, and Water-Film screenings are planned. Many mass events will be held in the Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda during the World Cup-2018. “We are ready to welcome the maximum number of tourists”, said M. Usmanov. “Last year we hosted about 40 buses with organized groups at the same time”.

One of the main points of attraction of tourists are objects of cultural heritage. There are 96 of them on the territory of the Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda, and about 10 of them still require restoration. More than 388 million rubles were invested in the reconstruction of cultural heritage sites in 2017.

I. Metshin appreciated work of the prefecture for taking into account the opinion of tourists, developing new routes, training guides, continuing reconstruction of cultural heritage sites, and business development. He reminded that the Russian President in his message to the Federal Assembly mentioned Kazan as a successful example of preserving the historical appearance of the city and renewing the urban environment. “We must work even better after such words, continue to be an example for others and, most importantly, for ourselves”, he said.

The Mayor urged not only to restore historical buildings but also to fill them with content. “The Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda and the prefect have to become a magnet not only for tourists but also for the citizens. Fill it with life, come up with ideas, we have enough creative, ideological people, willing to participate in the public cultural life of Kazan”, I. Metshin addressed M. Usmanov. “We expect a new level of work from the prefecture in the coming summer tourist season. The Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda have to be not just a pearl but a center, the very core of all cultural and tourist life”.