On June 6, Kazan will host the “Book-Fest”: “Tolstoy without a beard”, finger theater, games and performances

(KZN.RU, June 3, Ksenia Shvetsova). On June 6, the birthday of Alexander Pushkin, the sixth festival “Book-Fest” will take place in Kazan in Lyadskoy Garden. The program of the festival includes exhibitions, performances of famous writers, contests, games, and much more. The book festival will be completed with an open air film screening in Aksenov Square. Azat Abzalov, the head of the Department of Culture, announced this at the Business Monday today.

On the day of the festival, the exhibition “Tolstoy without a beard” will open on the central alley of Lyadskoy Garden. It is based on unique materials from the collection of the Leo Tolstoy State Museum. The exhibition will show the citizens another, secular side of the writer's life. Visitors to the park will be able to learn about the Kazan life period of Leo Tolstoy and the works devoted to this time, noted A. Abzalov.

The main event of the festival will begin at 11 am. At this time, the eminent participants of the Book-Fest will perform on the main stage. For example, Arina Obukh, winner of international prose-art contests, and Roman Liberov, a scriptwriter and literary columnist, are among them.

All festival sites in the park this year will be dedicated to the Year of the Theater. Thus, art objects, book exhibitions and installations from theatrical Kazan will be presented on the alleys of the park. And actors of Kazan theaters will play episodes. Guests of the festival will see performances of the poetic duet “Kazanskie Kniznitsy”, and will also be able to take part in theatrical master classes.

An alley “Children's Theater” with performances based on children's books, a puppet-finger theater, reading children's plays, intellectual games and other entertainment will be prepared for the youngest participants of the festival.

Everyone could read their original texts at the Free Microphone. And those who wish will also check their spelling knowledge and write a literary dictation on the works of Alexander Pushkin.

Master classes in various techniques of applications will be on the avenue of artistic creativity. Everyone can create a bookmark, a theatrical mask or a postcard.

In addition, the park will feature a thematic book exhibition on the history of the creation of the RT on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the formation of the TASSR.

At 8.30 pm, the festival will continue in Aksenov Square with an original film “Save my speech forever” by Roman Liberov, dedicated to the memory of Osip Mandelstam.

“The main purpose of the festival is to instill interest and love for the book. We invite all Kazan citizens and guests of the capital to spend their time with benefit and diversify their leisure time”, said A. Abzalov.

Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, joined the invitation of residents and guests of the capital of Tatarstan to the book festival in the Lyadskoy Garden. “Urban cultural life is beautiful not only with great events, but also with such cozy festivals”, he said. “It is very important that we have them. We invite residents to participation”.