The Mayor of Kazan: “We will do everything to enhance reading culture in Kazan”

(KZN.RU, June 6, Alina Berezhnaya). Today, the 6th Book-Fest 2019, dedicated to the Day of the Russian Language and the 220th birth anniversary of the great poet and writer Alexander Pushkin, takes place in Lyadskoy Garden of Kazan. During the day, an exhibition based on unique materials from the Leo Tolstoy State Museum fund is held for the guests of the festival. In addition, master classes and games for children are held, and everyone can read verses and excerpts from their favorite works at the “free microphone”. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, visited the literary festival.

At the entrance to the garden, guests were greeted by the female jazz orchestra “Fantasia” under the direction of Yuri Kogan. The musicians performed domestic and foreign classical works.

An exhibition from the Leo Tolstoy State Museum “Tolstoy without a beard” opened on the central alley of Lyadskoy Garden. Nikolay Baskov, a librarian of the central city library, said that the main focus of the exhibition was placed on the Kazan period of Leo Tolstoy’s life. “The great Russian writer was opened from a special point in this period. Life in Kazan largely influenced the formation of Tolstoy’s views and convictions, many of which he retained for life”, said N. Baskov. Ilsur Metshin noted that such exhibitions are useful for the younger generation, as they tell about the lives of the greatest writers who have made an invaluable contribution to the development of the Russian language.

Not far from the exhibition, students of the children's art school №6 were painting pictures. “We work in different techniques, the main focus is on Tatar images and national ornament”, said Naziya Gallyamova, the school director. She presented a book with the works of her students to Ilsur Metshin.

The Mayor also got acquainted with the book fair presented at the festival.

The atmosphere of the book festival spread in every corner of the Lyadskoy Garden. Children read fairy tales, the older ones checked literacy by participating in the literary dictation of the works of Alexander Pushkin. For true fans of books, lectures were given on the main stage by Roman Liberov, a director, screenwriter, literary columnist, and Arina Obukh, a prose writer and graphic artist.

While the parents listened to the speeches of invited guests, the children made bookmarks. One of the crafts was presented to the Mayor of Kazan.

“I am glad that there are a large number of parents with children at the holiday, their interest in the book is genuine”, said I. Metshin. “Literature is returning, the Internet and TV will never replace a real book. We will do everything to ensure the enhancing of reading culture in Kazan”.

One of the most popular sites was the “free microphone”. Everyone read poems and excerpts from their favorite works. Ilsur Metshin listened to the 18-year-old Natalia Egorova, who read Grushenka's monolog from Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel “The Brothers Karamazov”. “Russian classics will always be relevant. My favorite writer is Dostoevsky, he has no bad works. Everyone can find something of their own in them”, said N. Egorova.

Honored cultural workers came to listen to citizens’ performances, including Vadim Keshner, the actor of the Kachalovsky Theater, a People’s Artist of the RF and the RT. He noted that such festivals allow Kazan citizens to join the culture.

Together with the Mayor of Kazan, the festival was attended by Rustem Gafarov, the first deputy head of the Kazan Executive Committee, Azat Abzalov, the head of the Department of Culture, Andrey Lobov, the head of the Vakhitovsky and Privolzhsky districts’ administration, and Marat Zakirov, the director of the MBU “Directorate of Parks and Squares”.