I. Metshin: “We can and should learn from each other”

(KZN.RU, June 21, Alena Miroshnichenko). Today, the Kazan City Hall hosts a meeting of the Board of Directors of the League of Historic Cities (LHC). The meeting participants are discussing the possibility of holding the XVII World Conference of the League of Historic Cities in Kazan in 2020. In the case of a favorable decision, the event will take place in Russia for the first time.

Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Tatarstan’s capital, Shigenori Shibata, the secretary general of LHC, representing the Japanese Kyoto, Hannes Heide, the Mayor of Bad Ischl, Evgeniya Lodvigova, the first deputy head of the Kazan Municipality, as well as representatives of Shiraz, Kenzhdu, Xi'an and Konya attended the meeting.

Welcoming the guests, Ilsur Metshin thanked the board of directors for deciding to consider Kazan as the city hosting the World League Conference of Historic Cities in the year of the 100th anniversary of the TASSR founding. “2020 will be a landmark year for our republic. 100 years ago we had the opportunity to learn our native language, teach our children in this language and preserve the distinctive culture of all the peoples inhabiting Tatarstan”, said I. Metshin.

Approximately 200 participants are expected to attend the XVII World Conference of the League of Historic Cities in 2020. Not only mayors of cities are among them, but also experts in the field of preserving the heritage and folk traditions of the cities-members of the League. The conference will include exhibitions and presentations, as well as the organization of platforms for the exchange of experience in the field of preserving the heritage of different countries.

The Mayor of Kazan noted that Kazan is a unique center of Eurasia. “From generation to generation, a respectful attitude towards cultural heritage has been given for over 1000 years. But the main wealth of the city is its inhabitants, active, creative and friendly. It is a great honor for us and a great pleasure to receive guests. We will try to create all conditions for the successful work of the XVII World Conference of Historic Cities. I am convinced that we can and should learn from each other”, said I. Metshin. He added that the city has considerable international experience in solving problems, including issues of reviving, preserving and developing the historical heritage.

Participants of the League of Historical Cities will visit the Kazan Kremlin, the island-town of Sviyazhsk, and the Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda. Ilsur Metshin invited the guests to join the national holiday Sabantuy, which will take place in Kazan on June 23.

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The League of Historic Cities was founded in Kyoto in Japan in 1987 on the initiative of the Mayor of the city. League members are cities with unique culture and traditions, rich historical heritage, possessing a large number of outstanding buildings, architectural monuments and historic sites. The organization's activities contribute to the development of various cultures, creative processes, innovation, preservation and reconstruction of the historical and cultural heritage. At the beginning of 2019, the league included 117 participants from 65 countries of five continents. The League cooperates with the United Nations Human Settlements Program, the International Council on Monuments and the Organization of World Heritage Cities.