Ilsur Metshin: “Kindness and volunteering are a powerful unifying factor”

Today, on the eve of the international day of charity, the Mayor of Tatarstan's capital Ilsur Metshin presented awards at the Kazan City Hall to more than 70 volunteers, philanthropists, entrepreneurs and other citizens who assisted the residents at the most difficult period of the pandemic coronavirus infection and took part in Russian program of mutual assistance #Myvmeste (We are together).

“Together, we were ready to support those in need”

“All invited to this hall today are real friends of Kazan citizens who were in a difficult situation, friends of our city, -  I.Metshin addressed the participants of the event. – We strive to make Kazan the kindest city in Russia, and I believe that a lot has already been done in that direction”.

Five years ago, the development of charity and volunteering was determined as one of the priorities of the city's development, the Mayor reminded. In the capital of Tatarstan, the Good Kazan project was launched, which brought together all concerned citizens, charitable foundations and non-profit organizations willing to help people.

“Today we are proud to hear that volunteers from Kazan are the best in the world. I am sure that this is true”, - said I.Metshin. Now the city is actively developing both environmental and social volunteering, he added.

Kazan became one of the first cities to actively participate in the Russian mutual assistance campaign #Myvmeste, which started on March 21. The campaign was aimed at supporting elderly, disabled citizens and medical staff during the coronavirus pandemic. The Mayor reminded that the capital of Tatarstan quickly developed a platform to help the elderly on the existing Open Kazan platform and was able to organize volunteers in a short time, provide them with transport to deliver food and medicines to the elderly and citizens who are at risk for complications from coronavirus infection.

After greeting the participants of the event, I.Metshin presented honorary awards of Kazan.

The volunteers who fulfilled the largest number of requests for food and medicine delivery received letters of thanks from the Mayor of Kazan.

The awards were presented to the teams of all organizations that provided various types of support during the pandemic

Specifically, I. Metshin thanked the heads of non-profit organizations and individual entrepreneurs for their support. “Many thanks to representatives of Kazan business who provided food packages, charitable foundations that distributed hot meals and hygiene goods to citizens in need”, - the head of the city said.

The head of the city presented awards to the teams of all organizations that provided various types of support during the pandemic. The letters of thanks by the Mayor of the city of Kazan for active participation in the movement “Yardem yanashe! Help is near!” encouraged the staff of the enterprises of the city. Among them are the company Bakhetle, the charity fund of the Altyn eniy company, the Auchan company and many others.

Special thanks were awarded to the Yardam Foundation, which launched the Road of life social project, thanks to which disabled persons received free hot meals, medicines, and masks every day.

The awarding ceremony was accompanied by creative performances, as well as performances of dance and vocal groups. The final song at the event was performed by the Igor Krutoy’s Academy choir.