The Mayor of Kazan takes the metro on the Earth Car Free Day

Today, on the Earth Car Free Day, the Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin took the metro. He went to work on a decorated “train of native languages”. The Mayor talked to the passengers, interested on their mood and examined the unusual trains. “The future of any city is closely linked with the development of public transport, and for us this is a systematic activity. The future of Kazan is a full transition to public transport. Of course, the issue requires a lot of work and financial investments, but this is the only way to save environment and reduce traffic jams”, - I.Metshin said.

The head of the city noted that it is symbolic to use the train, which was launched in Kazan for the Year of Native Languages and National Unity. About 20 languages of the peoples whose representatives live in Kazan and Tatarstan are used in the design of the train. Languages are presented as aphorisms, quotes by outstanding writers and famous personalities.

Guzel Sagitova, deputy head of the Executive Committee for social issues, ,told I. Metshin that three train carriages are divided into six zones, which are decorated with national symbols. In one of them, passengers can learn, for example, interesting facts about Kazan and Tatarstan, in the other - about the Tatars and the Tatar language. The third train carriage is dedicated to the Russian language, and the fourth one contains all the information in Tatar. In addition, there are native language zones on the train, where everyone can learn popular idioms in Tatar, Russian, Mari, Chuvash, Mordovian, Udmurt, Georgian, Uzbek, Azerbaijani and other languages.

According to G. Sagitova, the idea to launch such a train in Kazan belongs to Tatar public figures, and the Executive Committee supported the initiative. “It was one of the most challenging projects for us. But we understood that the metro is one of the most popular transport both for citizens and tourists. And such a decoration will promote learning languages among residents. We have tried to make it interesting for young people. There are a lot of interesting facts, catch phrases and even humor here”, - she added.

Besides, there are idioms and expressions, tongue proverbs and sayings on the walls of the train.

As the deputy head of the Executive Committee noted, the train will run until the end of the year, but the residents of the city have already appreciated the idea and ask to remain the train for a longer period. The project resonated in other regions. “I am pleased that our neighbors are also supporting our initiative. They requesting some materials. Our greatest treasure is interethnic peace, we have been living in friendship, respect for each other and traditions for centuries. And we will definitely continue this important work for us”, - I.Metshin concluded.