I. Metshin: “We're like the field referees: it's better to go unnoticed to keep the game running smoothly”

The National Library of Tatarstan hosted an Unchildish Conversation - an open meeting of the Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin with teenagers. During the two-hour session organized by Movement of the First, the Mayor answered about 50 questions. The range of topics turned out to be wide: from career path and opportunities for self-realization to the issues of public transportation and urban infrastructure development. 

Over 300 schoolchildren took part in the meeting with the Mayor. They drew posters with questions for Ilsur Metshin right in the lobby, hoping to attract the Mayor's attention. 

“Very cool guys have come here, and I am very grateful to you for taking the time for this meeting. Any success requires a lot of work, it's a long way to go. It all starts in childhood. Someone was the leader of the yard, someone was the captain of a football or hockey team. It is in childhood that we lay the foundation of our personality and acquire our first leadership skills. Therefore, I am sure that you are our future leaders - those who will make life better: in Kazan, in our republic and throughout the country,”- Ilsur Metshin addressed the students. 

The poster “I want to be mayor” was the first to attract the Mayor's attention. The Mayor asked the author to share how he imagined this work, promising then to tell about his first day at work in the Sovetsky district administration. The student Andrey replied that the mayor's work seemed interesting to him, but at the same time “dull” and bureaucratic: with paperwork and difficult decisions requiring permanent employment. He is attracted to such an active style, and he would like to link his future with municipal government. 

“The work of my team and my colleagues is almost completely hidden from view. We are like field referees: it is better to go unnoticed to keep the game running smoothly. The ideal result is when you enjoy the comfort of your city, without even thinking about what a tremendous job is behind every such moment,”- Ilsur Metshin shared. 

At the meeting with the Mayor, a wide range of topics was discussed. Teenagers were interested in what professions are in demand at the Mayor's Office today and how the administration can attract teenagers to urban projects. They also asked what skills to develop in order to become in-demand specialists in 5-15 years. 

Landscaping of Kazan was also discussed. There was also a question about the Kurlay amusement park and its location. 

A student from Vosstaniya Street drew attention to the lack of modern sports grounds in his area and asked about the prospects for the construction of a new sports venue. Another question was about a hypothetical scenario: that the Mayor would implement in the city with an unlimited budget.