''Adymnar — to knowledge and consent'': Mintimer Shaimiev's team sums up the results of work over 9 years
The revival project of Bolgar and Sviyazhsk has been completed. A new educational one is starting
Vozrozhdenie Fund has summed up the results of nine years of work on the implementation of the complex project 'Cultural Heritage: the island-town of Sviyazhsk and Ancient Bolgar'. This stage is over, but the new goal of the team of State Counselor of the Republic of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev is no less interesting. On 1 February, it was announced about the start of a pilot programme in the education system from the stage of the cultural and entertainment complex Piramida in Kazan. Read the details in the material of Realnoe Vremya.
On the river of time
Investors, heads of enterprises of the region, students of lyceums and schools, pupils of the orphanage, as well as benefactors who have made a personal contribution to the revival of historical and architectural monuments gathered at the ceremony of summarizing the nine-year work of the Republican Vozrozhdenie Fund. They came to the celebration with their families.
The participants of the ceremony were offered to go on a trip ''along the river of time'' – it was the name of the prologue of the performance, in which the guests plunged into the centuries-old history of Muslim and Orthodox shrines. And then — into much closer days, but also — already history. Exactly 9 years ago, from the same stage, Tatarstan State Counselor Mintimer Shaimiev announced the launch of the largest project that united the state, business, religious organizations and the public:
''We are talking about cultural values of several generations. One wonders whether we will be able to preserve such heritage in Tatarstan. To revive our ethnic cultural monuments, which are of all-Russian importance today. I mean, first of all, the ancient city of Bolgar and the island-town of Sviyazhsk,'' he said then.
Today, after less than 10 years, it is obvious: we not just managed, but did even more than could imagine.
''This project showed how it is possible together, by uniting efforts, on the site of desolation, on the place where it would seem impossible to revive a great historical heritage that our ancestors left, to create a wonderful museum, cultural and tourist centre. Over the years, the number of tourists who come to Bolgar and Sviyazhsk has increased 20-25 times. Last year, there were already more than a million of them,'' said Minister of Culture of Russia Vladimir Medinsky. He also shared his personal observation: many of his acquaintants are eager to visit Tatarstan. What is more, with the aim to visit Bolgar and Sviyazhsk.''
''These places have really become a global brand,'' Medinsky stated.
''Nine years ago, all these things seemed complicated. It seemed that all this would be very far,'' agreed with the minister Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov. ''But Mintimer Sharipovich managed to assemble a team, convince all of us — our large enterprises, business, population. And most importantly, the project was supported by our President Vladimir Putin, we received federal support. This is a huge and very hard work. What has been done is just priceless. I have been working in the government for a long time, we have repeatedly visited both Bolgar and Sviyazhsk, met, but we did not have the strength, possibilities, and courage. But Mintimer Sharipovich, when he resigned as the president, said he would undertake these objects. And he succeeded.''
Thanks to this, Tatarstan's experience in the revival of historical and architectural monuments is now in demand. Not only people from all over Russia, but also from abroad come to get acquainted with it. The initiator of the project, Mintimer Shaimiev, is the only special envoy of UNESCO in the country today.
''It was an interesting and creative experience: years of discoveries and insights. I would call it the time of self-cognition, spiritual revival of society. Over 9 years, we have succeeded not only in restoring historical monuments and architectural ensembles, constructing new significant buildings, creating modern infrastructure, improving territories of settlements. The main thing — in many respects we have succeeded in recreating the spiritual image: the faith, traditions and culture of our ancestors,'' Mintimer Shaimiev emphasized.
The team assembled by him included professional architects, archaeologists, builders, historians. They found the right approaches and chose the right technologies and materials.
''The importance of this work was very clearly designated by former director of UNESCO Irina Bokova. Being in Kazan, she said: Bolgar and Sviyazhsk are not just geographical points on the map of Russia. These are beacons for international dialogue in the world. They show us the way to achieve spiritual values and ideals of humanism. These are beacons that show us how to live together,'' said the state counselor of Tatarstan.
Public and business participation in the project is priceless
Rustam Minnikhanov addressed some words of gratitude to business representatives:
''We wouldn't be able to realize everything that was created only at the expense of the federal and republican budget. The contribution of our enterprises, private individuals, partners, businessmen, including those living outside Tatarstan, is huge. I wish your good deeds returned to you tenfold.''
By the way, those who took part in the project are tens of thousands. The name of each patron is included in the Book of Benefactors. The most active participants of the project right on the stage received awards from the hands of the president of Tatarstan. Among them is the whole thousand-strong team of TAIF Group. The enterprises of the group participated in the project not only financially, but also took over the reconstruction of a number of historical sites, as well as the construction of new socially significant ones.
The letters of acknowledgements from the president of Tatarstan were also given to the teams of Tatneft PJSC and the A.H. Khalikov Institute of Archaeology at Tatarstan Academy of Sciences and a number of specialists.
The project is completed — new challenges ahead
''I congratulate you on the completion of the project and express my regret. Now, such a great team, you've created, such a great team needs a new project,'' said Vladimir Medinsky. But, as it turned out, he regretted in vain — the team has already found a new goal.
''Mintimer Sharipovich has a very important and promising plan: the main asset of our republic is people. We should educate our youth to make our republic competitive. Mintimer Sharipovich came to me with a proposal, with a plan to create the most modern educational centres from kindergarten to school, with the possibility of learning at least three languages. These are not just schools, but educational centres of the future. I am sure that, like any other project which Mintimer Sharipovich has undertaken, it will be implemented perfectly,'' Rustam Minnikhanov expressed confidence.
The republic has already gained support at the federal level. Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Tatiana Golikova already endorsed the idea of creating the educational system of the future, and Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Olga Vasilyeva is ready to support it. But, as in the previous project, the assistance of the business community and large industry of Tatarstan will be required. This pilot project cannot be implemented only at the expense of the regional budget and federal support.
Mintimer Shaimiev told about the vision of the educational centre of the future:
''Vozrozhdenie Fund together with the ministry of education of the Russian Federation and the ministry of education and science of Tatarstan intend to start the unique educational project: the construction and formation of educational complexes consisting of a multi-profile school, kindergarten, boarding school for children coming from districts, and a suburban children's camp. Such centres will provide academic knowledge, competitive trilingual training — in Russian, Tatar and English. Russian and Tatar are the state languages of the Republic of Tatarstan, English is the language of international communication. In the future, it will be possible to study more languages. The centres will serve the purpose of forming a versatile personality that respects human values, tolerance and humanistic attitudes.''
The Tatarstan state counselor stressed that many famous people — Pushkin, Tolstoy, Lomonosov, Chernyshevsky — knew more than ten languages. The current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov knows four languages, President Vladimir Putin and the minister of culture of the Russian Federation — three. Mintimer Shaimiev himself said from the stage that he taught German at school, and now began to learn English.
The project starts in Kazan. Not because it is the capital of the republic, but because it is here the maximum of representatives of the majority of peoples living in the region is concentrated. It is even possible that it will need not one, but two or more centres. Where the first one, which will receive the name 'Adymnar — to knowledge and consent', will be located is already known:
''The base one could be the trilingual 165th school of Kazan. Its director is the winner of the diploma of the all-Russian competition 'School Director 2016' Aydar Shamsutdinov. He is 43 years old, he knows six foreign languages and not for the first year working as a director. About 80 per cent of the students in the school speak three languages. We have decided to build an extension to the school and make it a basic primary school this year. The complex should be as follows: kindergartens, primary school, then we will begin to build with the help of the city and the fund a high school and a camp. 2,400 people will study in this first complex,'' Shaimiev explained.
Then the project, step by step, is to cover all the major and then smaller cities of the republic.
''The fact that you have announced the next big step — a project in the field of education, school education — it is significant. We know that when you come 'the projectile', you can be sure of success,'' said Deputy Minister of Education of Russia Pavel Zenkovich. ''In the implementation of this project, the ministry of education, of course, is ready to act as a partner. We are interested in the implementation of this project. I am sure that such schools will be a source of pride not only for Tatarstan, but also for the entire school system in Russia. They will become both an example and platform for testing new, innovative technologies, which will then be used throughout the country. For our part, we are ready to provide all possible support.''
The deputy minister also felt the need to learn several languages and began to comprehend Tatar: ''Rekhmet,'' said Zenkovich, when Mintimer Shaimiev handed him the sign of Vozrozhdenie Fund as a symbol of the start of the new great work.
