Tatyana Larionova: ‘Those six multilingual complexes that are planned aren’t the limit’

Whom to pass history to?

Following up Bolgar and Sviyazhsk, an idea of creating a new programme appeared several years ago but to deal with issues of the Silk Way, which went through Tatarstan too. And it was said about the revival of Bilyar then. Is there any progress in this matter or has the idea been frozen?

The idea is great. First of all, scientists’ research should end, and they are dealing with it. There must be a well-grounded evidential basis. There must be an approved project, a programme. Nobody refuses the idea itself, but now the Tatarstan Ministry of Culture and Kazan Federal University are in charge of its implementation. The creation of multilingual complexes became the main task of the current and next period for the foundation. And I think this is correct.

When we were preparing for our jubilee, the 10^th anniversary, we analysed our previous intentions, I read Mr Shaimiyev’s many speeches. Each speech is full of promising and, most importantly, accomplished ideas, he didn’t become the only UNESCO special ambassador for intercultural dialogue in Russia accidentally.

I am amazed at the way he formulated tasks of the foundation and its prospects during the presentation of the foundation back in 2010 when we were just discovering some ways of our developing. The conceptual task of reviving Bolgar and Sviyzahsk was shown in possible forms of work, the list of potential partners, proposals for certain deadlines, promising sites for restoration and construction, archaeology and religion, culture and tourism, international ties. During the presentation at Pyramid, Mr Shaimiyev stressed that we took on Bolgar and Sviyazhsk, on their revivals to hand down these landmarks with the world universal value to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in a proper state — the future belongs to children.

During the presentation at Pyramid, Mr Shaimiyev stressed that we took on Bolgar and Sviyazhsk, on their revivals to hand down these landmarks with the world universal value to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in a proper state — the future belongs to children

It is obvious that what the foundation has done becomes a patrimony of the next generations. Precisely children should understand the greatness of our history and culture, be ready to keep conserving, protecting, passing today’s traditions, our peace, harmony to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I think this is the answer to the question of why we took on the multilingual schools.

Children easily learn languages from an early age, this is why our complexes include preschool. In Kazan and Yelabuga, they operate in cooperation with educational complexes. Two preschools in Chelny are already preparing to work as part of the next multilingual complex, children learn the Tatar and English languages, moreover, they do it with pleasure. The named establishments become sites to test new methods of early language teaching.

The fact that Mr Shaimiyev saw new modern prospects of preschool and school education is positively welcomed by the population. We want very much to make it work.

Languages after class and on holiday

As for the languages, how is the balance kept in learning? Are the two official languages and English taught?

There are federal standards we don’t refuse, it was a serious and primary task for us. The number of hours of Russian and Tatar is fixed according to adopted norms. Tatar learning for children is envisaged as an official language or mother tongue. This is completely up to the parents and child. It is also important that some subjects in the multilingual complex are taught in Russian, Tatar and English.

At the same time, the possibility of good language skills is also reinforced by educational work in the noon when there is extracurricular work, including classes. Extracurricular classes, interesting creative discussions, the reinforcement of obtained knowledge in everyday life open additional opportunities for children.

Today we opened the construction site in Naberezhnye Chelny. Hopefully, the republic will already have three complexes next 1 September. The complexes have centres for supplementary education, which are in the suburbs. This campus in Kazan is created in Swan’s Lake, while this centre for Chelny, Yelabuga, Nizhnekamsk and Almetyevsk will be created in Naberezhnye Chelny. Children will go to the camp and find themselves in a corresponding linguistic environment and continue their studies.

It is also important that some subjects in the multilingual complex are taught in Russian, Tatar and English

In our work, we rest on the already existing experience of Bala City multimedia educational establishment. We have an international school that also works with native speakers. These establishments are private, but the interaction and cooperation with experienced colleagues help us hope for serious results in the public sector. Mr Shaimiyev often repeats that multilingual complexes are the safe bet.

I think that those six complexes that are planned aren’t the limit because a lot of municipalities wonder: “How to get to this programme?” Most importantly, citizens ask this question. Many realise that two official languages can become the norm, while the English language provides children with a lot of additional advantages and competitiveness. Multilingual complexes offer this way of the school’s development. Adymnar (Editor’s Note: steps in Tatar) is a road to knowledge and harmony, this is the slogan of our school, these are the main tasks of Renaissance foundation today.

Where there’s a will there’s a way

The foundation already printed 10 volumes with the names of benefactors. How can they help the foundation today?

We printed 10 volumes with the names of benefactors where we added every person regardless of the amount of the contribution. We are endlessly grateful to everybody. The current account of the foundation was published on our website. The citizen himself chooses what the money will be allocated for. It can be sites linked with Bolgar and Sviyazhsk — some people still want to help them through our foundation. One can donate money to create multilingual complexes. The targeted use of this money is mandatory for the foundation.

There are other ways to support our projects. Take, for instance, our educational complexes. We have so many performance groups in the republic. And some of them already see themselves in interaction with new establishments. The Tatarstan Union of Artists was one of the first to offer the Kazan multilingual complex to organise a permanent exhibition of the best, famous artists of the republic. And we accepted this with gratitude, signed an agreement with the Union of Artists, and some of the best works dedicated to the 100^th Anniversary of the TASSR was in the school on Bondarenko Street on 1 September. Children looked into the paintings, recognised names of their authors with great pleasure.

Famous artists, poets, composers offered to help with classes, studios, art workshops. If a person can do something better than others and wants to pass his skills to children, why not do this? The ways can be various. Most importantly, there must be a will, ways of developing kind initiatives will certainly be found.

Some of the best works dedicated to the 100^th Anniversary of the TASSR was in the school on Bondarenko Street on 1 September. Children looked into the paintings, recognised names of their authors with great pleasure

Villagers will be taken to doctors or specialists themselves will come

You chair the group for national projects in the republic. How is the work in these areas doing? How has the pandemic influenced this work and what are the difficulties in this area?

If in the first part of our talk I said about Mr Shaimiyev’s role, here I must say that national projects in our republic are fulfilled thanks to our President Mr Minnikhanov’s unique efficiency and amazing authority. All 12 national projects with different financing are included in the republic’s programme — it isn’t easy. Why does the Russian Federation support us? We fulfil 100 our own, so-called presidential programmes, and each of them “feeds” national projects.

For example, Tatarstan has managed to create 30 preschools for children in 2019 and another 20 this year. Moreover, it is establishments for seats for nursery age kids. Colossal work has been done in road construction in the last two years, a lot of housing has been built like probably nowhere, the programme of creation of parks and squares develops, Our Courtyard programme is implemented in addition to it. And though the pandemic negatively influences the development pace of national projects, the work in this area in the republic doesn’t stop.

Thanks to the polyclinics on wheels, care arrived in these villages too. Rural residents can do screening, quickly learn the results of their blood tests, get consultation from specialists, receive an appointment for hospitalisation, order necessary medication for treatment

An informative round-table talk on the national projects Demography and Health Care, particularly The Older Generation federal project, recently took place in the State Duma. Tatarstan was heard out as a region that managed to achieve the biggest results.

We are the only republic that managed to purchase special transports for all rural districts to deliver people older than 65 years to health care establishments. Why is it necessary if health posts are built everywhere? Obviously, health posts can provide primary care. While an elderly person needs a thorough examination, preventive aid. With the appearance of special transport, the elderly can go to regional hospitals and receive different kinds of timely quality help.

The republic purchased four mobile polyclinics that also provide rural residents with health care. We have almost 1,300 villages where less than 100 families live. Thanks to the polyclinics on wheels, care arrived in these villages too. Rural residents can do screening, quickly learn the results of their blood tests, get consultation from specialists, receive an appointment for hospitalisation, order necessary medication for treatment. When Mr Minnikhanov was in one of such districts, saw how the medical service worked and noted the necessity of such health care because a countryperson won’t seek for advice unless he or she falls. And here an entire brigade of doctors arrives!

To live not only long but also actively

Today in the republic we’re creating a geriatric service designed for the elderly’s active longevity. Does a person need a long life if he is in bed, if he isn’t pleased with himself, psychologically considers himself as a burden for his nearest and dearest? A geriatrician will say what medication he needs, how to change nutrition, what physical exercise he should do to save and extend his activity.

Just think that a therapist has 20 minutes per patients, while the shortest duration of a geriatrician’s appointment is 40 minutes per person. It means the doctor has the possibility of doing more. 56 wards have already been created in the republic, another 21 will open by the end of the year. The wards will appear in all municipalities.

Our commission offered to create geriatric wards more convenient and comfortable to communicate with the elderly. In the year of the 75^th Anniversary of the Victory, deputies donated money for this purpose. It is a tribute of respect for the elderly, living veterans of the Great Patriotic War, home front workers, children of war.

A new building of the Novy-Churilinsk Residential Care Home in Arsk District for 93 seats was built within a national project. Other care homes received necessary support from deputies

And I can provide a lot of such results in every project. 4,500 old people are in residential care homes, they get there for different reasons. A new building of the Novy-Churilinsk Residential Care Home in Arsk District for 93 seats was built within the national project. Other care homes received necessary support from deputies. This should be the norm, of course. By the way, I don’t really like the name of our commission, it came to us from the top. We analyse the situation, if needed we take measures as deputies.

The pandemic made its amendments, of course. Now changes are made to previously adopted norms and agreements. At the same time, it is a temporary occurrence. It is widely known that Vladimir Putin made a decision to expand the validity of national projects through 2030. We didn’t stop and will move on.

Female deputies find solution instinctively

As a head of the association of female deputies you said you wanted to see more women in politics as deputies. And today many talk about women’s possibilities. Do you think that women themselves lack aspiration or should conditions be created? If it is the conditions, what exactly?

Perhaps the traditions, the formed mentality have an impact because a deputy’s work is, first of all, a business of the male part of society.

If we compare the percentage ratio of women and men in the State Duma and the Federation Council, in other regions’ parliaments, we have good positions. The previous session of the State Council had 15 women out of 100 deputies, now they total 16. And each of them is a determined, responsible person aimed at good results.

A lot of issues are resolved more effectively because it is possible to hear voters better and faster, instinctively to determine effective ways, possible solutions to them

This year there were held elections to municipal self-governments, and the number of female deputies in municipalities increased. I want to believe that our association Mercy has some impact on it. We have tabled a lot of issues, which are sometimes hot-button, inconvenient on the general agenda of deputies, for many years, we have implemented female projects in support of different categories of the population who need help, we deal with charity a lot.

We’re heard, accepted, supported — this is valuable. We, women, deputies of the State Council and female deputies of municipalities, work together in cooperation. We have managed to do a lot for social orphanages where children in a complicated situation are placed, rehabilitation centres for children with disabilities, veterans in the last years.

A lot of issues are resolved more effectively because it is possible to hear voters better and faster, instinctively to determine effective ways, possible solutions to them. We hosted a hotline Women’s Attention in Women’s Process Safety just last week. We consulted many of them, started to work on 13 issues. We understood once again that voters trust with their troubles, problems, pin their hopes on us, rely on our natural responsibility. The trust must be justified by certain actions!