‘Into the world of Tukay through VR’ — museum complex in Novy Kyrlay updates the exposition
The first stage of large-scale reconstruction of territories has begun in the village itself
The first stage of reconstruction has begun in the Arsky district in the village of Novy Kyrlay on the territory of the Gabdulla Tukay museum complex. All events are held in preparation for the large-scale celebration of the 140th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Tatar poet Gabdulla Tukay. In the museum itself, the new virtual reality project called Urman (Forest) has been launched these days. Read more about this exhibition and the new plans of the cultural institution in the material of Realnoe Vremya.
In the footsteps of Tukay
Preparations for the celebration of the 140th anniversary of the birth of the Tatar poet Gabdulla Tukay are in full swing in Novy Kyrlay. The anniversary will be celebrated only in 2026, but already in the village, which the writer himself considered his home, much has been done within this date. In particular, it is planned to recreate the image of a place telling about the life and work of the “Sun of Tatar poetry” on the territory of the complex.
Several stages of reconstruction are planned. According to the director of the Tukaya Museum complex, this year it was possible to start work on cleaning the territory near the ornamental pond and the Iya River. Besides, major repairs have begun.
Roads towards the village of Kushlavych Arsky district, where the poet was born. According to Damir Abdullin, more than half of the way has been repaired to date.
“Writer's town” in solitude with nature
This project is included in the tourist route “In the footsteps of Tukay”, and experts have no doubt that it will attract many guests to the Arsky district.
“The 'green' line of the concept is the maximum conservation of nature as a place of strength and inspiration of the poet Gabdulla Tukay. The village of Novy Kyrlay is like a kind of “writer's town” where future writers, poets and musicians will be able to find national and cultural inspiration. Nature is an already existing introductory part of the project, and the ways to unlock its potential and bring a national colour are the task of architects," the initiators of the project explain the main idea.
The approximate cost of works on the improvement of these territories has also been determined. For example, according to the documentation, it is planned to repair the Tukay Museum building itself, to improve the territory next to it, to restore the famous wooden sculpture composition “Dancing Shurale”, which was created by Baki Urmanche in 1976. These works are estimated at almost 33 million rubles. More than 5 million rubles are needed for the restoration of the Sagdi Abzy House, where Gabdulla lived as a child. Another 1,5 million rubles are planned to be spent on the improvement of the road from the museum itself to the Sagdi house. Funds will also be required to clean up the ornamental pond behind the museum and the Iya riverbed. A separate item provides for updating the exposition of the Gabdulla Tukay Museum. The costs of reconstruction — the creation of the exposition, electronic equipment, equipment and lighting of the exhibition, other expenses are estimated at 10 million rubles.
The virtual world of Tukay
The museum complex is also being updated. The Urman project was launched jointly with the State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan. Thanks to virtual reality, guests will have the opportunity to “go” into the world of the main poet of the Tatars, wearing VR glasses.
“A large number of Tatar myths are associated with the forest, since myth-making is one of the main tools for understanding the unknown world. This technology is sewn into the collective consciousness and invariably affects a person's life. Each mythological image represents a special multi-layered complex, which is revealed through its mission-function," Damir Abdullin revealed the idea of the project.
The plan also includes measures to upgrade infrastructure in the villages of Novy Kyrlay and Kushlavych. Besides, the executive committee of the Arsky district made proposals for the improvement of the territory adjacent to the museums, and at the suggestion of the Union of Writers of Tatarstan, busts of other Tatar poets are planned to be installed at the museum in Kyrlay.
Large-scale reconstruction and improvement works will begin after all the design and estimate documentation is ready and an order of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan is issued. Then the main contractor of the project will be selected on a competitive basis. The programme of celebration and renovation of the poet's museum complex will be financed from the republican budget.