Kazan to unveil three new landmarks celebrating Tatar history by 2028
The founder of the Tamyrlar project hopes to build them in Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda, where an ancient Turkic yurt has already been opened.
On 16 January, the first press screening of the ethnic show Call of the Ancestors Ashina's Moment took place in the Turkic yurt, a new tourist attraction in Kazan, which opened last summer. . The audience was 30 students of the multilingual complex Adymnar — Way To Knowledge and Harmony and the Tatar-English gymnasium No. 16. “We would like not only tourists to know Tatar history, but also the students themselves," said the director of the show, actor of the Kamal Theatre, Honoured Artist of Tatarstan Artur Shaidullin. See the material of Realnoe Vremya about the specifics of the object and what other epochs of Tatar history Kazan residents will be introduced to.
“Like a time machine: one click, and you're in a historical era”
The ancient Turkic yurt appeared as part of the Tamyrlar (Roots) project, which was founded by Marat Ramazanov, the former director of the Innopolis University School. The idea is to introduce the guests of Kazan and the citizens themselves to the past of the Tatar people, he explained. During the tour, the students were told in detail about the structure of the yurt, the peculiarities of the Turkic dwelling and their way of life, in particular, they were introduced to ancient musical instruments: tambourine, kylkubyz, kubyz. The young guests were especially pleased to have the opportunity to hold a bow and arrow in their hands.
Marat Ramazanov does not plan to focus on just one period of national history.
“Before joining the Russian state, we had the Kazan Khanate, the Golden Horde, Volga Bulgaria, and the ancient Turkic period. Our history is very rich, multi-layered, each layer has its own distinct face. It seems to me that all the guests, and we ourselves, need to immerse ourselves in this. And so we decided to create four tourist sites, each of which will immerse guests in a specific historical period of time. You know, it's like using a time machine: once you find yourself in a specific historical epoch," he told Realnoe Vremya.
According to the founder of Tamyrlar, new facilities are planned to be created by the end of 2028. According to the idea, they should be located in Staro-Tatarskaya Sloboda. The appearance of each building, as in the case of the yurt, will reflect the era to which it is dedicated.
“Let's have one history lesson for schoolchildren where they can see the past firsthand”
The play “Call of the Ancestors” serves the same purpose — to immerse the guests in the world of the Turks as much as possible. Not only cultural figures, but also specialists from the Marjani Institute of History participated in the preparation of the production. As Marat Gimatdinov, the deputy director for scientific work, told Realnoe Vremya, the difficulty lies in the fact that very few sources remain from this historical period. The scientists studied the materials preserved by other Turkic peoples. “By analysing the entire range of materials, we can recreate [an environment] close to that of the ancestors of the Tatars," he stressed.
The role of screenwriter and director was played by actor of the Kamal Theatre, Honoured Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan Artur Shaidullin. The composer is Islam Valeev, known as Malsi Music. The costumes were prepared by Buro Banu atelier, famous for its models in the Tatar national style. As its founder Elara Shaykhi told Realnoe Vremya, in order to create authentic outfits, she studied archival sources and even burials.
“The task was not to show a beautiful costume, but to get closer to that time, [including] in terms of fabrics and the arrangement of ornaments," she shared.
Three artists participate in the 30-minute performance. The main character was the character of the Turkic legends Ashina. In the plot, he must rescue his beloved Altynai, who has been abducted by Ajdaha. In exchange for the girl, an evil spirit living in the 21st century demands to help him stay in the glorious past.
In the small space of the yurt, the action is as close as possible to the viewer. However, the space is expanding due to technology: the lake appears on the screen, on the shore of which sits su anasi (vodyanaya), the cave in which Altynai is imprisoned.
“I really liked the production, it's so unusual. There were many mysterious things: the cave, the red light, the djinns. I didn't really like the djinn theme at first, of course, but it turned out well. I was impressed by the performance of the artists. The actress who played the role of Altynai sang very beautifully. The music is generally atmospheric," Chulpan Muraleeva, a 7th grade student at the Adymnar complex, shared her impressions.
According to the director, today was not the last charity screening for schoolchildren.:
“We would like not only tourists to know Tatar history, but also the students themselves. Our programme lasts one hour. Let one history lesson for schoolchildren take place exactly where they can feel [their past] with all their senses, see it firsthand. It's better to see than to read. I think the visual picture is more interesting.