‘Warning to journalists: it is obligatory to wear kalfak but have no trousers…’
It was promised to not to let even journalists enter without national costumes to the festive occasion of the 4th World Forum of Tatar Women
500 delegates from 22 countries of the world are expected at the 4th World Forum of Tatar Women. This year it was decided to dedicate it to an important event in the history of Tatarstan – the 130th anniversary of the birth of a Tatar poet Gabdulla Tukay, which will take place on 26 April. The format of the organization and strict rules towards not only its participants but also journalists, who were not allowed to enter the City Hall without the national costume, was a novelty. A correspondent of Realnoe Vremya learnt new rules of the national dress code.
In Tatarstan speaking Tatar
The 4th World Forum of Tatar Women will host 500 delegates on 24-26 April. The World Congress of the Tatars and Ak Kalfak (White Kalfak; kalfak is a women's national hat) Public Organization of Tatar Women are the organizers of the event. Only the Tatar language was the working language of the press conference dedicated to the forum. It was explained like it would be strange if the World Congress of the Tatars started to talk about the coming forum in the Russian language. Danis Shakirov, first deputy chairman of the Executing Committee of the World Congress of the Tatars, had a pity on Russian-speaking journalists. But the head of the World Forum of Tatar Women Kadriya Idrisova was relentless and even answered in Tatar when she was asked to explain in Russian.
The programme on 24 April presupposes breakout meetings about national education in the educational system, conservation and development of the national cultural heritage, new projects applied to the system of education of the Tatar people. The other part of the forum is more festive Kalfak Tuye (Kalfak Wedding) – a Tatar ball in national costumes and with artists' performances – will be held for the first time in the 4 years in the City Hall. Moreover, a plenary session and an exhibition of national masters and craftspeople will be on 25 April.
Kadriya Idrisova: 'A warning to the journalists: you asked about what to wear and whether you should put a kalfak on. It is obligatory to wear kalfak but have no trousers because it will be just unpleasant for us, for all delegates who number 500-600 women, it is just a disrespect'.
Tatar dress code
Traditional beliefs were reflected not only in the desire to communicate in Tatar only but also the concept of the organization of the forum. Kadriya Idrisova specified in the beginning that there would be a Tatar dress code in the City Hall – women wearing trousers and without the Tatar national kalfak are not admitted. The ban will be applied to not only the participants of the forum but also the journalists who will cover the event.
'A warning to the journalists: you asked about what to wear and whether you should put a kalfak on. It is obligatory to wear kalfak but have no trousers because it will be just unpleasant for us, for all delegates who number 500-600 women, it is just a disrespect,' the head of the World Forum of Tatar Women is convinced. 'You are not allowed without kalfak. It doesn't matter whether you are a journalist or another person – you are not allowed anyway.' Danis Shakirov also noted that the dress code at the plenary session would not be too strict.
'Undoubtedly, we, the Congress of the Tatars, would be very pleased to see journalists wearing kalfaks. But we should not oblige all journalists to put kalfaks on to cover the plenary session,' Danis Shakirov says. He promised the correspondent of Realnoe Vremya to be personally in the City Hall, and if journalists don't consider themselves as Tatars, he would let them pass without these national attributes.
It is interesting that a kalfak and Tatar literature will be a part of the handout for all delegates. The Tatar language, naturally, will be the working language of the forum.
Women from 43 districts of Tatarstan, 53 regions of Russia and 22 countries – Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Lithuania, Poland, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Finland, France, Estonia, the Czech Republic, the USA, etc. – are expected to take part at the forum. Over 2,000 women expressed their willingness to participate in the event. But the current quota did not allow to have all of them here.
It is planned to have an intense cultural programme and lay flowers at the monument to Gabdulla Tukay. The poet's 130th anniversary is on 26 April.