Congress of Tatar women: many concerts, few disputes
The World Kurultai devoted little time to the issues of the Tatar language
The next Congress of Tatar Women has been held in Kazan: visits to kindergartens and schools, one plenary session, an hour and a half for discussions, and the establishment of a coordinating council. Is this enough for the effective work of probably the most involved part of Tatar society?
They visited Kazan, went to Saidash and Kamal theatres
The Congress grew out of the activities of the Ak Kalfak organisation, which appeared in 1990, then it was headed by the journalist, then editor-in-chief of Syuyumbike magazine, Rosa Tufitullova, now — Kadria Idrisova. It has branches in all regions of Tatarstan, all over Russia and even abroad. In fact, it is the largest Tatar organisation.
The Congress consists of 400 delegates and 102 honourary guests from Tatarstan, 53 regions of Russia and 11 countries. For example, for the first time there has been a Tatar woman from Portugal, others came to Kazan from Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, the USA, Turkey. A total of 32 people came from abroad. Most of the delegates were from Kazakhstan (8) and Bashkortostan (45).
At the same time, the work schedule was alarming. The event lasts for three days. On the first day, there is one plenary session for two hours in Korston. This is the only active event, except for all the moving, dinner and visiting the exhibition-fair of handicrafts. After the dinner — a two-hour gala event on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of Syuyumbike magazine.
On the second day, the participants visit the schools Bala City and Alta School, after which they get acquainted with the methodology and training system of modern specialists of national education for an hour at the Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication of the Kazan Federal University. After that, discussion platforms work in Korston for an hour and a half. Topics: the study of pedigree in the Tatar family; upbringing in the Tatar family (raising children in accordance with the customs, rituals, holidays, games of the Tatar people); the Tatar family and the specifics of family entrepreneurship. Another half hour — to the multilingual educational complex Adymnar, a project on the topic of dastans, which the World Congress of the Tatars has chosen as the topic of the year. Finally, an hour for summing up, dinner and watching the performance of the Nur Theatre. The next day is departure.
It turns out that a significant part of the participants spend in seeing and listening to someone else's experience, educational excursions, and popular voting. Probably, the notorious networking also happens — at dinner.
About horses and berries
But meetings can be judged by the projects that it should generate. If you listen to the speeches at the plenary session, you see that these are just the participants' own projects. The head of the Orenburgskiye Pukhovnitsy company (Orenburg Down Jackets), Albina Absalyamova, spoke about Tatar down shawls. A graduate of the school Leysan Timerbayeva from the village of Almetyevo, Sarmanovsky district — about horses. Finally, one of the delegates told... about berries, in particular about the beneficial properties of cranberries. Certainly, this is a very important topic for the world congress.
The plenary session was chaired by the chairman of the National Council of Milli Shura and vice-president of the Republic of Tatarstan, Vasil Shaykhraziev — the event is female, but the main here is a man! There were also supposed to be 10 women in the presidium, but there was no opera singer Albina Shagimuratova among them, so the sign had to be removed.
The main report of Kadria Idrisova bore little resemblance to a report on the work done. Idrisova spoke about the great heroines of the past, recalled trips, pointed out in whose honour the participants of these trips performed prayers and opened commemorative plaques, talked about the importance of the role of a mother: every woman, said the leader of Ak Kalfak, is obliged to get married and have children.
At the same time, Idrisova touched on the most important problem — education — only briefly. Although, it would seem that what could be more important in conditions when the lessons of the Tatar language have become optional classes, which means that the role of the family in its study has grown significantly. In the first rows, there sat the creators of the collection “Enlightenment Stars of the Chistopol district: a historical, documentary and bibliographic collection” Suriya Usmanova and Tamina Biktimirova, as if reminding that in history, first of all, there are women who paid attention to education.
In particular, speaking about education, Idrisova spoke about morality and rituals, adding:
“Unfortunately, the Tatar educational system has experienced very serious losses in recent years. In many regions, it has completely disappeared. But a child, when he turns three, goes out into the big world, to kindergarten, to school, there are different education systems, a different mentality. Now we should not wait for help from somewhere. Private kindergartens, schools are our duty!”
Let's add to this remark that private gardens, of course, are not a free pleasure for parents. And not available to everyone. At the same time, not even all delegates spoke Tatar.
Reference
The author's opinion may not coincide with the position of the editorial board of Realnoe Vremya.