People want to return music and ‘Tatarstan’ name to Kazan-Moscow branded train
Tatarstan deputies are asking to return the former name and the march of Saydashev to the branded train of the Kazan-Moscow route
The Kazan Central Station is being asked to return the broadcast of the Saydashev march to premium-class trains Kazan-Moscow and Moscow-Kazan, which was interrupted in June this year. The absence of the famous national melody was noticed by the Tatar writer, deputy of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rkail Zaydullin upon his return to the capital of the republic. “The train arrived and departed accompanies with the Saydashev march, it awakened some pride in the republic. This is not the case now. Is it possible to return it?" he begged the head of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Tatarstan to make a request to the leadership of Russian Railways. However, the Federal Passenger Company itself claims that “the composition of Salikh Saydashev has always sounded and continues to sound," nevertheless, they promised to consider the wishes of Kazan residents. Besides, the request also concerned the return to the former name of the train — “Tatarstan”.
Saydashev march started playing again at the Central Station of Kazan
This week, passengers leaving by the branded Premium train No. 001/002 on the Kazan-Moscow route (it is habitually called “Tatarstan”) found that at the time of departure at the Kazan-1 railway station, they were again accompanied by the cheerful rhythm of the Saydashev march. Strictly speaking, the popular Tatar melody has been broadcast for a long time when this train leaves. By tradition, it plays in the first 5 minutes from the moment of departure and five minutes before arrival in Kazan. Most Kazan residents are so used to their native motifs that they did not notice how the composition suddenly “disappeared from the air” at the Central Station of Kazan.
“I haven't heard it lately. It seems that in winter it still sounded in the speakers, but somewhere since June it definitely hasn't been," the conductors of the 001G Premium train, following the Kazan Pass route, told Realnoe Vremya. “Moscow Kazanskaya (Kazansky railway station). There was no official announcement about the termination of the broadcast of the Saydashev march, it was just that the national composition suddenly stopped sounding. And the branded train Kazan-Moscow itself began to move, like the others, without music.
“Is it possible to return it, this march, or its name, by talking to Russian Railways?"
The sudden termination of the 5-minute broadcast of the Saydashev march was noticed by the Tatar writer, Tatarstan State Council deputy, Rkail Zaydullin. It seems that turning off his favourite melody greatly excited him, and when an occasion presented itself to meet with the head of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Tatarstan, he directly asked: is it possible to return it? Maybe it's a trifle, but they can't ignore it.
“In Soviet times and after that, there was the branded train “Tatarstan” on the Kazan-Moscow route and back. Its departure and arrival was accompanied with the Saydashev march, it awakened a certain pride in the republic. Now it is not there," Zaydullin appealed to Minister of Transport and Road Facilities of the Republic of Tatarstan Farit Khanifov during the “government hour” in the parliament of the republic.
According to the deputy, the sound of the Saydashev march lifts the mood of Kazan residents experiencing a sense of separation from relatives and friends, and guests returning to their homes. Moreover, the tradition of including the Saydashev march at the departure of the Tatarstan train had been since 1954 and was never interrupted since then. “This is nostalgia," said Tatarstan State Council Deputy Rkail Zaydullin.
However, now not everyone travels by rail and many may not know about such traditions. “Now, of course, I know that many do not take the train, I've just recently returned from Moscow by train," the deputy said. He suggested contacting the management of Russian Railways about this. “Is it possible to return it, this march, or its name, by talking to Russian Railways?" he begged the minister.
It is important to note here that he spoke in Tatar without translation into Russian. Therefore, few understood the essence of his speech (in the transcript of the State Council it is stated in the Tatar language — ed.).
The head of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Tatarstan, Farit Khanifov, continued the dialogue in the Tatar language. He said that railway workers made a similar request, but they propose to return the former name “Tatarstan” to the branded 001G/002G Premium train and give the interior a national flavour.
“Today, the issue of the internal design of cars in the theme of Tatarstan is being discussed, we promised to return the word 'Tatarstan' to the cars," the minister said.
The closing speech was delivered by Speaker of the State Council Farid Mukhametshin. “There is no difficulty in this issue, no one can forbid it," he said. He also added: “We need to return it as soon as possible.” Since the name “Tatarstan” on the branded train causes pride. “Consider this issue, okay?" he recommended to the Ministry of Transport and Road Management of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Later, Rkail Zaydullin told Realnoe Vremya that he considers it necessary to preserve the traditions that adorn our lives. “Well, who is bad if music sounds? For a few minutes. It's better than leaving without it," he said.
Why “Tatarstan” moves to the music of Saydashev
The legend tells about why the famous Saidashevsky “March of the Red Army” began to sound when the train “Tatarstan” departs. According to it, at the end of his life, composer Salikh Saydashev was diagnosed with lung cancer, friends persuaded him to go to Moscow for surgery. Saying goodbye to them, he suddenly heard his famous “March of the Red Army”, which sounded at the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945, rushing from the station loudspeaker. It turned out that his friends had come up with a way to support his fighting spirit.
In memory of the famous Tatar composer, since 1954, the Kazan railway station began to regularly turn on the march for only one train — “Tatarstan”. I remember that in the Soviet years the musical accompaniment sounded at the Kazan railway station in Moscow, but then somehow imperceptibly the undertaking stalled. And along with this, the name “Tatarstan” disappeared from the train cars, the interior changed. “Previously, there were branded green tablecloths on the tables. Towels, linen, and curtains were in a light green shade. Now, everything is white. You enter a car — and you do not understand what train it is," the conductors say.
Maybe it's technically difficult to return the broadcast of the march of Saydashev? “Absolutely not. It all depends on the station. These are loudspeakers, there are horns, there are no problems," the employees of the Kazan office of Russian Railways believe. In their opinion, it is not worth discussing this issue at such a high level. It is enough to call the head of the Central Station and explain to him in a nutshell.
Kazan railway workers are asking to return “Tatarstan”
“Of course, it's very nice when our native music accompanies us," the conductors of the 001G Premium train told Realnoe Vremya. “The sound of the Saydashev march is perceived by the conductors as usual, and those who leave or return to Kazan evoke warm feelings.”
“In recent years, in all documents, the train Kazan-Moscow and Moscow-Kazan passes under the number 001 or 002 under the name 'Premium'. The former name 'Tatarstan' disappeared. Although, out of habit, passengers continue to call it 'Tatarstan', but there is no such name in official documents anymore. At the end of April, we addressed this issue to the leadership of the Federal Passenger Company in Moscow, to Kirill Mikhailovich Dmitriev," they said.
The collective letter was signed by the head of the Kazan branch of Russian Railways, the conductors said. As a result, stickers with national attributes arrived from Moscow two weeks ago. They began to paste over the doors of compartments in train cars to give the interior a national flavour.
Currently, the design of Russian Railways railcars is unified. They are painted gray, and on the side “RZhD” is stamped in red. Will it be possible to return the name “Tatarstan”? According to the press service of the Federal Passenger Company, the issue of returning the name “Tatarstan” and its characteristic attributes to the branded train is currently under consideration. “Salikh Saydashev's composition has always sounded and continues to sound at the present time during the departure and arrival of the branded train No. 1/2 with the Kazan-Moscow route at the station of the capital of Tatarstan," the company's press service assured.
We should add that, having removed the national stylistics in the design of the 001 Premium train, Russian Railways left an increased fare and the most convenient time of arrival in Moscow (7 am, the rest of the trains arrive in the capital early, at 5.30—6.00 am). The price of tickets for the 001/002 trains is 30% higher than in Siberian trains passing through Kazan (Tyumen-Moscow, Tomsk-Moscow).
“I agree, the fare in a double-decker high-comfort train is lower," says the interlocutor of Realnoe Vremya. The two-storey is also a branded train, but the fare is cheaper. Why is Tatarstan's tariff higher than the others? “Firstly, it is formed from new wagons (no older than 10 years). Secondly, it is served by conductors of the 4th category. There is a dining car, a box with meals is provided (included in the ticket price). Hence the price is higher," explained the interlocutor of Realnoe Vremya. There are up to seven fast trains a day.
