‘We are on the side of truth, we are on the side of light’: Thousands of Muslims at Izge Bolgar Zhyeny

“We are one people”

Izge Bolgar Zhyeny, dedicated to the 1102th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by Volga Bulgaria, gathered thousands of Muslims from all over Russia and abroad — this year the participants of the economic forum from all over the world came to the solemn event. Together with the audience, they took part in a collective prayer. People spread prayer mats and just blankets right on the grass. Fortunately, they were lucky with the weather, there was not a cloud in the sky. Top officials of the republic also read the prayer under the rays of the sun.

“Russia is a country where representatives of different faiths live in peace and harmony," Rustam Minnikhanov, the rais of Tatarstan, said at the grand opening of the holiday. He also expressed gratitude to the delegates of the Russian Orthodox Church, which took part in the Russia-Islamic World forum.

“We will always respect the religious denominations of our brothers. This is the key to the success of our Russian state," the head of the republic stressed.

Tatarstan State Counsellor Mintimer Shaimiev also spoke about the unity of the people from the rostrum:

“Among the Tatars, they say, 'A business started is a completed business”. We once started small, but how much has been done. Our works in the land of the Bulgars are becoming more expressive and understandable to people every day," he said, adding that when Tatars and Muslims meet once a year and confer in the holy land, it inspires future useful deeds.

Tatar became the main language of communication at the solemn event. Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan also did not stand aside and greeted the guests of the holiday with the words “Heerle kon, caderle duslar!”

“We walk side by side. This unity was suffered by our ancestors. When we see our temples and our mosques, we remember that quite recently there was devastation here. And everything was restored to the beauty that we see today. We are really a united people and we have one land," said Metropolitan Kirill.

“We appreciate the atmosphere of cohesion and unity here”

The holiday of faith in Bolgar was celebrated with numerous events — a concert, a competition and even koresh belt wrestling.

Athletes from 17 countries took part in the competition. The representative of Tatarstan, Radik Salakhov, was recognised as an absolute batyr. The rais of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, presented the winner with the keys to a Lada Granta car.

One of the most memorable parts of the solemn event was the drawing of three Hajj vouchers among married couples. Tickets were received strictly by those couples who could present passports of citizens of the Russian Federation with a stamp of the registry office on marriage. As a result, more than one and a half thousand families expressed their desire to participate. Among them — the family of Insaf and Razilya Zhuravlevs and their little daughter Amina from Chistopol. They also decided to try their luck and take part in the draw for Hajj vouchers, which they had never been to before. Insaf runs a business, he has a car service, Razilya is taking care of their child and expecting another one. The family came to the holiday for the third time.

“We appreciate the atmosphere of cohesion and unity here. When you come here, it's like you're in the past. Every stone here has its own story. We want to involve our daughter in this as well. Every year Bolgar unites by more and more believers, and this is very encouraging," the father admitted.

Three families became the lucky holders of certificates for a trip to the Hajj tour. These are Ilnur and Gulnaz Shaidullins, Yuri and Aliya Babiys from Kazan, as well as Gabdelkhai and Munira Burganovs from Tetyushi. These married couples will perform Hajj from the operator MSB RT Hajj under the Comfort programme in 2025.

“The main thing is that the heart has been purified”

There were many large families at the festival. The family from the village of Tatarsky Eltan in the Chistopol district came almost in full. Guzel Galieva, a mother of two children and grandmother of eight grandchildren, had already been at Izga Bolgar Zhyeny earlier, Artur and Dinara Ashrafzyanovs and their three children — Ibrahim, Ramadan and Yasmina — were at such holiday for the first time.

“There are so many people here and you realise that they are just like you. It's very unifying. Besides, I am glad that almost everyone here speaks their native Tatar language. And it is very important for children to be here. They get to know our traditions, our history," Guzel khanum stressed.

Rasyl khazrat Shafiev represents the Uinsky mukhtasibat, he and his wife came from the Tatar village of Ishteryak in Perm Krai. He was at the event for the third time.

“Here we meet with colleagues, find new friends and like-minded people, learn a lot of new things, share our experiences. We can only wish that this unity will continue to be preserved," the khazrat said and shared his joy that in their village, instead of the old mosque, which was rebuilt from a first-aid station in the 1980s, a new one is going to open very soon, erected at the expense of the patron and the villagers.

A 22-year-old young woman from Kazan, Ralina Zakirova, differed from other guests in her memorable image. She said that she decided to take a responsible and important step — starting from the month of Ramadan this year, she began to cover her head. She began to read the prayer since the New Year.

“There are no covered women in the family, but my mother was very happy with my decision. I've been going to it for several years. I was deeply interested in religion and fasted. No one influenced me, it's my personal decision. I believe that this is my duty to Allah. A lot of things have changed in my life — habits, surroundings, that is, pseudo-friends who only needed parties or constant discussion of other people, gossip, of course, are gone. My environment has cleared. And, most importantly, the heart was purified," admits Ralina.