Zulfiya Sungatullina: ‘Mintimer Shaimiyev said it was easy to refuse, we have to work’
Spiritual Unity of Russia — a Message to the World! festival that began in Sviyazhsk will continue in Bolgar
Spiritual Unity of Russia — a Message to the World! festival that 2began in Sviyazhsk on 6-28 July will continue in Bolgar on 16-19 August. If the emphasis in the island-town was on religious music, the focus in the museum-reserve will shift to ethnic works. Read more about it in a report of Realnoe Vremya.
Spiritual for Sviyazhsk
“The unity of the Russian Federation is especially important in these difficult times,” Vice Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan Damir Natfullin began a press conference. “There are four UNESCO sites in Tatarstan. The sites such as the Kazan Kremlin, the Great Bolgar, the island-town of Sviyazhsk have already established themselves in Tatarstan, in Russia and beyond its borders as centres of cultural and educational tourism. And there is a category of tourists who come to see these sites. The new site, the observatory is just gaining momentum. Considering that the museum-reserves have a permanent exhibition, they need to be filled with events.”
The festival is entirely the merit of Renaissance Foundation chaired by State Advisor of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiyev, said Natfullin.
“This year’s idea is to combine two UNESCO sites and hold a festival. Half of it has already over, we will decide whether to continue after it. I would not rush to answer yet. The work started must be carried out systematically,” explained Executive Director of the Republican Foundation for the Revival of Historical and Cultural Monuments of Tatarstan Zulfiya Sungatullina. “We thought that we would win a grant. Last year, we won a grant from the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives. This year we failed. Mintimer Shaimiyev said: ‘It is easy to refuse, you have to work.’ Therefore, on the initiative of Mintimer Shaimiyev, we are holding it this year.”
Religious music was chosen on the island-town. Here one could get acquainted with the peculiarities of Russian culture of the 16th-21st centuries. Choirs from different regions of Russia and the Serbian Byzantine choir Moisey Petrovich performed in the churches of Sviyazhsk. Folk groups performed at Rozhdestvenskaya Square, and the headliners included Sergey Starostin, Andrey Kotov and Vladimir Volkov with Soul-Saving Songs for Every Day folk programme as well as the gusli group of Maxim Gavrilenko Ladoni and the cheerful Petersburg citizens from the group Otava Yo.
In particular, children were entertained by Petrushka player Vsevolod Mizenin (Papyemashenniki theatre) on Lenivy Market. The premiere of Legends of Bolgar series consisting of eight episodes financed by the foundation also took place on the island. Russian Spiritual Singing Culture: Book Monuments and Research exhibition prepared jointly with the Lobachevsky Scientific Library was open.
Ethnic for Bolgar
In Bolgar, more attention is paid to the ethnic topic, the director of the foundation noted. At the same time, The Legends of Bolgar series will also be shown here, and a book based on the cartoon will be presented.
As Director of the Bolgar State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve Ramil Ziganshin noted, all museums will be open from early morning until late evening during the festival. And for those who want to stay, a tent camp with hot water, showers and beds will be organised. In addition, in Bolgar, they will make pancakes, offer tea tasting, cheeses and perepechi.
An exhibition of Arabic calligraphy Kalem-Garaebi Galam will be presented in the Museum of Bolgar Civilization. And on 17 August, Memorable Sign will host Preservation and Development of Ethnic and Cultural Heritage: Tradition, Fashion, and Design talk. During these days, the 6th Aga Bazar ethnic-cultural festival will be held in the museum-reserve. As Elvina Yakubova, vice director for the Development of Folk Art at Tatkultresurscenter, said, there were many people who wanted to participate in it; this time, it will be possible to see works by masters from Bashkortostan, Udmurtia, Chuvashia, Mordovia, Kostroma and Samara regions.
Why Tatarstan loves Otyken so much
As for the music programme, a small stage will be organised near the Khan’s Palace where amateur groups will perform.
As festival director Ramil Sibgatullin explained, a large stage will be built especially for the festival on the embankment overlooking the river. But on day one, the festival will take place near the Black Chamber. Kadim Almet band from Almetyevsk will perform here using traditional Turkic instruments. Traditionally, the ceremony will end with Kara Pulat opera. On day two, the Chamber Choir of the Republic of Bulgar conducted by Milyausha Tamindarova, poet Vladislav Malenko, ABIEM Project and students of Adymnar multilingual school, which is also run by the foundation, will perform the audience.
On day three, the concert will feature Tatarsis project by composer Radik Salimov, Zakaria folk band and Otyken band consisting of Chulyms, Kets, Selkups, Khakasses, Dolgans and Tuvans. Otyken recently performed at Karakuz festival in Almetyevsk.
“I think those who saw Otyken in Almetyevsk will come to Bolgar,” noted Sungatullina. “Almetyevsk is in one part of the republic, Bolgar is in the other. We had talked to the youth, the band has millions of subscribers, it is interesting for young people.”
As Sungatullina noted, 20,000 guests were expected in the first part of the festival in Sviyazhsk, but 41,000 arrived. In Bolgar, 35,000 are expected, and twice as many are expected.
In addition, Ziganshin noted that the museum-reserve is thinking about holding its own festival of medieval battles, similar to the Great Bolgar, which left Spas District in 2022.
“We have thought about this issue, and are currently working on reviving it, but in a different format. We are coordinating all the nuances and issues with the Ministry of Culture,” Ziganshin answered. “Next year, we will try to make a similar festival, with medieval battles, but with changes.”