Talented veterans of Tatarstan decided to attract public attention to their works of art. New big project - festival of amateur performers among veterans called “Balkysh” (“Shining”) is expected to start in republic this year.

First session of the festival organizing committee headed by the RT State Council Chairman Farid Mukhametshin was held in Kazan today.

The idea of holding the festival belongs to the Republican Council of the public organization of veterans (pensioners) which addressed the Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov with request to support the initiative of elderly generation. The President approved the project.

“The festival is aimed at attracting people’s attention to our veterans, encouraging their creative activity, and contributing in preservation of cultural and national traditions of the republican peoples, in order to pass it on to younger generation. Above all, participation in such contests helps to prolong lives of our respected veterans and pensioners,” Farid Mukhametshin said.

According to the accepted regulations, the festival will include three rounds: municipal contests with assistance of local veterans’ organizations, zonal round during the summer period, and gala concert of the best performers (to be held in October in Kazan, the Tatar State Philharmonic Hall named after G.Tukay).

The event is organized by the Republican Council of the public organization of veterans (pensioners) under the auspice of the Tatarstan Ministry of culture.
The panel of judges comprised of art workers and activists of the veterans’ movement was approved at the session.

RT Minister of culture Airat Sibagatullin, Director General of TRK “Novy Vek”, deputy of the RT State Council Ilshat Aminov, chief of the Executive committee of the Tatarstan People’s Assembly Nikolay Vladimirov, representatives of the RT Ministry of labor, employment and social protection, the Republican agency for press and mass communications Tatmedia and other agencies attended the session.