Rustam Minnikhanov and Mintimer Shaimiev have laid flowers to the monument of the Tatar poet Gabdulla Tukay in the center of Kazan

On 26 April Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov took part in the events dedicated to the Mother Tongue Day and 136th birthday of Tatar poet Gabdulla Tukay and together with the State Counselor of the republic Mintimer Shaimiev, regional Minister of Culture Irada Ayupova and the Deputy Chairman of the State Council of the republic Marat Akhmetov laid flowers to the monument of the poet in Kazan.

Tukay was the author of numerous translations of works of Russian and foreign writers into Tatar, was one of the originators of Tatar periodicals and became one of the first Muslim poets who included illustrations into his works and wrote textbooks which are still extremely popular with researchers and teachers.