Rustam Minnikhanov: Tatarstan carries out large work in development of tourism and protection of cultural heritage sites

On 16 January Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov and the State Counselor of the republic Mintimer Shaimiev took part in a resulting collegium of the Regional State Tourism Committee and the Committee for Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites of the republic held in the new IT Park in Kazan.

Welcoming participants of the collegium by videoconference, Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitriy Vakhrukov said that Tatarstan is successfully implementing its historical and cultural potential in development of tourism and is one of the leaders in tourist flow second only after Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Crimea and Krasnodar region.

He also informed that in the last three years the federal budget allocated more than 1bn roubles on development of tourism.

In his summary report the Chairman of the Committee for Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites of the republic Ivan Guschin told about large repair and restoration work carried out in the Kazan Kremlin, Peter and Paul’s Cathedral and the New Settlement Mosque in Kazan within the Historical Memory federal project.

He said that in 2022 the Committee took under state protection 14 archeological heritage sites, which were previously unknown and which are dated back from the II millennium BC to the XIX century AD and located in different regions of the republic.

Ivan Guschin reported that last year the Committee together with the Tatarstan Muslims Spiritual Board started a unique project “Preserving together”, which is fundraising for restoration and reconstruction of Muslim cultural heritage sites. The mosque in the village of Maskara has become the pilot site of the project. He also told that the Committee has moved into a digital format all its 12 public services.

Reporting about main outcomes of the Tatarstan tourist industry, the Chairman of the Regional State Tourism Committee Sergey Ivanov said that 3.7m tourists visited the republic in 2022 which was by 12 per cent more than in the previous year. In the last 10 years the tourist flow doubled and the amount of commercial tourist services reached 39.5bn roubles, having increased by 20 per cent by 2021.

He told the participants of the collegium about events dedicated to 1100th anniversary of adoption of Islam by the Volga Bolgaria and the 25h anniversary of revival of Sviyazhsk, having also mentioned work for promotion Tatarstan both in Russia and abroad.

In his remarks, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said that many issues necessary for further development of tourism such as construction of hotels, supporting specialized transportation enterprises and increasing the river fleet of the republic, should be solved together with other ministries. On the top of issues of infrastructure special attention should be given to training high quality specialists in tourism and develop new tourist routs, he said.

Speaking about preservation of cultural heritage, Rustam Minnikhanov said: “We have allocated more than 4bn roubles for these purposes and it is necessary to make all these sites not just monuments but spots of attraction and competences. All these sites must be used in the interests of our residents and guests”.

In his turn, Mintimer Shaimiev said that the republic has gained a huge experience in restoration of ancient historical and cultural monuments and religious shrines, such as the Ancient Town of Bolgar, the Town-Island of Sviyazhsk and the Cathedral of the Kazan Virgin Icon which make Tatarstan more attractive for tourists.

He also attracted attention to the fact that the International Forum dedicated to 50th anniversary of the Convention of World Heritage Protection held in Kazan in 2022 was one of the outstanding events of the year.

In the end of the collegium Rustam Minnikhanov handed in a number of state awards of Tatarstan.