On 6 July the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov arrived on a working trip to Mari El to take part in the events of the XXIV federal Sabantuy, which has been held since 2001 on the initiative of the Executive Committee of the World Tatar Congress.
In the current year about 500 representatives from 72 regions of Russia are taking part in festive events organized at the racecourse in Ioshkar Ola, and right upon his arrival Rustam Minnikhanov accompanied by the Head of Mari El Yuri Zaytsev, Tatarstan Deputy Prime Minister Vasil Shyakhraziyev, who is also the Chairman of the National Council of the World Tatar Congress and other honorary guests got acquainted with sites of the Sabantuy and looked round a national Tatar farmstead exhibited by Nizhnekamsk region of Tatarstan.
On 5 July the Sabantuy events included the horse races for the Sabantuy cup and a concert of Tatar and Mari artists, and today there will be a festive ceremony of passing the symbol of the federal Sabantuy to the Republic of Sakha which will host the next holiday.