E. Lodvigova: “Cultural heritage forms a special mentality of Kazan residents”
It is hard to imagine the life of modern Kazan without cultural heritage, and the task of the city authorities is to continue working to preserve the uniqueness of the capital of Tatarstan. This was announced today by the vice mayor of Kazan Evgenia Lodvigova at the session of the Culture Summit of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in Izmir.
The IV UCLG Culture Summit is being held in one of the largest Turkish cities on September 9- 11. It has been held since 2015 and has become the main meeting point for cities, local authorities and other stakeholders committed to the effective implementation of policies and programs in the field of culture and sustainable development. The subject of the summit is “Culture: shaping the future”, following its results the Izmir Declaration will be adopted.
The summit was opened by one of the key sessions “Local authorities and cultural heritage”. Among the speakers are representatives of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), mayors and delegates of such cities as Izmir (Turkey), Lyon (France), Malmo (Sweden), Edirne (Turkey), Tarras (Spain), Osh (Kyrgyzstan) and others. The session addressed the issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and provided opportunities for future development and cooperation between local and regional authorities and stakeholders in the field of culture.
Evgenia Lodvigova shared the experience of Kazan. She spoke about the growing interest in cultural heritage and the need to introduce new rules in a changing world. Historical, architectural and cultural monuments directly affect the quality of life, and it is very important that residents participate in all cultural projects. Various associations and non-governmental organizations make it possible to convey the needs of local residents and can be effective tools in the implementation of activities, she noted.
In her speech, Evgenia Lodvigova told about the pearl of Kazan- the Kremlin, which was listed into the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2000. During the speech, it was also mentioned about the recently completed large-scale project on restoring the Cathedral of the Kazan Lady of God with a cave temple. “We respect the history, culture and traditions of all peoples. Representatives of 115 nationalities live in peace and harmony in multi – confessional Kazan, we have a constant dialogue of cultures and religions,”- Evgenia Lodvigova reminded.
“It is impossible to imagine the life of modern Kazan without cultural heritage. The heritage forms a special mentality of Kazan residents, asserts the continuity of humanistic values, creates a world image of amazing Kazan,”- the speaker said.
At the end of her speech, Evgenia Lodvigova reminded that Kazan has been designated as the host of the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2022. She noted that it is a great honor for the city, as well as a huge responsibility, because in 2022 the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention will be marked.
The meeting ended with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the UCLG and ICOMOS, the Department of International and Inter-Municipal Relations of the Kazan City Duma reported.