In Tatarstan, the main museum, whose exhibits provided a comprehensive understanding of the state and national history of the Tatar people, is being closed — the National Cultural Center «Kazan». Its building, located in the center of the republic’s capital, will now house its main library.
Under the pretext of its expansion, when these plans were first announced, it was said that the exhibits on the history of the Tatars would be transferred to the Kazan Kremlin, where they would be housed. In the end, however, this promise was not kept. Now the exhibits are temporarily housed in a private gallery in the Soviet district, and the employees of the National Cultural Center are left in uncertainty.
It should be emphasized that in this case we are talking about the liquidation of a permanent exhibition dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of Kazan, not just an «exhibition», as some dishonestly want to present it. This was one of the few places in the capital of Tatarstan where both residents and visitors, whether Tatars or simply out-of-town or foreign tourists, could get acquainted with the centuries-old history of Tatar statehood and nation.
Obviously, this irritated those who are trying to reduce the «Tatar factor» in the future Volga region to chak-chaks and sabantuyev. Interestingly, the decision to liquidate the museum of Tatar history was made after the recent visit of the «owner of the Russian land», during which he demonstratively pointed out the place of the republic’s leadership. It seems that he understood and accepted it…