"I want to grow a forum where Putin will come": Minullina on the results of this year's "KazanForum"

      "The Slave Isaura" bathed in the Blue Lakes, while the guests ate half a ton of chak-chak.

      Minullina: "In 2014, KazanSummit gathered 300 people at 'Korston', and the international presence was created by students back then."

      "KazanForum" took place for the 17th time. Among the results: 10,000 participants from 99 countries and 75 subjects of Russia. The forum welcomed over 250 honorary guests, and the event was covered by 529 media representatives from 20 countries. But once, the organizers of the republican forum, which grew to the status of a federal event, could only dream of such numbers. This was shared by the head of the Investment Development Agency of Tatarstan, Taliya Minullina, at a briefing in the RT Cabinet. She recalled that when she took office in 2014, the forum already existed under the name KazanSummit and was held at 'Korston'. There were 300 participants from 16 countries. The international representation was mainly achieved by foreign students studying in Kazan.

      "I came to Rustam Nurgalievich [Minnihanov] [...] and told him: 'I would like to grow such a forum that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin would come to every year.' And Rustam Nurgalievich said: 'That's a good goal, try it,'" Minullina recounted.

      She approached Minnihanov with the idea of an investment forum, but he advised her to develop the existing platform, which focused on Islamic countries. The motivation of Tatarstan's leadership was as follows, Minullina explained: there are a million investment forums, but this forum has its own identity.

      This year, more than 160 agreements and memorandums of cooperation were signed at the forum, including 86 international and 70 from the Republic of Tatarstan.

      Mapping show at Kazan Kremlin – not a cheap pleasure.

      Perhaps the most spectacular public event of "KazanForum" can be called the mapping show at Kazan Kremlin. For three consecutive evenings, from May 14 to 16, a news ticker 481 meters long was broadcast on the walls of Kazan Kremlin – from the Nameless Tower to the Spasskaya Tower.

      A representative of the Russian Book of Records officially recorded the achievement in the nomination "Longest projection (mapping) in the format of a news ticker."

      For the first time, video mapping was shown at the Kul Sharif Mosque. The projection show combined visual images inspired by the national culture and historical heritage of the republic.

      "According to our estimates, about 50,000 viewers were able to watch it," Minullina told Tatar-inform.

      Our correspondent clarified whether it would be possible to make such a show not just for three consecutive evenings, but for a longer period.

      "This pleasure is not very cheap; we would very much like to do this year-round, but there is currently no such opportunity. It was very important for us to hold an event for the population during this 'Islamic week,' as we call it," the head of AIRA replied.

      The project was implemented with the participation of the news platform "Dzen," the international multimedia company Dreamlaser, and the Ministry of Culture of Tatarstan.

      Star of "The Slave Isaura" bathed in the Blue Lake and will return in July to shoot a documentary about women from the countryside.

      Brazilian actress Lucelia Santos, known for her leading role in the TV series "The Slave Isaura," spoke as a speaker at the forum. As Minullina shared, the guest was able to find time to visit the Blue Lakes and swim.

      "[Lucelia Santos] attended the ballet 'Shurale.' She really liked the ballet. She was thrilled. The day before, I told her about it, and she was very surprised: a forest monster, tickling," the agency head said.

      In July of this year, Santos plans to return to Tatarstan to start working on a documentary project.

      "She wants to make a film dedicated to women in different parts of the world, especially in rural areas, in provinces, in regions," Minullina explained.

      "We conducted it without a hitch."

      "Despite the rough edges, everything went successfully," said Maxim Denisov, General Director of the Directorate for Sports and Social Projects, evaluating the past forum.

      Among the incidents that the organizers could not influence was the closure of airspace over Kazan and Moscow, which is why some guests were sent to the Russian capital by car on Sunday, Denisov added.

      More than 385 vehicles were used to transport participants, and guests were accommodated in 20 hotels.

      Some guests are leaving only tomorrow – apparently, as the briefing speakers said, they do not want to leave Kazan.

      "A Russian colleague called me yesterday, saying he wanted to eat his ticket at the airport so as not to fly out of Kazan. Such a huge job in hospitality has been done by a large team – both the federal team and the Tatarstan team! After all, in such a large event, there are no small details: every driver, cook, translator, person who meets at the hotel, tour guide, moderator, speaker – everyone is important," Minullina added.

      Separate words of gratitude were expressed to the security service staff. Since the first days of the forum, more than 1,200 employees and servicemen of the National Guard, along with other law enforcement agencies of the republic, worked around the clock.

      "Now the situation is complicated; the enemy does not sleep. We have such an international event. We conducted it, as they say, without a hitch," Minullina commented.

      More than 9,000 people participated in the business program, and events were concentrated over three days at the Kazan Expo venue.

      Traditionally, everyone was treated to free ice cream and chak-chak there. And if before the event Denisov could not answer Tatar-inform how many treats were prepared, he came to the briefing with ready figures.

      "We fell short of a ton: 920 kg of ice cream was tasted at the Kazan Expo venue. And 480 kg of chak-chak – this is what was simply provided to participants during the forum at Kazan Expo," Denisov said.

      Minullina: "I am not tired; we do not get tired."

      Minullina said that the guests were satisfied, and the chairman of the organizing committee of the forum, Marat Khusnullin, gave a high assessment of the organizational work.

      She also noted the role of the President of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov: his personal visits to Islamic countries and invitations to participate in "KazanForum" yield results. Thus, after Minnikhanov's visit to Egypt in April, four ministers from that country came to the forum.

      "Participants who take part in all international events in Russia give extremely positive feedback about 'KazanForum,' which cannot but please us," said the head of AIRA.

      Journalists inquired whether the President of Tatarstan plans to let the agency staff and the Directorate for Sports and Social Projects take a vacation to recover after holding "KazanForum."

      "He won't give a vacation, and why won't he? Because I am not asking. I am not tired; we do not get tired," Minullina joked.

      She added that the Agency is actively preparing for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where Tatarstan will traditionally build a two-story stand. The event will take place in the Northern capital from June 3 to 6, 2026.

      In the same month, Kazan will host the fifth Russia-ASEAN summit (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). The event is timed to the 35th anniversary of the establishment of relations between Russia and ASEAN and will take place from June 17 to 19.

      Photo: © Salavat Kamaletdinov / "Tatar-inform"