The Gabdulla Tukay Literary Museum celebrated its 40th anniversary.

      In Kazan, the Literary Museum of Gabdulla Tukay celebrated its 40th anniversary. The celebration was attended by museum staff, writers, and scholars. "The issue of collecting the poet's memorial items was raised by Adel Kutuy," said the museum director, associate professor of philological sciences Guzel Tukhvatova. She noted that the perpetuation of the name of the great poet began during his lifetime with the release of postcards, notebooks, and books featuring his image. However, the issue of collecting memorial items was only raised during the Great Patriotic War. "The issue of collecting the poet's memorial items was raised by Tatar writer and front-line soldier Adel Kutuy on June 21, 1944. In his speech, he said: 'I have seen the pen and manuscripts of Pushkin. They are over 100 years old. They are carefully preserved in museums. Tukay died 30 years ago; where can I see his pen and manuscripts? The same can be said for Khadi Takhtashe and Majit Gafuri. We need a literary museum,'" Guzel Tukhvatova recounted. The Literary Museum of Gabdulla Tukay is located in the "Shamil House" – one of the outstanding architectural monuments of the Old Tatar settlement. This house belonged to the first guild merchant Ibrahim Apakov at the end of the 19th century. In 1884, he married his daughter Bibimaryam to the son of Imam Shamil, retired Major General Mukhammetshafi, and the house was handed over to the newlyweds. In 1902, a large fire occurred in the Old Tatar settlement, damaging this house. However, a year later, Bibimaryam rebuilt it anew. After the death of Mukhammetshafi Shamil in 1904 in the Caucasus, the house was purchased by the famous Tatar figure and confectioner Valiulla Ibragimov. Candy production was even organized here. During the Soviet era, the building was used for various purposes, and in recent years it housed communal apartments where about thirty families lived. In 1984, the historic building was transferred to the under-construction Literary Museum of Gabdulla Tukay. On June 11, 1986, the museum welcomed its first visitors. "40 years – on one hand, seems like a significant date, but if we remember that Tukay passed away at 27, it becomes clear that discussions about the need to open a museum have been ongoing for 70 years. During this time, a platform for the museum's opening was created, and ideas were laid down. A huge thank you to the veterans who worked in the museum because they put in a lot of effort to transform the neglected building, which was at the level of a dormitory, into a museum. Over the years, the Tukay Museum has become a scientific and cultural center," emphasized Guzel Sagitova, deputy head of the municipal formation of Kazan. "The most important memory: there were so many people – I couldn't even get inside. In fact, many couldn't get in. It was a major event of state and all-Russian significance," said Rkail Zaidulla, chairman of the Writers' Union of Tatarstan, recalling the day the museum opened. The writer also recalled a story related to Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, who came to Tatarstan in the mid-1970s. "He was taken to Karly. The museum was in a very neglected state. He was surprised and said: 'A people who do not honor their great poets have no future,'" Rkail Zaidulla recounted. The head of the executive committee of the Assembly of Peoples of Tatarstan, Renat Valiullin, shared that he can proudly say he grew up "drinking Tukay's water." He also noted that Kushlavych is only three kilometers from his native village, and their stream connects with the Tukay spring. He also mentioned that during his time as a representative of Tatarstan in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, he initiated the "Tukay Readings" and "Tukay in Drawings" contests. In his opinion, one of the most beautiful monuments to the poet is located in St. Petersburg. "The Tukay Museum has now become a Tatar center. Unfortunately, in Kazan, there are few places where one can communicate in pure Tatar. But when we come to the Tukay Museum, we speak only in Tatar and can address Tatar issues," said Renat Valiullin. The director of the National Museum of Tatarstan, Ayrat Faizrakhmanov, while discussing plans for the next ten years, stated that they dream of creating new exhibitions in the museum and renovating it. He noted that creating a new exhibition is not an easy task, but they plan to invite the entire public for discussion. According to him, the exhibition made at that time was nominated for the Tukay Prize. Faizrakhmanov also expressed the hope that if a new exhibition appears, it will be worthy of the Tukay Prize.

      Kamila Bilalova

      Photo: © Mikhail Zakharov / "Tatar-inform"

      More news about the event:

      The Literary Museum of Gabdulla Tukay celebrated its 40th anniversary. In Kazan, the Literary Museum of Gabdulla Tukay celebrated its 40th anniversary. The celebration was attended by museum staff, writers, and scholars. 20:53 11.06.2026 TatPressa.Ru - Kazan

      The Literary Museum of Gabdulla Tukay celebrated its 40th anniversary. In Kazan, the Literary Museum of Gabdulla Tukay celebrated its 40th anniversary. The celebration was attended by museum staff, writers, and scholars. 18:55 11.06.2026 IA Tatar-inform - Kazan

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