Mintimer Shaimiev: “Gabdulla Tukai – genius son of Tatar people”

Today President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev placed flowers to the monument of Gabdulla Tukai on the occasion of 120th anniversary of the great Tatar poet.

RT Prime Minister Rustam Minnikhanov, Chairman of RT State Council Farid Mukhametshin, Head of RT President’s Administration Yuri Kamaltynov, Deputy RT Prime Minister – Minister of culture Zilya Valeyeva, Deputies of RT State Council Chairman Alexander Gusev and Rimma Ratnikova, Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin and other officials also took part in the ceremony.

Mintimer Shaimiev during conversation with mass media representatives noted that Tatar culture of today cannot be imagined without Tukai’s poems. “I feel with compatriots, who, unfortunately, do not know the native language, - the head of the republic said. – It is impossible to precisely translate the thought of the poet, however good the translation is”. Nevertheless, RT President underlined, one should pay tribute to translators, who tried to deliver works of the Tatar classic to representatives of different nationalities. Mintimer Shaimiev also noted that for 27 years of life Tukai managed to do a lot. His creativity was highly valued by classics of different peoples. Once Sergei Esenin having read poems of G.Tukai in translation acknowledged him an outstanding poet. “Our task is to translate his works and deliver to the next generations in future”, - emphasized head of Tatarstan in conclusion.