Awarding ceremony of the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture held in Kazan
On September 13, at the Jalil Tatar Academic State Opera and Ballet Theatre, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, Tatarstan State Counsellor, Chairman of Board of Trustees of the Revival Regional Foundation, the Hero of Labour of the Russian Federation Mintimer Shaimiev, Head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudichestvo) Eleonora Mitrofanova and the former Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova took part in the awarding ceremony of the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
At the beginning of the ceremony, a film about the 2019 Aga Khan Award winners was shown.
Established in 1977, the prize amounts to one million US dollars and is shared between the winners. Every three years the prize is awarded for projects that establish new standards in architecture, planning, preservation of historical heritage and landscape design. A total of 380 projects from 39 countries took part in the contest. As many as 20 projects from 16 countries were in the final. Tatarstan project “Public Spaces Development Programme” was awarded one of six prizes.
His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV handed over the award to Shaimiev and expressed special gratitude for his many years of efforts to preserve the heritage of Tatarstan and presented him a “special certificate” - the book “Heritage and Dialogue” published by the Aga Khan Culture Foundation. The book was specially printed for the awarding ceremony 2019 and is dedicated to the activities of Tatarstan on preservation of cultural and historical heritage.
On behalf of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov and all Tatarstan people, Tatarstan State Counsellor expressed deep gratitude for the high appreciation of Public Spaces Development Programme implemented by the republic and the right to host this ceremony in Kazan.