Rustam Minnikhanov and Mintimer Shaimiev attend the Cathedral of the Icon of the Kazan Virgin

On 21 July the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and the State Counselor of the republic Mintimer Shaimiev took part an even held at the Cathedral of the Icon of the Kazan Virgin and dedicated to 444th anniversary of the Appearance of the Icon of the Holy Mother of God in Kazan.

Speaking to the congregation, Rustam Minnikhanov said: “Today we have a great holiday - the Appearance of the Icon of the Holy Mother of God in Kazan. It is a great honor for us to welcome guests from Belarus, Moscow region and other regions of Russia and Tatarstan.” He emphasized that the most important was peace and concord among people and prosperity of Russia. “We live in difficult time and only solidarity will give us the result we will surely achieve. We will win. We are all together,” he said.

Mintimer Shaimiev added that the Appearance of the Icon is the God given and he thinks “such things cannot be a chance.”

“We live happily in Tatarstan. This is going on for centuries and all residents can feel this. Even through most difficult times we have managed to preserve inter-ethnic and enter-confessional peace and concord – this is our joint merit. We should be proud of it and preserve it,” the Tatarstan State Counselor said.

Cyril, metropolitan of Kazan and Tatarstan thanked the honorary guests for their decision to reconstruct the Cathedral of the Icon of the Kazan Virgin taken in 2015.

After that Rustam Minnikhanov and Mintimer Shaimiev laid flowers on the grave of the Right Reverend Theophanes who died of Corona in autumn 2020 and who is buried by the Cathedral.