Mintimer Shaimiev: "We should make the most of the summer period"

On June 7, Tatarstan State Counsellor, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Revival Regional Foundation Mintimer Shaimiev held a field meeting at the reconstruction site of the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God on Bolshaya Krasnaya street.

Construction work started last summer, after the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the cathedral, being reconstructed by the Decree of Tatarstan President, which was held with the participation of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov and Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill on the 21st of July.

At the beginning of the meeting, some issues related to supplying heat to the complex of the Kazan Bogoroditsky Monastery, designing documentation, and reconstruction of the unique Cave Temple and others were discussed. Director of A.H. Khalikov Institute of Archeology Airat Sitdikov said that at the sites of future household buildings of the cathedral archaeological excavations will begin soon. If unique historical objects are found during excavation work, then it will be necessary to make changes to the project in order to preserve them, he said.

"This is very important, because we are not building, but recreating the cathedral and we need to pay special attention to what has survived to our days," Shaimiev stressed. 

Then, Shaimiev and Metropolitan of Kazan and Tatarstan Feofan inspected the construction site. Director General of the contract organization Vladimir Kazilov told them about the progress of restoration work.

Participants of the meeting also got acquainted with proposals of two companies - manufacturers of architectural decorative elements for the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. The company will be chosen on the basis of competitive bidding.

"In general, construction is according to the schedule. Although it is somewhat difficult to use the word "schedule", because recreating the cathedral is a very complicated process. A lot of questions arise during the reconstruction process, concerning work and designers, archaeologists, and other research institutions. But in general, the team works in concert. There are issues that need to be addressed, for example, the issue of providing heat and utilities. The days are at the longest now, but they will start getting shorter soon. Therefore, we should make the most of the summer period, because brickwork requires attention and careful approach. In general, people working at the reconstruction site are doing well. We wish them good luck and good work," Shaimiev said, summing up the meeting.