Ilsur Metshin: “I want to see Kazan residents happy”

The Mayor of the capital of Tatarstan spoke at a youth forum in Moscow

Ilsur Metshin took part in the Territory of Meanings Forum at the invitation of the Presidential Grants Foundation and Rosmolodezh (Russian Youth Agency). About 250 young people, including representatives of non-profit organizations, social institutions, charitable foundations, young people working in corporations, as well as volunteers, took part in the session “Caring Citizens and the Metropolis: The Experience of Kazan”. The Mayor shared how Kazan has changed since 2005, its development strategy, and the preparation for the BRICS summit. After the speech, he answered the questions from the audience.

“Don't surround yourself with pessimists. Always listen to different opinions and stay with people who can believe in you, support you, and most importantly, help you dream,”- Ilsur Metshin told the participants of the session.

He shared how, at the start of his career as the head of the capital of Tatarstan, they studied world experience and invited leading foreign experts for consultations to develop a strategy for development. “We were told that Kazan was an educational center and the city should attract the best minds. We implemented reforms, and as a result, 37% of applicants to universities in the city are from outside Tatarstan, compared to 3% in 2000.”

To achieve this goal, the city needed to become more attractive to young people in terms of infrastructure, the social live, and activities. This led to the idea of hosting the Universiade, which became a significant milestone in Kazan's history.

“We discovered that there are Olympic games for students, with the only difference being that athletes under 27 years of age can participate. After losing the bid campaign in Turin in 2007, we thought life had stopped for us. However, the following year, the leadership of our republic and Kazan succeeded in winning the bid in Brussels. Before and after the Universiade, Kazan became two different cities. Most importantly, people became completely different as well,”- the Mayor said.

The Universiade has opened a series of premier events that took place in Kazan and have helped to improve the city's infrastructure. In October, Kazan will host the BRICS Summit with the participation of delegations from 34 countries. Ilsur Metshin shared his thoughts on the preparations for this event: “It is not so difficult when you have trained muscles and a team that knows their job. The number of events is growing into quality.”

After his speech, participants of the discussion asked questions about large-scale projects, territorial development, resource attraction, and work with students.

Member of the Youth Public Chamber from the city of Serov, Valery, expressed gratitude to the Mayor of Kazan for organizing Games of the Future. This event has helped the city to develop phygital sports, he said. Ilsur Metshin offered assistance and expressed readiness to share experience with the leaders of Serov. Valery asked about the future plans for Kazan.

The Mayor stressed that promoting a healthy lifestyle is the most important goal for him. Currently, 63% of residents engage in sports regularly, and Kazan continues to expand its sports infrastructure every year. Another goal is to make Kazan a greener city.