Rustam Minnikhanov: Objects of wood architecture stir great interest among the tourists and year by year this interest will keep growing

Meeting on issues of preserving and reviving the objects of cultural heritage and new construction in a center of Kazan has been held today by RT president R.N. Minnikhanov.

The meeting took place in RT House of Government. Among the participants there were RT minister of construction, architecture and utilities Irek Faizullin, Head of the Interiors ministry on RT Asgat Safarov, aide to RT President Olesya Baltuseva, mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin, chief architecture of Kazan Tatyana Prokofieva and others.

The old wooden buildings in Kazan that have a historical value and contribute to the old city’s look should be preserved and restored, R. Minnikhanov said in the beginning. Not only the wooden structures protected by the state should be preserved but some of those located near tourist itineraries in the centre of Kazan, he holds.

Wooden architecture arouses a great interest from tourists and historians and the interest is bound to grow year on year, R. Minnikhanov said.

Aide to President O. Baltusova reported in detail on the list of wooden structures recommended for reconstruction and restoration.

Some old buildings in Kazan’s historical centre have been lost. R. Minnikhanov suggested constructing facilities in their place with facades replicating the old houses and reproducing the historical look.

The meeting discussed preparing solutions on construction projects in the historical centre of Kazan. Earlier, construction of 121 facilities had been suspended. In November over half of them were permitted to continue construction. Some buildings were recommended to revise the design. Kazan chief architect Tatiana Prokofieva presented some redesigned projects to R. Minnikhanov.