Rustam Minnikhanov opens complex of White Mosque in Bolgar
10 June 2012, Sunday
Complex of White Mosque was opened in Bolgar within the framework of anniversary of official adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgaria today. The Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, RT State Counselor Mintimer Shaimiev, Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov, Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and leaders of the Islamic clergy took part in the solemn ceremony.
The complex of White Mosque is located not far from the entrance to Bolgar near the southern gates of the museum-reserve. The complex comprises the mosque, residence of mufti, medrese, and prayer zone. The height of two minarets is 46,5 meters, diameter of the main dome is 17 meters. Walls are decorated with traditional picturesque elements.
Construction was implemented at the expense of investors – “Metalloinvest” holding, the charitable fund “Development of Ukraine”, JSC Tatneft and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Rustam Minnikhanov noted that every year the number of participants at the holiday “Izge Bolgar zhieny” increases. “I sincerely thank all imams, foreign guests, who have come here,” the RT President said.
“Today we are witnesses of revival of such a holy place – Bolgar. I am sure that everything we do we do for the good, friendship and consent,” Rustam Minnikhanov said.
President of Tatarstan thanked RT State Counselor Mintimer Shaimiev for his work on revival of Bolgar and Sviyazhsk, and investors who supported construction of the mosque, - Chief of “Metalloinvest” holding Alisher Usmanov, founder of the charitable fund “Development of Ukraine” Rinat Akhmetov, Director general of JSC Tatneft Shafagat Takhautdinov, the OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.
Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu thanked Rustam Minnikhanov for invitation to take part in today’s event and greeted the audience on behalf of all 57 states – the OIC members. RT State Counselor Mintimer Shaimiev noted that Muslims from Tatarstan, Russia and abroad support revival of Bolgar. He thinks that the complex of White Mosque can be used not only for worship services. Training of religious figures can also be organized in medrese.
President of Tatarstan and RT State Counselor handed letters of gratitude of the RT President to builders and architects. Letters of gratitude of the “Vozrozhdenie” Fund were granted to investors who took part in construction of the mosque.
After official speeches, honorable guests looked over the building from the inside. Rustam Minnikhanov, Mintimer Shaimiev and leaders of the Muslim clergy performed first prayer in the new mosque. Rustam Minnikhanov also met with leaders of the Muslim clergy in the mufti residence.
He thanked imams for the visit to Bolgar. Attendees of the meeting discussed issues of training Muslim religious figures and other issues of Islam development in Russia.
Finally, Rustam Minnikhanov and Mintimer Shaimiev visited the Memorable Sign dedicated to adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgaria.
On 4 July at their meeting in the Government House of the republic, Tatarstan Prime Minister Aleksey Pesoshin and the Director General of the FSUE Federal Environmental Operator (FEO) Maxim Pogodin discussed interaction in the issues of implementation of joint projects in waste management and elimination of objects of accumulated environmental damage with the aim of decreasing impact of industry on the environment.
On 3 July at their meeting in the Government House of the republic, Tatarstan Prime Minister Aleksey Pesoshin and trade representatives of Russia to foreign countries discussed current trade and economic interaction of the republic with foreign partners, issues of export activities of enterprises of the republic, promotion of Tatarstan produce to foreign markets and development of new niches, issues of logistics and the development in inter-regional ties.
On 1 July in the Government House of the republic Tatarstan Prime Minister Aleksey Pesoshin held a meeting of organizational committee for preparing an international forum ROSTKI: Russia-China mutually beneficial cooperation, where he said that the forum will be held for the third time in the republic. “It is the largest business platform uniting representatives of business, state power and community of two countries. Since its establishment the forum has proved itself to be an efficient tool for the development of economic cooperation between Russian regions and Chinese provinces, facilitating the implementation of joint investments projects and creating promising productions,” he said.
On 28 June, speaking at a regular meeting in the Government House of the republic, Tatarstan Prime Minister Aleksey Pesoshin said there will be a number of public events in the coming week and their organizers together with law-enforcement bodies should ramp up security measures.