Mintimer Shaimiev meets with expert in the sphere of natural heritage preservation Kalev Sepp

Tatarstan’s State Counselor and Chairman of the Board of trustees of the Republican foundation “Vozrozhdenie” (“Revival”) Mintimer Shaimiev has met with the expert and consultant in the sphere of natural heritage preservation of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Kalev Sepp at the Kazan Kremlin.

Kalev Sepp is a professor of the Estonian University of Social Sciences, preservation and management of natural and cultural landscapes and natural heritage, Dean of the faculty “Ecology and nature management”. His visit to Tatarstan was organised in the context of work on promotion of Bolgar and Sviyazhsk, as experts say nomination of “Bolgar historical and archeological complex” and “Sviyazhsk historical – cultural and landscape complex” in the list of UNESCO World heritage sites.

Mr Kalev Sepp is especially interested in Sviyazhsk island-town since it was announced the landscape complex as well as the historical – cultural complex. Therefore, before considering its inclusion in the UNESCO World heritage list it must be approved by an expert of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the UNESCO consulting organisation.

During this week Kalev Sepp will be studying the unique nature of Sviyazhsk island-town. Mintimer Shaimiev told about the history of Bolgar and Sviyazhsk, activity of the Republican foundation “Vozrozhdenie” and realisation of the project “Tatarstan cultural heritage: ancient city of Bolgar and Sviyazhsk island-town.”

Mr Kalev Sepp asked why Sviyazhsk island-town was announced as the object of natural heritage. Mintimer Shaimiev said that Sviyazhsk historical – cultural and landscape complex is a unique landscape phenomenon of exceptional beauty and aesthetic value. Tatarstan’s State Counselor believes that inclusion of Sviyazhsk in the UNESCO World heritage list will favour preservation of its natural uniqueness under conditions of rapid scientific and technological progress.

Secondly, the Republic of Tatarstan is known as the region of inter-confessional and inter-ethnic peace and concord. Thus, inclusion of Bolgar and Sviyazhsk, Muslim and Orthodox holy places, in the list of UNESCO World heritage sites is especially important.

Aide to the Tatarstan President and CEO of the Republican foundation “Vozrozhdenie” Tatyana Larionova, and Director of the Federal State Institution “Volga-Kama state reserve” Yury Gorshkov participated in the meeting.