On September 24, the Cultural Center Zalesny will host a literary and musical evening titled “Mustai Karim: He Has Every Right to Be Proud of His Life.”

The event is dedicated to the legacy of frontline poet and playwright Mustai Karim. Creative ensembles and soloists of the Zalesny Cultural Center, as well as activists from the national-cultural autonomy Kurultai Bashkir of Kazan, will take part in the program.

The evening will feature excerpts from Mustai Karim’s literary works in Russian, Tatar, and Bashkir. Artists of the Zalesny Center will also present vocal and choreographic performances.

“This project, named after one of the poet’s most famous poems, ‘I Am Not Russian, but a Russian Citizen,’ is being implemented with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives. September is the month when Mustai Karim passed away, and therefore this evening is held in his memory. The next event within this project will be held on a much larger scale on October 20, the poet’s birthday, at the monument to Mustai Karim in Kazan,” said Timur Yusupov, head of the Kurultai Bashkir in Kazan and director of the Zalesny Cultural Center.

The organizers of the event are the Zalesny Cultural Center, the national-cultural autonomy Kurultai Bashkir of the Republic of Tatarstan, with the support of the Assembly and House of Friendship of the Peoples of Tatarstan, the Kazan City Hall, and the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.

Venue: 8 Osinovsky Lane, Zalesny Cultural Center
Time: 14:00
Admission: Free

Background: Mustai Karim was born into a peasant family on October 20, 1919, in the village of Klyashevo, Chishminsky District of the Republic of Bashkortostan. His artistic talent manifested early, as soon as he became literate. At the age of 16, he published his first collection of poems. Karim wrote not only poetry but also prose, and plays based on his works drew full houses. “Mustai Karim will remain a cherished image of the Bashkir people,” wrote the renowned author Chingiz Aitmatov. Karim’s works are marked by deep philosophical meaning, true civic spirit, and uplifting kindness and hope. He was a great romantic who preserved youthful enthusiasm, bright sincerity, kindness, and humanity until his golden years. His poems reflected devotion to friendship and unity among Russia’s many peoples.

Source: mincult.tatarstan.ru