During the grand opening of the 3rd International Irtysh Sabantuy in Surgut, a ceremony was held to award outstanding public and cultural figures of the region. The awards for contributions to the preservation of national identity and the strengthening of interethnic harmony were presented by Danis Shakirov, Head of the Executive Committee of the World Congress of the Tatars.

The highest award — the Medal “For Services to the Tatar People” — was given to Governor of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug Ruslan Kukharuk. His activities received high praise for supporting national cultures in the region.

The Medal of the World Congress of the Tatars “For Great Services to the Tatar People” was awarded to Alsu Gaynetdinova, a member of the Regional Tatar National-Cultural Autonomy of Yugra and the local Tatar National-Cultural Autonomy of the city of Surgut.

Additionally, Letters of Gratitude from the World Congress of the Tatars were presented to activists of the regional national-cultural autonomy of Tatars and the local Tatar national-cultural autonomy of the city of Surgut: Chulpan Galyavedinova, Ilziya Kiyamova, Lyaysan Dmitrieva; as well as to Timerkan Sharifullin, Honored Figure of Yugra, composer, and one of the organizers of the Tatar-Bashkir cultural center “Talyan”; and Vener Mukhammadiev.

The awards were ceremoniously presented in recognition of their many years of work in developing Tatar culture in Siberia.