The Kazan City Hall has announced the start of applications for the “UZ TELEM” competition, dedicated to learning the Tatar language and promoting Tatar culture. An important new feature this year is the expansion of eligible participants: in 2026, young people aged 14 to 35 representing the peoples of the Volga region (Chuvash, Udmurts, Mari, Mordvins, Bashkirs) who permanently reside in Kazan can also take part. Participants are invited to present modern and original projects aimed at learning native languages and promoting national cultures.

To participate, applicants must fill out a form (full name, date of birth, address, phone number, place of study/work, project description, and an estimated budget required for its implementation) and send it to yztelem@gmail.com by June 30. Based on the applications, the jury will select finalists who will be invited to the project presentation stage. The authors of the best ideas will receive monetary grants to bring their projects to life. The total prize fund amounts to five million rubles. The competition regulations are available here: https://vk.com/millikznru.

The “UZ TELEM” competition has been held since 2021. Over this time, 29 projects have received support, including works of fiction and academic literature, comics, mobile applications, video and audio podcasts, theatrical productions, ballet, and even the first national music festival named after S. Gabyashi. The presentation of last year’s completed projects took place on March 5 at the “Yaratam” youth club.