Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko met with Head of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov in Minsk on 25 May.

They discussed the preservation of historical memory and the recent commemorative concert in Kazan featuring Belarusian artists.

"I am very grateful to you for hosting our artists with such a grand concert in the heart of Russia," the head of state said.

"It was something you had to see. We host a lot of events, but this was a real eye-opener for us. It showed us how things should actually be done so that they truly resonate..." Rustam Minnikhanov noted.

"We knew where we were going. We knew that a half-hearted effort simply wouldn't do. I was deeply involved in this process. While in Kazan, we realized that Russia responds very well to this," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The President stated that following the commemorative concert in Kazan, he had inquired about the reaction of Rustam Minnikhanov himself. "They told me you were moved to tears. I was glad that it resonated with you so well," he said.

Rustam Minnikhanov noted in response: "Our entire population welcomed it. It is truly meaningful and good. Time is passing. We only have 92 Great Patriotic War veterans left, and maybe even fewer today. Of course, these are things we must always remember and talk about."

The head of Tatarstan emphasized once again that everything had been deeply moving, and mentioned his recent visit to the Brest Fortress. "Everything you have there is so organized," he said. "It's a must-see. We grew up hearing about the heroism of the Brest Fortress, we know the history. But once you are actually there… Thank you so much for how both the staff and the exhibition are managed. It is very educational. We are highly impressed."

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that efforts to preserve this memory are being made in cooperation with Ambassador of Russia to Belarus Boris Gryzlov. "The essence of memory lies in this: people coming and seeing it for themselves. The Brest Fortress and Khatyn are the most vivid testimonies to what happened in that terrible war," the Belarusian leader emphasized.

Turning to the ambassador present at the meeting, Aleksandr Lukashenko concluded that it makes perfect sense to organize events like the commemorative concert in Kazan across Russia. "A High-Level Group meeting has just taken place, where we discussed the need to allocate funds for five such events from the Union State budget," Boris Gryzlov said in this regard.

"That is the right approach," Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed. He also pointed out that in Kazan, for instance, the event received both financial and organizational support. "But I am especially grateful to you for attending the event yourself. It set a certain standard and truly inspired our artists," the Belarusian President told the head of Tatarstan.

"Whatever challenges we may face, I mean this from the bottom of my heart. It takes real skill to present something this way. Every single element… We hold many concerts, but none with such depth of soul..." Rustam Minnikhanov said.

"That is a very good point. I demanded that they put their heart and soul into it," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The head of Tatarstan emphasized that the consequences of that war and the immense loss of human life must be spoken about, stressing that the youth need to know this history.

"It is very important to me that you, as someone so influential in Russia, saw for yourself that we take this war very seriously. We maintain all of these sites, and we have thousands upon thousands of monuments. What is more, the vast majority of them are cared for by schoolchildren. For every holiday, schoolchildren come to tend to these monuments. It is like this everywhere, in every single village," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Rustam Minnikhanov highly praised the Belarusian experience in the patriotic education of youth, noting the seriousness of these efforts.

Reacting to Rustam Minnikhanov's words about order and tidiness in Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko said: "I told you once that Belarus is very similar to Tatarstan."

"We look up to you," the head of Tatarstan remarked.

"When I land or fly past, I look at Tatarstan and think: 'What, are we already approaching Minsk?'" the Belarusian leader shared his impressions. "It is very neat and clean. You maintain discipline. I know, from our younger days, how much you respected order and discipline. That brings success."

Aleksandr Lukashenko also hailed the development of Tatarstan. "I like the pace you have gathered. Despite certain turbulence, you are holding on firmly. I see that our Muslim brothers sometimes make their way to Russia and to Belarus, and they do so largely through Kazan, which has always been friendly to us," he said.

During a meeting Aleksandr Lukashenko jokingly brought up the quarterfinal playoff series of the current Gagarin Cup season, in which HC Ak Bars swept HC Dinamo Minsk 4-0.

"Sometimes you do things that aren't very nice," Aleksandr Lukashenko said. "You beat HC Dinamo Minsk. 4-0, no less. You upset all of Belarus."

"Didn't mean to," Rustam Minnikhanov replied.

"Still, it was a good lesson for us," the Belarusian President remarked.

In turn, the head of Tatarstan noted that Ak Bars ultimately didn't win the Gagarin Cup.

"No, but they played well in the finals," Aleksandr Lukashenko said. "I saw a certain lack of composure. They were one step away from victory. But those seconds… Well, that's hockey, that's the game."