Bashkortoston

On January 13 in Ufa they said goodbye to the first president of Bashkortostan Murtaza Rakhimov. At some point in the hall where the farewell took place, unexpectedly for almost everyone, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared. With details from Ufa – a special correspondent of “Kommersant” Andrei Kolesnikov.

They said goodbye to the former head of Bashkortostan Murtaza Rakhimov in the former Neftyanik Palace of Culture. Now it is naturally called the concert hall “Bashkortostan”.

The coffin stood on the stage and was half ajar, behind it stood a multi-meter, full curtain, photograph of Murtaza Gubaidullovich. During his lifetime, he did not have such photographs (and this is probably good). The hall was filled with people who came to say goodbye first, at 9 am. They were not immediately opened, and they stood in the cold, at minus 18, but, in fairness, not for long, but then they managed to take their seats in the concert hall.

TV channel “Bashkortostan 24” conducted a live broadcast of the ceremony in two languages.

“Here we see Murtaza Gubaidullovich in a white coat and a construction helmet,” the presenter commented on archival videos that appeared on the screen from time to time, “and in ears of wheat in the field …

Everything was like that. It was all he, Murtaza Gubaidullovich Rakhimov, the great son of the Bashkir people, as they will say about him on this day many, many times.

It seemed impossible to enumerate his merits in one day. “He laid the foundations of the Paralympic sport in Bashkortostan,” commented the athlete Irek Zaripov and did not prevaricate.

“Thanks to him, paved streets appeared in the villages …”, “Man-epoch …” – was heard from the stage.

“He was a symbol of the era,” said the head of the republic, Radiy Khabirov. He was considered a political heavyweight and a wise elder. I want to bow low to him for saving our Russia, for turning Bashkortostan into a leading region.

All that remains for Radiy Khabirov is not to drop him. From such a height.

The longer the speakers spoke, the larger and more majestic the figure of Murtaza Rakhimov was drawn, and even his photo in the background of the stage did not seem so exaggerated.

“He was a close person to us,” said President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. “Personally, I have always treated me with great respect, and he treats me like a senior comrade… An irreparable loss…

He arrived from neighboring Tatarstan together with Mintimer Shaimiev, there were no other leaders of the republics, they sent telegrams, and from the point of view of Tatarstan it looked like brothers, you can’t say otherwise.

The first president of Tatarstan, Mintimer Shaimiev, who knew Murtaza Rakhimov almost like himself, addressed the audience in Tatar for several minutes. Switched to Russian:

– And they competed, and were jealous, and argued. We found a common language, although it was not easy to find a common language with him and with me. Why? Because work is work! .. Our contribution to the Russian Federation is enormous … Let it be not politically, but economically (but he meant that politically, of course.— A.K.). Left a good mark…

The wise Mintimer Shaimiev understood that it was not worth taking on too much; accustomed himself (as, by the way, did Murtaza Rakhimov, for which Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin are grateful to him separately) to this, when he himself was president … He crossed … But now you can’t take at least a little extra couldn’t either. Yes, and then too.

“We all need to try… Times are not easy…” Mintimer Shaimiev drew attention. “But we can do it… And the role of our republics is very great… We will remember you. There are results and there is history…

He again, as if by accident, involuntarily, strayed into Tatar.

And he didn’t seem to say anything special, but breathed something significant, something unsaid, implied and all the more significant … Yes, that’s who, without any doubt, the man of the era. Yes, there is a lump there.

The Supreme Mufti of Russia Talgat Tadzhuddin explained:

“Blessed is he who created death and life to test us. We all belong to the Creator. But you have to pass the test. Murtaza Gubaidullovich passed it and on blessed Friday returns to the Creator…

Talgat Tadzhuddin raised his palms up, the prayer began, and almost everyone in the hall raised their hands after him. It did not take long: it was obvious that everyone here was warned to follow the rules.

At some point, Talgat Tadzhuddin, who was reading the prayer, fell silent and turned to the deceased.

— Dear comrades! exclaimed the host of the ceremony, but then he stopped short and waited until the mufti finished his prayer without uttering any more words.

— Dear comrades! the host said again. “Our event is over.

People took to the streets slowly. Immediately after the farewell ceremony, the few journalists who got access to the lobby were approached by the current head of the republic, Radiy Khabirov.

– In the republic, Murtaza Gubaidullovich was affectionately called “The Opener,” one correspondent asked him. “Tell me why?”

“In the republic, he was affectionately called “Babai,” Radiy Khabirov corrected the correspondent. “And the Opener?.. Well, he opened many objects: new kindergartens, schools, clinics…

The explanation, like the question, was still not worth attaching importance to.

Finally, several operators and TV correspondents entered the empty hall. Waiting for Vladimir Putin. It was known that he landed at the Ufa airport.

Maybe because another correspondent, who had time for a live broadcast, was given little time and at any moment he could be removed from the stage where he stood, having issued the coffin with the body of the deceased as a background … So, maybe from excitement connected with the fact that it would be necessary to try to do everything in time, the TV correspondent, having started talking, could no longer stop:

– In the cold, people stood in line to say the last “sorry” to the first president … Oh, the last “thank you” …

And nothing so terrible was said, but still – something is not right …

A few minutes later, Vladimir Putin came onto the stage from behind the curtains, laid flowers at the feet of the deceased, and stood by the coffin, saying goodbye. When he left, many people ran around the stage at once, everyone was in a hurry somewhere, talking loudly, not paying attention to the deceased. Two more stopped to, apparently, to say goodbye, because otherwise it would somehow be quite inconvenient, but they did not linger and also hurried to bring out flowers and wreaths …

All this fuss, however, did not disturb the deceased in any way. He was returning to the one who created life and death, and Friday was blessed for him.

He was buried at the Muslim cemetery in Ufa. For some time the coffin was carried along the streets with full honors, on a carriage, behind which a howitzer, I think, 122-millimeter, rumbled on the icy bumps.

It didn’t make any extra sense. Just a cannon rumbled over the potholes.

Andrey Kolesnikov