Our project to revive the Saker Falcon inspires artists!
The artist from Nizhnekamsk, Ildus Murtazin, painted the painting "Takeoff", which depicts a red book falcon. The author shows the scene of traditional horse racing, conveying the spirit of Tatar culture. In the painting, the falcon turns into the main character, which is watched by the characters.
Ildus Murtazin says that the plot of the painting appeared when he learned that the population of the saker falcon was being restored in Tatarstan.
"In 2026, a record number of Red Book birds were released into nature. Historically, in many countries, the falcon is a sacred bird. Falcons have left a vivid mark in the history of nations — and not only as hunting birds, but also as a powerful symbol in culture," the artist writes on his personal social networks.
The project to restore the Volga-Kama Saker Falcon population has been implemented in Tatarstan by the Ministry of Ecology since 2023 with the support of SIBUR, together with the A.I. Shchepovskikh Regional Public Foundation, the Kazan Zoo, the Volga-Kama Nature Reserve, the KFU and the "Sapsan" nursery. This year, 25 birds were released into the wild, and 49 falcons in four years.