Voices of Russia: Poems were recited in different languages at the NSU Scientific Library

The range of speakers was quite broad — students, teachers and university staff, students of SUNC, employees of the Institute of Philology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and simply city residents. Participants read poems by national authors or their own compositions in their native languages — Ossetian, Tuvan, Buryat, Altai, Tatar, and Russian. Foreign students from Uzbekistan and China presented group performances representing the cultures of their countries.

The evening’s program featured more than 30 performances. Among the participants were students from the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies, the Humanities Institute, the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, the Faculty of Physics, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the Faculty of Economics, and university alumni.

— We wanted this evening to remind everyone of the richness of the languages and cultures of our country. This is a celebration where different voices are heard, and at the same time — a unifying, creative-patriotic event. When we speak with students from various regions, they often say they no longer know the language of their ancestors. Our goal is to remind them of their roots, and we see their eyes light up when they perform and represent their people. — noted Elena Olegovna Budantseva, head of the service department of the NSU Scientific Library.

— We wanted participants from different regions to feel connected to their roots. The poetry evening that took place proved that remembering one’s origins and cherishing the native language is very important for every people. That is the main value of such gatherings., — she emphasized Tatyana Gennadyevna Markova, head of the NSU Scientific Library.

One of the participants of the evening was Doluma Manchyn, an employee of the Department of Youth Policy and Educational Work at NSU, a graduate of the Institute of Philosophy and Law at NSU. She recited Alexander Pushkin’s poem “I Raised a Monument to Myself Not Made by Hands” translated into Tuvan by her father.

— The translation was done by my father — he writes poetry and translates between Russian and Tuvan. I felt pride reading his translation. This event allowed me to once again see and emphasize for myself the cultural wealth of Russia — how many different languages we have. It was interesting to hear the reciters of poems in their native languages. I hope that such events will attract the general public’s interest in preserving the rich culture and heritage of our country. — Doluma shared.

Also shared her impressions Anna Cherkasova, a master’s student of ‘Philology’ at the Humanities Institute of NSU:

— Tonight was unusual. The format involved reading poetry by regional authors in Russian and other languages of the peoples of Russia. This is very valuable: we got acquainted with the work of little-known poets and heard firsthand how rare languages sound. During the preparation, I myself discovered the charming poet Tayana Vasilyevna Tudegasheva — my fellow countrywoman from Kuzbass. She is a Shor from a literary family and wrote poems both in Russian and in Shor. They express endless love and deep respect for the Shor people, their history, culture, and language. I am glad that I was able to introduce her work to others as well. I especially want to highlight the girls from Uzbekistan: they presented a traditional lullaby, poems, a song, and even danced at the end. Through their performance, they truly immersed us in their culture.

The organizers of the evening were the Scientific Library of NSU, the Department of History, Culture and Arts of the Humanities Institute of NSU, and the Department of Youth Policy and Educational Work of NSU. After the participants’ presentations, tea and warm communication awaited.