The Fifth Festival of Russian Language and Literature in India concluded in Trivandrum, the capital city of the south Indian state of Kerala.
The festival’s program included various contests, exhibitions, conferences and seminars, film screenings and performances by Russian dance and music ensembles. Thousands of Indians had a chance to learn about Russian culture over the course of six weeks.
The traditional event was organized by the Alexander Pushkin Center of Russian Language under the Russian Cultural Center in Trivandrum. It is actively supported by the Russkiy Mir Foundation.
In his speech at the closing ceremony, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Kerala’s Minister for Forests and Wildlife, Sports and Youth, stressed the importance of humanitarian connections between Russia and India, as they “serve as the spiritual foundation for the special strategic partnership between Russia and India.” He praised the Russian Cultural Center in Trivandrum for its activities aimed at strengthening Russian-Indian cooperation and said he looked forward to “the contacts between the two countries in the field of culture, scientific exchange, education and tourism getting more and more meaningful.”
Kerala State authorities believe “the festival’s success is proof of growing interest in Russian language and literature across India.” As of today, Russian is taught in four Trivandrum schools and two higher education institutions. The Russian language courses at the Russian Cultural Center are also very popular.
Sergei Karmalito, Senior Counselor with Russia’s Embassy to India, noted that the festival’s closing ceremony took place at roughly the same time as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first official visit to Russia. He expressed confidence that the talks between Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin would facilitate further cooperation between the two countries in such focus areas as energy, defense, oil and gas production and scientific research.
Hitesh Harishankara, 76-year-old Slavic Studies professor, received the Sergei Yesenin Award for his unique translations of over 20 Russian literary works, among them writings by Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov, into Kannada.
The professor was so fascinated by Russia that he wrote a book entitled Beautiful Moscow, Beautiful Russia. Even though he no longer teaches, he practices his Russian every day, saying he is ready to teach Russian for free in his hometown of Mysore.
