The cultural program was organized for the winners and their accompanying in the Northern capital of Russia, it aimed to explore the history and culture of Russia, a country which language they choose for studying as a foreign. Thus, the Slovak schoolchildren visited the brightest and most historically significant places in St. Petersburg and its suburbs: The Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Preserve, the State Museum Pavlovsk, Peterhof State Museum Reserve, the State Hermitage Museum, the State Museum St Isaac’s Cathedral and Kazan Cathedral, they fired a blank shot form the cannon from the Naryshkin Bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress.
The Russian language readers’ competition "The monument to Pushkin" was revived in 2014. It was organized with the support of the Mr. Augustine Csiszár and The Mayor of Lučenec Mrs. Alexandra Pivkova, it is held under the patronage of the Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko and the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Robert Fico.
The creative competition in the town of Lučenec was attended by the readers from 13 Slovak cities. The winners were selected in the categories "poetry" and "prose". The six finalists gained the right to visit the city on the Neva at the invitation of the Governor of St. Petersburg.
The cultural program was organized for the winners and their accompanying in the Northern capital of Russia, it aimed to explore the history and culture of Russia, a country which language they choose for studying as a foreign. Thus, the Slovak schoolchildren visited the brightest and most historically significant places in St. Petersburg and its suburbs: The Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Preserve, the State Museum Pavlovsk, Peterhof State Museum Reserve, the State Hermitage Museum, the State Museum St Isaac’s Cathedral and Kazan Cathedral, they fired a blank shot form the cannon from the Naryshkin Bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress.
Schoolchildren from Slovakia also visited Piskaryovsky Memorial, where they, together with the Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg Evgeny Grigoriev and the Chairman of the Committee for Youth Policy and Social organizations Interaction of Saint-Petersburg Renata Abdulina laid flowers at the Motherland Monument and read the poems about peace.
One of the key points of the program was a meeting of schoolchildren with the Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko in Smolny. The meeting was attended by the Consul General of the Slovak Republic in St. Petersburg Mr. Augustine Csiszár and finalists' parents.
The Governor recalled that until 1989 all Czechoslovak schoolchildren studied Russian language and literature. Today, these subjects are not included in the school curriculum in the Slovak Republic, but interest in the Russian language is strong and many pupils learn it themselves. The Governor thanked Mr. Csiszár for the initiative to revive the readers’ competition. "As far as I know, during the first contest the audience together with a young finalist read the Tatiana's letter from "Eugene Onegin". This shows that Russian language is remembered and loved in the Slovak Republic", - the Governor said.
Slovak schoolchildren read poems for the Governor and shared their impressions about visiting places in St. Petersburg and its suburbs which were visited by Pushkin himself. "I am confident that this visit will help you understand oeuvre of Alexander Pushkin better, to understand the atmosphere that inspired him to create his works, to meet St. Petersburg - the cultural capital of Russia" - Georgy Poltavchenko said.
The Governor noted that Slovakia and Russia have long-standing friendship, our peoples fought together against fascism. The younger generations have work ahead to develop relations between our countries.
As Mr. Csiszár said, today 75 thousand Slovak students (out of 250 thousand) are learning Russian language.
Georgy Poltavchenko welcomed the proposal of the Consul General of the Slovak Republic to organize a drawing contest "Petersburg through the eyes of children" in January next year.
The Governor presented gifts to the schoolchildren.
At the end of the cultural program on 19 August, schoolchildren from Slovakia visited one of the best projects of modern circus world "Show of Water, Fire and Light" under the direction of the Honored Artist of Russia Anatoly Sokol in the Bolshoi St. Petersburg State Circus.
Part of the costs to ensure the supply of transport services, organizational support and part of the cultural program was paid at the expense of St. Petersburg budget.
The organizer of the readers' competition is the Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in St. Petersburg.
The visit to St. Petersburg was organized with the support of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg.
More details:+7 (812) 576-75-29, borisova@kvs.gov.spb.ru – Marianna Olegovna Borisova, a specialist of the Division for Planning of International Events of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg.
Report of St. Petersburg channel: http://topspb.tv/news/news110859/