Dear participants! Dear friends!
I sincerely congratulate you with the opening of the Fifth International Festival "The Great Russian Word"!
Festival "The Great Russian Word" has become a tradition.
The date of opening of the Festival of Russian, Slavic culture, and its venue is symbolic.
Opening date, June 6 - the birthday of Alexander Pushkin. This day is the great day for everyone who loves the Russian language, Russian culture.
This day was declared as the Day of the Russian language by the United Nations.
Our language is one of the six official UN languages. It is significant that the Russian language is being studying by all astronauts at the ISS.
About 260 million people have used the Russian language today: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries. For more than 150 million of people Russian language is native.
Location of our festival is the Crimea, with its rich historical heritage, its contribution to the literature.
Such Pushkin's works, like the poem “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai”, a number of lyrical poems were connected with the Crimea.
The idea of the novel "Eugeny Onegin" was appeared here: Pushkin called the Crimea “the cradle of my Onegin.”
Crimea can not be imagined without Pushkin's masterpieces of poetry and prose.
"Sevastopol Stories" by Lev Tolstoy and the works of Chekhov, Bunin, Kuprin and many other Russian writers are dedicated to the heroic defense of the Crimea.
Festival - is conclusive proof of the desire of people united by language, history, culture, friendship and cooperation for the common noble goals. Scope of activities is expanding, and the Fifth International Festival surpasses its predecessors.
The festival includes the concerts, conferences, public forums and readings. Particular attention is drawn to the preservation of spiritual traditions.
The past of the Crimean peninsula connected with the adoption of Christianity, and the activities of the great Slavic educators.
(Kirill and Methody, they visited the Crimea before the creation of the Slavic alphabet).
The events of the festival are attended by representatives of government bodies and public organizations, clergy, educational and scientific institutions, media and business.
Developing cultural cooperation, strengthening spiritual connections we are expanding our cooperation in all other areas: economy, social issues, and common approaches to international problems.
United by common historical roots, common spiritual tradition, passed along the historic trials, the people of Russia and Ukraine should be together and will always be together. Turning to the lessons of the past, we build a common future.
The language serves as a creative and unifying force. Knowledge of Russian language allows people from different countries to join the treasure-house of Russian history and culture.
Festival "The Great Russian Word" brings people together rather than divides them. And it is the most important.
I wish success to the festival and all the participants of the festival!
07.06.2011
