PetrSU students made a journey across the land of the Karelians
The implementation of the project and educational program of the project “KARELIANA: a journey across the land of the Karelians” continues.
Students and teachers of Petrozavodsk University – the project participants – got acquainted with the history, traditions and customs of the southern Karelians , having visited the Pryazhinsky and Olonets districts of the Republic of Karelia.
During the trips, the participants got acquainted with the activities of a number of organizations whose key task is to preserve and popularize the language, traditions and culture of the Karelian people.
The trip to the Pryazha region was eventful. So, the owner of the House of the Karelian language in the village. Vedlozero N.P. Barmina told about an interesting practice – “language nest”, which is being implemented within its walls. A specialist of the Ethnocultural Center in the settlement of Pryazha T.P. Seppänen showed how unusually and actively the Karelian language is popularized in the institution: through song contests in the Karelian language, thematic meetings, excursions.
In the village of Kinerma, the participants not only made an excursion into the history of this settlement, but also got a wonderful opportunity to plunge into the life of a Karelian village and even participate, together with its owner N. Kalmykova, in the manufacture of traditional Karelian pastries – gates.
I was surprised by the inexhaustible optimism of those who created the House of the Karelian language. It was repaired, demolished, rebuilt, it took years, but there were still people willing to help bring this idea to life. And, of course, their activities are very relevant. Indeed, the very transfer of knowledge of native speakers of the Karelian language lies in joint work, conversations between the elderly and children. This is amazing! In turn, children charge their grandmothers with their energy and give them a feeling of being needed and useful,
– noted the participant of the trip Ulyana.
Another participant, Natalia, shared her impressions:
The trip impressed and pleasantly surprised! I had no idea that there was a “Karelian language nest”. I consider this practice of preserving and restoring the language relevant .
The trip to the Olonets district also turned out to be rich in interesting meetings and events. The participants visited the expositions of the Olonets National Museum of Karelian-Livviks named after I. N.G. Prilukina, visited the Karelian village of Bolshaya Selga, got acquainted with the work of Karelian craftsmen in the Ethnocultural Center “Lindu” and even made traditional Karelian souvenirs for themselves.
In August, the project participants will travel to the Kalevala region and get acquainted with the peculiarities of the northern Karelians.
The project “KARELIANA: a journey across the land of the Karelians” is being implemented by the KROO “Club of Youth Projects and Initiatives” with the support of the Presidential Grants Fund.