The Sverdlovsk Regional Universal Scientific Library named after V.G. Belinsky in Yekaterinburg held an international conference "Along the AzBuka’s way" as part of the project of the same name being implemented by the Social Activity Foundation "Idea" with the support of the Ministry of Education and Youth Policy. The author of the project is Elmira Samokhina, Head of the Representative Office of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly in the Sverdlovsk Region (Russia).
Teachers of universities and schools, translators, writers who write in their native language, public organizations working in the field of preserving the linguistic culture of small peoples became participants in the conference held in a hybrid format. Each participant was offered the topic of promoting the Russian language abroad, preserving languages of small nations, exchange of interesting language practices.
Elena Garms, Deputy Director for socio-cultural activities of the Sverdlovsk Regional Universal Scientific Library named after V.G. Belinsky, presented the possibilities of the library in the field of language knowledge in the form of rare and unique publications to the conference participants.
Irina Polyakova, Head of the Department for Spiritual Culture of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly, emphasized the importance of such projects in humanitarian international cooperation between different countries and the importance of getting to know the culture and traditions of peoples.
Great interest was aroused by the speech “For there are no superfluous languages!” Fakhrutdin Flyura Gumar, journalist, translator (Tashkent, Uzbekistan), who is convinced that knowledge of languages gives knowledge of life. She recalled the experience of interlinear translations into Uzbek of the texts of the classics of Russian literature, a reverent attitude towards the preservation of the literary heritage in Uzbekistan. The speech of the Uzbek journalist coincided with her participation in the international book fair in Tashkent.
Tatyana Levkovich, Director of School No. 2 in Polotsk, Belarus, teacher of the Belarusian language and literature of the highest qualification category. The theme of her speech is "Polotsk - a monument to the letter of the Cyrillic alphabet." She drew attention to the fact that in Belarus itself there are less and less native speakers, and this causes concern. The symbol of the Belarusian language is a monument to the letter - the only one among the Slavic alphabets based on the Cyrillic alphabet. Tatyana Levkovich's excursion into the history of monuments in different cities of Russia and neighboring countries made it possible to pay attention to the visualization of images of the Cyrillic alphabet.
Oksana Afinogenova, head of the Public Organization "Ekhirit-Bulagat District Buryat National-Cultural Autonomy "Khargana"(OO EBRBNKA "Khargana"), chief specialist of the State Public Institution "Resource Center for Support of Non-Profit Organizations of the Irkutsk Region", has a unique experience in preserving languages and music cultures of the peoples of Siberia. Thanks to the efforts of experts and public figures, whom Oksana Illarionovna united around her projects, collections of folklore of the peoples of Siberia, primarily the Buryat, were published.
The Autonomous Territory of Gagauzia, the Republic of Moldova, was presented by Larisa Boikova, Doctor of Philology, Associate Professor of the Komarat State University, Chief Specialist of the Department of Education of the ATU Gagauzia, and Alena Deli, teacher of the Russian language and literature of the Gavrila Gaydarzhi Theoretical Lyceum, Komarat. They also stressed that the circle of people who speak Gagauz is narrowing, teaching in their native language remains only at school. The experience of Gagauzia, where the Bulgarian, Romanian, Moldavian and Russian languages are actively present, helps to understand the trends in the formation of the linguistic and cultural world of one of the European countries.
Active participation in the preparation of the conference was taken by representatives of Kostanay, the Republic of Kazakhstan. Aizhan Tuktusheva, teacher of literature and Russian language of KSU "Secondary School No. 27" of the Department of Education of the city of Kostanay of the Department of Education of the Akimat of Kostanay Region, and Zhaslan Bekentaev, Deputy Director for Educational Work of School No. 27, presented their experience of teaching the Russian language in a Kazakh school. They drew attention to the fact that the language of the nearest neighbor - Russia - for Kazakhstan is the basis of joint activities in education, culture and economy.
Kalmurat kyzy Tursunay, translator, writer from the Kyrgyz Republic, became the first translator of “The Tale of the Ural Frost, Magic Glass and Jewel Desires” by writer and journalist from Yekaterinburg Olga Belousova. Her baton for the translation of the fairy tale, which has become a Ural brand, was taken over by the Moscow State Linguistic University. Now Tursunai works in Osh. During the conference, Tursunai emphasized the importance of translations of literary texts, which allow you to see the beauty of words in the national flavor of another language. Olga Belousova noted that for her the experience of such international language cooperation has become invaluable.
Ellina Mikhailovich, who taught Russian in Chile with her husband for eight years, drew attention to the state of the Russian language in today's Europe and the vulnerability of its position in connection with the new political situation.
Svetlana Kulmurzina, head of the branch of the House of Friendship of the Peoples of the Republic of Bashkortostan "Bashkir Historical and Cultural Center in the Sverdlovsk Region", director of the ANO, presented her project "Bazhov and the Bashkirs". The translation of Pavel Bazhov's famous tale "Golden Hair" into the Bashkir language became the reason for a more detailed immersion in the process of preserving and studying the Bashkir language.
Elvira Kuklina, head of the ANO "Cultural and Information Center INTELLECTUAL in the Republic of Mari El, is doing a great job of promoting the Mari language. Her project “Mother tongue with mother” can be scaled and attached to the practice of any language, as it is good in all aspects of perception: accessible, understandable and based on the family and traditional values of each nation.
According to Elena Karmanova, Adviser to the Head of the Polevskoy City District, the conference of the project “Along the AzBuka’s Way” brought all the participants closer together, united in the desire to continue working to preserve linguistic diversity, and became an effective tool of public diplomacy in international cooperation.