Larisa Timokhina: "Our House Heals the World"

Recently ANO "EURASIA KIDS" signed a cooperation agreement with the Hungarian company "House of Health and Culture «SLAVYANSKY SPIRIT». This year the company celebrates its 10th anniversary. During this time, a lot of creative, constructive work has been carried out, primarily for children and youth. We asked its director Larisa Timokhin to tell us about the company's activities.

- Larisa Ivanovna, how long has the Hungarian company House of Health and Culture «SLAVYANSKY SPIRIT» been operating? Why did you come up with the idea to create a company?

- Our Hungarian company House of Health and Culture "SLAVYANSKY SPIRIT" ("Slavic Spirit") was established in 2013. On November 6, 2023, it turns 10 years old.

My and my husband’s professions are closely connected with international relations and contacts. For many years I worked at the Russian Academy of International Tourism as the General Director of the Moscow Educational and Methodological RMAT Center, and my husband, Viktor Borisovich Laptev, is a candidate of historical sciences, associate professor, professional diplomat, graduate of MGIMO. He worked for 30 years at the Diplomatic Academy, rose from senior lecturer to rector. Over these years we have made many friends from different countries. In order to accumulate our experience and implement many interesting projects, we need our own European legal HOUSE, which could become a bridge between the participants in our projects.

My husband and I have two children: daughter Anastasia, graduated from the Lomonosov Moscow State University, she is a TV journalist: son - Evgeny, pediatrician. Everything came together to help creative people and sick, and healthy to change the world around them for the better. Our HOUSE stands for Good Heals the World! This idea does not leave anyone indifferent. Health is what gives a person strength, and Culture is our strength. The power of great and peoples’ diplomacy. Oh, how important it is today! The Slavic Spirit is our visiting card "Wherever we are, Russia is with us."

– The international project “I create the WORLD” consists of 4 spaces: multimedia space, game space, cultural and educational space and creativity space. Tell us more about each one. Why were these vectors of work chosen and how do they work together?

- Four project spaces - this is no coincidence! It's like a watch mechanism, all the details must be in motion.

"Navigator of Kindness" is a multimedia space - the space of modern life, where rapid flows of information and online life should not deprive a person of doing GOOD. Let it be small, but GOOD. We talk about saving animals, about helping the sick, about a healthy lifestyle and, of course, doing good deeds "Spend the day with meaning." Tell us about your good deeds!

To live, to create, to act is the space of the game. Our play space is the Hungarian Inspiration international art camp, which was held annually in Hungary before the pandemic. Shifts: "Plein Air and Music" - for young artists and musicians, "Young Journalist" - interesting programs that allow everyone to try their hand at the game of soft diplomacy with their peers and children of compatriots abroad, shoot their own video, play a role in a puppet theater, take interviews, meet guests and make your own most delicious pizza.

Creativity is what a person likes to do the most. Then it works wonders! The international competitions “I create the WORLD” confirm this. Stunning drawings, presentations, reports, poems, essays. We held 5 International Competitions on various topics, including "Slavic image", "Russian fairy tale goes around the world", "Illustration of Hungarian fairy tales", "Poems about the Motherland, about friendship and kindness", "Peaceful atom with its own destiny". All these vectors combine, intersect and complement knowledge, skills, desires, and finally, reveal the talent that lives 100% in everyone!

The cultural and educational space "The Art of Diplomacy" helps be a public person, be able to feel confident in any situation and defend one's opinion. By mastering the basics of this science, a young man or woman's chances of success in any profession are multiplied. This is especially true in journalism.

- Creative Space Without Borders hosts roundtables, festivals, tours and various competitions. Do you often organize round tables? What are they devoted to? And do children always take an active part?

– Round tables are a separate issue. The need to hold them depends on plans for the development of the company, projects. The topics are different, but the goals, as a rule, are the same - to discuss an urgent problem, find like-minded people, and find ways to implement it. The events are very meaningful and productive. Frequency 1-2 times a year. In Russia and abroad. We held: “The role of children's and youth diplomacy in the modern world” in Moscow, “Support for creative initiative in the international movement of people's diplomacy” in Obninsk, “Creativity begins in childhood. Steps into the Future in Budapest. Now we prepare a meeting “Peaceful Atom with its Destiny” in Paks, Hungary and “Alexander Pushkin and Sandor Petofi and Contemporaries” in Istanbul, Turkey. Children are the main actors and they take an active part in our events.

– What children's festivals do you organize in Hungary? And perhaps in Russia?

– In Hungary, we held the festivals “Russian Matryoshka Festival”, “Balaton Art – Active Longevity”. But now, for obvious reasons, nothing is being held. And in Russia, we took part in the festival “Dedicated to Mom” in the Izmailovsky Kremlin.

- How do you involve participants in the project? Can anyone who wants to be a part of it participate? Why is the project implementation period 15-20 years?

- The project is designed for 15-20 years, because during this period a whole new generation grows up. If a seed of goodness is sown at an early stage of development, then in 15-20 years a whole army of people's diplomats will grow up to help build a humane world. The world becomes the way we create it!

To become a participant of the project, it is enough to write us about your wish to mkdpushkin@gmail.com, attaching your photo. In response, you will receive a questionnaire and a statement of consent to the processing of your personal data. Important clarification: we accept kids as young as 12.

- A few years ago, the Pushkin International Club was opened. What do club members do? Who has the opportunity to join?

- International club "Pushkin" is a constellation of talented teenagers and youth. We organize online events. Club members can send a welcoming speech, tell about themselves, their school, city. They actively participate in competitions. They can give their interesting proposals for consideration for any events. This year, the Department for Foreign Economic and International Relations allocated video equipment for the Club. In October, the workshop "The Art of Diplomacy in Your Life" will start working on a paid basis, after graduating it the listeners will receive certificates. After passing the workshop, Club Members can independently hold a club event in agreement with the author of the workshop - Laptev V.B. This is a good opportunity to try your public speaking skills professionally.

– For 5 years, under your leadership, the International competition of illustrations, poems and reports “I create the WORLD” has been held. What is the main objective of the competition? How many kids are involved in the project? What is the geography of the competition?

– The main objective of the Contest is to unite efforts to foster diplomatic culture in the younger generation, popularize common historical foundations and spiritual values through the world of fairy tales, poetry and scientific achievements. To promote the development of imaginative thinking and creative abilities in children and youth.

The geography of the Contests is very extensive and it is constantly expanding. Over a thousand participants from 22 regions of the Russian Federation and foreign countries, such as: Hungary, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Turkey, France, France, Uzbekistan, etc.

– Can you briefly tell us about your joint book with Viktor Laptev? What does it teach readers?

– “I create the World. Diplomacy for children and youth”. This is a small children's encyclopedia of interesting facts about Russia and Hungary, it is about the two peoples, about great and people's diplomacy. They are always side by side, both in life and in work.

Victor Borisovich took over part of the historical narratives, and I, as the author of the project, told about the main characters of our history - about children-creators and their adult mentors. Interesting examples from the lives of successful people show how one can achieve great heights, and what value should live in everyone - kindness. Our children undoubtedly helped to write the book, not just with words, but with their deeds in the project. It's great when your work lives in children!  By the way, the covers to the books of the series "I Create the World" were drawn by project participants Anna Fadeeva and Polina Kiryanova, both authors from Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous District. Very talented young artists.

– Your second book is called "Hungarian fairy tales illustrated by children of the world". What important messages did you try to convey to your readers through the world of fairy tales? How did you select the children's illustrations?

“Hungarian fairy tales illustrated by the children of the world” is an opportunity to learn the origins of the culture of any nation through a fairy tale. A fairy tale, folklore is the genetic memory of a person. After all, a fairy tale appeared before the first book on earth. This is a big piece of research. All the drawings in the book were made by the participants of the project, winners of the III International competition “I create the World”. Amazing talented kids!

Our wise owl ODI, who accompanied the reader, received a lot of positive feedback from children, parents, teachers, Rossotrudnichestvo, the Hungarian Cultural Center in the Russian Federation and many of our dear readers and friends. I am very grateful to them. It means we don't labor in vain!
 

The "EURASIA KIDS" project is being implemented by the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly.