News
23/03/2023. Fairy Karelia and Kalevala programs presented in Vyborg
March 21 – 23, 2023:
Specialists of the National Library of Karelia introduced the readers of Vyborg to the Karelian and Finnish epic poem Kalevala. The trip took place within the framework of the Polycultural Cities project in cooperation with the Karelian Public Diplomacy Development Foundation. In December, the first participants in the program were readers in Veliki Novgorod.
The aim of the project is to strengthen tolerance and interethnic harmony among secondary school students through the recognition of the culture, traditions and history of the peoples of neighbouring regions. The members of the Karelian creative group are musicians, teachers of folk musical instruments of Karelia, masters of arts and crafts and drawing, creators of programs for children and adults on Karelian culture.
Specialists of the National Library of Karelia brought to the readers of Vyborg the Fairy Karelia creative program, told about characters of Kalevala epic poem, one of the most famous masterpieces of the past. The guests of the program visited the ancient land of Kalevala, where Sampo – a source of abundance and prosperity – is located. According to our ancestors, it was endowed with unprecedented power and brought unheard-of piece of luck to its owner. Together we made a journey into the past; Vyborg schoolchildren learned a lot about the history, culture and literature of Karelia, and Karelian costumes, music, epic heroes and, of course, books became guides along this path. Besides, we brought new books about Karelia as a present for our colleagues from Alvar Aalto Central Library of Vyborg.
An interactive educational program Karelia and Kalevala and its part Fairy Karelia will be available to readers and viewers of Kaliningrad in the coming months.
The general program Karelia and Kalevala contained a presentation of medieval Karelian costumes, a game for schoolchildren Fairy Karelia, a workshop Kalevala’s pike (zendoodling), a musical program with traditional Karelian music, a workshop on kantele and other Karelian folk instruments and a poster exhibition Silver Kalevala.
A return visit to Karelia of colleagues from the North-West of Russia will take part in September 2023. Cultural events will be held in Petrozavodsk, Kondopoga, Pitkyaranta, Olonets; the project will be completed by the Polycultural Cities Conference.