News
24/02/2021. 2021 is declared the Year of Karelian Runes in the Republic of Karelia
Karelian runes are the most valuable genre of folk art in Karelia. Epic songs originate in ancient times, they existed among the people of Karelia for centuries and reflected their spiritual and material culture.
They were performed without musical accompaniment or with accompaniment of the national Karelian instrument kantele. Storytellers passed the runes orally from generation to generation. Some of the epic songs were forgotten, others were again composed by rune singers, the best and the most original ones were preserved in the oral poetry of the people. The Karelian runes were the folklore basis for the epic poem Kalevala, compiled in the 19th century by the Finnish scientist, folklorist, linguist and poet Elias Lönnrot.
On the 25th of February, the National Library of Karelia will open the Year of Karelian Runes.
On the Year of Karelian Runes and in the framework of the annual Kalevala Marathon the National Library of Karelia will organize a cycle of creative programs.
On the 24th of February, to the opening of the Year of Karelian Runes in Karelia a conversation Storytellers and Rune Singers of Kalevala will be held in the form of podcast.
The 28th of February
Literary evening Let’s Read the Kalevala
During the meeting, participants will get acquainted with names of famous collectors of folklore and storytellers of Karelia of the XIX-XXI centuries. Besides, the Kalevala epic poem will be read in Russian, Mari, English and the national languages of Karelia.
The 18th of March
Video lecture Kalevala in Cinema
Demonstration of the best world films in various genres, based on the world famous epic poem Kalevala. The lecture will be accompanied by a photo gallery of directors and actors and videos from films.
The 9th of April
Lecture Kalevala on the Theater Stage in the podcast format
(to the birthday of the scientist and folklorist E. Lönnrot)
A story about the main performances based on the epic poem Kalevala and staged by the leading theaters and folklore groups of Petrozavodsk.
The 29th of March
Excursion Kalevala on the Map of Petrozavodsk in the framework of the project Read Streets as Books.