International Olympiad on Pushkin’s Creative Heritage
SDG-4 The Olympiad was dedicated to the anniversary of Alexander Pushkin’s death on January 29 (Old Style). Students from the Faculty of Journalism of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) and students of the Faculty of Philology of the State University of Social and Humanitarian Studies (SUSHS) in Kolomna, Russian Federation, took part in the event.
Opening the Olympiad, the Dean of the Faculty of Journalism of KazNU, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Kanat Auesbay, noted that Pushkin’s works continue to be read and studied, and his name is deeply respected and remembered. He recalled that in September 1833 Pushkin visited Kazakhstan while collecting materials for his research “The History of the Pugachev Rebellion”, during which he recorded several local legends, including the tale of Kozy Korpesh and Bayan Sulu.
The Dean of the Faculty of Philology of SUSHS, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Tatyana Kapyrina, emphasized the long-standing cooperation between the two faculties and the active participation of students in joint academic debates and conferences.
The students successfully coped with 25 challenging questions, naming famous graduates of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, highlighting the concept of “lyceum brotherhood,” and listing disciplines taught there in addition to the humanities, such as fencing, dancing, and horseback riding.
Modern students also demonstrated knowledge of Anton Delvig’s publishing activities, noting that he was the first lyceum graduate to publish poems in the journal Vestnik Evropy. They were aware of the words introduced by Pushkin into active usage, including “machinally,” “vulgar,” and “to languish,” among others. Notably, Pushkin used around 25,000 words in his works, which testifies to the richness of his language. Students also correctly identified the purposes for which Pushkin founded and published Literaturnaya Gazeta and the journal Sovremennik. In addition, participants recited their favorite poems by the poet.
Almedina Shaikhat, 3rd-year student of the Faculty of Journalism, KazNU:
– Of course, each of us is familiar with many works of Alexander Pushkin, and some are inspired by his creativity and dream of becoming great authors who raise important social issues in a profound and engaging way. I believe such events are extremely important. They help us not only remember outstanding figures who contributed to world literature, but also learn new things, engage in discussions, and broaden our horizons from the perspective of various fields of the humanities.
Aruzhan Abugalieva, 2nd-year student of the Faculty of Journalism, KazNU:
– The Olympiad with students from SUSHS allowed us to immerse ourselves more deeply in the era of Alexander Pushkin. It was warm and pleasant to recall interesting facts. The atmosphere of dialogue, genuine interest, and respect for literary heritage made this meeting especially valuable and memorable.
Larisa Noda,
Lecturer at the Faculty of Journalism, KazNU,
Laureate of the International Pushkin Competition,
Organizer of the Olympiad.
