Komi is a unique region of Russia, the homeland of the Komi-Zyrian people, a place where the Finno-Ugric culture and the taiga nature of the northern region exist in harmony. This year the Komi Republic has celebrated its 100th anniversary. To celebrate this event, “National Library of the Komi Republic” and Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University, together with the Post of Russia, organized the action “You have got mail!”.
The students of Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University from Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, India, Algeria, Somalia, Bangladesh, as well as students from different parts of Russia participated in this event.
“The action is timed to coincide with the centenary of the Komi Republic, International Writing Week and World Post Day. Most of the international students of Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University wrote “real” letters for the first time and filled out postcards: they entered the address, index, pasted stamps. In response to the address of the university, we expect to receive postcards with views of those countries and regions where students’ letters will go”, shared Valentina Maltseva, Head of the Center for Patriotic Education and Interethnic Cooperation of the Department for Youth Policy of Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University.
Postcrossing allows its members to send and receive postcards from all over the world. Nowadays, few people send classical letters to share news or any information, so they are especially pleasant to receive.
The students were greeted by the director of the National Library of the Komi Republic Alexei Prosuzhikh: “We hope that your friends and relatives, to whom you send letters, will in return send postcards with views and sights of those countries and regions where they live”.
The students were shown postcards about the Komi Republic with views of Syktyvkar, the Yugyd va National Park, the “landmark” of the region – the Manpupuner plateau. The presenter explained to international students that the inscription “Cholöm” (чолöм) on postcards from the Komi language is translated as “Hello”. The event was held with simultaneous interpretation into English.
Students filled out postcards addressed to their relatives, writing them many warm words and wishes. A joyful smile never left the faces of the students. Many of them wrote “real” letters for the first time.
“This is the first time I wrote a letter. Before the event, I had a feeling of anticipation, and now I am really looking forward to the postcard reaching our mountain village (aul). This will be the first time a postcard is sent there by mail, because before, apart from documents, nothing has come to our mountain village. I really liked the design of the postcards, it is very beautiful, like the Komi Republic itself. My parents will be happy to receive a postcard”, a first-year student Madina Shermatova from Kyrgyzstan shared her impressions.
The students wrote to their families about their impressions of the region where they would live and study.
“First of all, thank you very much for inviting me to such a wonderful event, I am glad to be a part of this event. I was shy at first, but when people started talking to me, I felt that we were like one big family. The event has allowed me to run the gamut of the emotions, which I wanted to tell to my family, but still haven’t done. I am glad to be studying in the Komi Republic. This is a very nice place, there are friendly and helpful people”, the listener of the Preparatory Department Deepak Kumar spoke out.
Before sending, international stamps were pasted on the correspondence – 43 postcards went to cities and countries of the world.
October prospect, 55 Syktyvkar, Russian Federation
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