St Petersburg University celebrates Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian Lunar New Year
St Petersburg University has held a celebration of the Mongolian Lunar New Year, commonly known as Tsagaan Sar. The event was attended by: academics and students of St Petersburg University; Mongolian students studying at other universities in St Petersburg; representatives of Buryat and Mongolian communities; and leading St Petersburg experts in Mongolian studies.
Welcoming the guests, Maria Petrova, Associate Professor in the Department of Mongolian and Tibetan Studies at St Petersburg University, emphasised that this year’s celebration is dedicated to the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg University and the 170th anniversary of Oriental Studies at St Petersburg University. "Celebrating the Mongolian New Year is a time-honoured tradition at St Petersburg University; and I am very happy that our celebration has grown into a beautiful event, attended by so many guests from the city," said Maria Petrova.
Associate Professor Maria Smirnova, Head of the Department of Mongolian and Tibetan Studies at St Petersburg University, highlighted the contribution of her colleagues in maintaining traditions and thanked the University Orientalist scholars for their efforts in promoting intercultural dialogue. Ms Dulmazhab Sodnomova greeted the participants in the celebration on behalf of the St Petersburg Society of Buryat Culture "Aya-Ganga".
Ms Sodnomova came to celebrate the occasion wearing her national costume: a dagel robe, an embroidered sleeveless uuja and a malgai hat. Ms Sodnomova wished everyone to have a joyful celebration of Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian Lunar New Year, and a prosperous year of the Dragon ahead. Irina Rodionova, Associate Professor in the Department of the Russian Language at the Mozhaisky Military Space Academy, also conveyed her well wishes.
Tsagaan Sar is the White Moon spring festival celebrated by the Mongolian peoples at the beginning of the New Year according to the Mongolian lunisolar calendar.
The celebratory programme was opened by the song "Tsagaan Sar" performed by first-year students of the Faculty of Asian and African Studies at St Petersburg University. Mongolian folk songs were performed by Ananda Tsydenzhapov, a student in the History of Tibet (China) programme at St Petersburg University, accompanied by a khuuchir, a traditional four-stringed bowed musical instrument. The event programme included recitations of Mongolian poetry in Mongolian and their poetic translations into Russian by second-year students in the Tibetan and Mongolian Philology programme at St Petersburg University. Polina Gromova recited the poem "I love you..." by Luvsandorj Ulziitugs, and Aiazhan Moldabaeva recited the poem by G Munkhtsetseg "My beloved, whose hair is caressed by the wind...". Aleksandra Kapitonova read out the original and her poetic translation of a poem by Ichinkhorloo Bayarkhuu. Maria Petrova, Associate Professor in the Department of Mongolian and Tibetan Studies at St Petersburg University, supported the young translators by reading her translation of the poem "Perfect Qualities" by the classic of Mongolian literature, the 19th-century poet Danzanravjaa Dulduityn.
Elizaveta Shakhova, a student in the Tibetan and Mongolian Philology programme at St Petersburg University, made a colourful presentation about the Mongolian language practice course at the National University of Mongolia and shared her experience of taking this course last year.
The spirited performances of Mongolian cadets of the Mozhaisky Military Space Academy put the audience in a festive mood. They recited the poem ‘The Oath’ in their native tongue and sang a few popular songs, including some songs in Russian.