Online competition “Reading the runes of Kalevala”

In the reading room of the Scientific Library of Petrozavodsk State University, a solemn ceremony of awarding the winners of the online competition “Reading the Kalevala Runes” took place, traditionally organized by Petrozavodsk State University and the Ministry of National and Regional Policy of the Republic of Karelia.
Pupils of secondary schools, university students, colleges and everyone in the age groups from 12 to 15 years, from 16 to 23 years and from 24 years and older competed in reading runes in the Karelian, Vepsian and Finnish languages.

The competition was attended by residents of Petrozavodsk, other settlements of Karelia (Kostomuksha, Olonets, Kalevala, Kotkozero, Sheltozero, Shoksha, Ilyinsky, Megrega, Loukhi, etc.), as well as residents of the Udmurt Republic and the Tver region.

The competition contributed to the popularization of the epic poem “Kalevala”, the formation of interest in the culture of indigenous peoples, the increase in the creative activity of participants and the development of public speaking skills.

The competition committee was headed by the Vice-Rector for Educational and Social Work of PetrSU, Associate Professor, Ph.D. VC. Katarov. The commission included deputy chairmen – Head of the Department of State Support of Indigenous Peoples of the Ministry of National and Regional Policy of the Republic of Karelia E.I. Migunova and head of the department of Baltic-Finnish philology of the Institute of Philology of PetrSU, associate professor, doctor of historical sciences. T.V. Pashkova, as well as representatives of the primary trade union organization of PetrSU students and teachers of the Department of Baltic-Finnish philology of the Institute of Philology of PetrSU.

The contestants presented video recordings of an artistic reading of excerpts from the epic poem “Kalevala”. The competition was held in three categories: “Kalevala runes in the Karelian language (Livvik dialect, Karelian dialect itself)”, “Kalevala runes in the Vepsian language”, “Kalevala runes in Finnish”.

63 people took part in the competition.

At the award ceremony the winners were greeted by the representative of the Ministry of National and Regional Policy of the Republic of Karelia Ekaterina Smirnova, Associate Professor of the Department of Baltic-Finnish Philology of the Institute of Philology of PetrSU, Ph.D. M.V. Kazakova and Director of the Scientific Library of PetrSU M.P. Caster.
The prizes were provided by the Ministry of National and Regional Policy of the Republic of Karelia and Petrozavodsk State University. The winners who were unable to attend the award ceremony will be sent diplomas and prizes by mail.
The winners of the nominations read excerpts from the runes of the epic poem “Kalevala” for the ceremony audience.

The event took place with the support of the Russian Society “Knowledge”.