A festive concert dedicated to International Mother Language Day took place at ETU “LETI” on March 5th. More than 60 Russian and foreign students took part in it, representing 17 countries. Students introduced the audience to the richness of their native language and their culture. Ekaterina Mikhailovna Baeva, Head of the Department of Russian Language, opened the concert.

“We are glad that you came to ETU “LETI” and are studying our native language, Russian. But everyone has their own native language. The International Mother Language Day is an opportunity to talk about your culture; it’s a celebration of the diverse world, friendship, cooperation and the joy of communication”.

Head of the Department of Russian Language Ekaterina Mikhailovna Baeva

The concert brought together students from the preparatory department for foreign students and other international students of ETU “LETI”, who came to study in St. Petersburg from various countries. The programme of the event included performances in national languages. Students performed presentations about their home countries, songs, poems and national dances. Twelve languages could be heard from the stage – from English, French and Portuguese to Baluchi and Tiv.

The concert was opened by a Master's student from the Faculty of Humanities of ETU “LETI”, Evgenia Shchelkonogova, with an original poem “On the Nature of Russian Language”. The African continent was represented by students from Angola, Tanzania, Cameroon, Nigeria, Mozambique, Benin, Burundi and Gabon. Asia was represented by students from Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Yemen, Turkey, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Foreign students also prepared performances in Russian. Students from the preparatory department for foreign students of ETU “LETI” from Turkey, Tulay Nur Ozkara, Irem Nazlydzhan Ugrash and Su Kabakdzi Berfin, performed Petr Andreev’s song “Matushka”. The concert concluded with a performance by students from Angola, Tanzania and Cameroon with Maxim Fadeev’s song “Ostrova Lyubvi”.

International Mother Language Day is celebrated annually on February 21. The holiday,dedicated to linguistic diversity, was established by UNESCO in November 1999. The first events in the celebration took place in February 2000, marking the beginning of an annual tradition that highlights the importance of protecting humanity's cultural heritage.