Nowruz in INRTU
On April 3, students of INRTU from Central Asia and the Middle East celebrated the Nowruz Spring Festival on the campus. They sang, danced, treated guests to pilaf and invited them to a yurt to learn about the traditions and cuisine of Kyrgyzstan.
Vladimir Smirnov, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of INRTU, addressed the participants and guests with a welcoming speech:
“INRTU is the most international university in the Angara Region. The university has students from 50 countries, most of whom are citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. That is why we celebrate Nowruz, which means “new day”. On the holiday of spring we wish students smiles, good mood and successful passing the exams”.
Azamat Omuraliev, Consul of the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in the Russian Federation in Irkutsk, thanked INRTU for organizing the festival. According to him, cultural exchange strengthens the friendship of peoples.
“Nowruz symbolizes spring and renewal. The holiday serves as a bridge between cultures and nations, reminding us that despite our differences, we all strive for happiness and prosperity. It is a time to reflect on how to make the world a better and kinder place.
As we celebrate Nowruz in an atmosphere of friendship, we see the unifying power of education, knowledge and technology sharing. We thank INRTU and diaspora activists for the striking performance and positive emotions”, said Azamat Omuraliev.
Veronika Timofeeva, deputy chairman of the regional branch of the Assembly of Peoples of Russia in the Irkutsk Region, addressed the participants of the event with warm words.
Lola Belousova, a member of the board of the Tajik national cultural society “Compatriot”, reminded that Nowruz has been celebrated for more than 3000 years. The holiday shows the hospitality of Iranian and Turkic peoples and encourages people to think about love and peace. She urged the guests of the holiday to preserve the faith, traditions and culture of their peoples, show respect for elders, bring up children in peace and harmony, and help those in need.
Students who came to INRTU from Turkmenistan danced kushtdepdi. Nurmuhammet Makhmudov, a first-year student of the School of Power Engineering, told about the traditions of celebrating Nowruz.
“In our homeland, in the city of Danev, we celebrate the arrival of spring with the whole big street – more than a thousand houses. The tables are bursting with national dishes, wh ere the main place is given to Turkmen pilaf, which has a lot of fried carrots and few spices. We dance, watch the fights of roosters and alabays. Our family is never without gifts for my mother, grandmother, and eight cousins.
I enjoyed the INRTU festival a lot. I remembered home and met fellow countrymen who study at other universities in Irkutsk. After graduating from INRTU, I will return to Turkmenistan to work at the hydroelectric power plant,” Nurmuhammet Mahmudov shared his impressions and plans.
The event was hosted by Sergey Travnikov, a graduate of the School of Subsurface Resource Management, and Sajida Murzaparova, a student of the School of Economics, Management and Law from Kyrgyzstan. The students performed Uyghur dances, sang in the Tajik language. Folk club of the Russian song “Kalina” performed student's favorite compositions. In the yurt, guests were treated to lepeshkas, Kyrgyz boorsoks, dried fruits and pies with cottage cheese.
