6 June 2024 marked the 225th anniversary of the birth of the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. In honour of this significant event, festive events were held at the parish centre of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Johannesburg.
On 9 June a concert was held after the Sunday service. Julia, our parishioner and vocal teacher, together with her students performed romances written to Pushkin's poems: "I loved you...", "The Young Man and the Maiden", "I Remember a Wonderful Moment", "I am here, Inezilla, I am here under the window...".
After the concert, a video project was presented to the audience, which showed how children understood words from the poet's works. The children were asked to explain the meaning of such words as: gridnitsa, retivy, brashna, chelo, gusli and others. It was interesting to see how interestingly and sometimes amusingly young children understood outdated words in their own way.
The main event was a production of A.S. Pushkin's fairy tale "The Tale of Tsar Saltan". This time it was not the Sunday school students, but their parents, under the guidance of Mother Elena, who presented a colourful rendition of the poet's famous work. Specially for this purpose costumes were sewn, and the sincere passion of our creative team created a truly festive atmosphere. The audience enthusiastically received the performance, noting the skill and enthusiasm of the participants. The production caused great delight and gave everyone present an unforgettable experience.
The festive events dedicated to Pushkin Day were able to reassure us that the work of the great poet continues to live in our hearts, uniting generations and nations.
English (South Africa) 
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