Post-graduate student from YKSUG Ivan Tikhon wins silver medal at Olympic games in Rio De Janeiro

Belarusian hammer-thrower, YKSUG post-graduate student, Ivan Tikhon won a silver medal in finals on 19th August, during XXXI Summer Olympic Games 2016 in Rio.

Since the first attempt Ivan set the pace of competitions in this sector, scoring 76m 13cm. It was evidently, that his closest rivals would be Dilshod Nazarov, athlete from Tadzhikistan, and Christian Pars, 2012 Olympiad golden medalist. They both declared a possibility to win medals since first attempts, as well. World champion 2015, Polish sportsman Wojcech Novicki, also tried to reach the pedestal. Nazarov’s third attempt granted him leadership, resulted in 78m 7 cm, and even improved his position afterwards with 78m 68cm. the fifth attempt was the best for Ivan Tikhon (77m 79cm), what granted him a silver medal.

“I feel bittersweet”, said Ivan Tikhon. “I have fought and have done everything I could, though I certainly wanted to do better, but what`s done is done. Each of us could reach a decent result”.

On the materials of National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus press-service

Students form Russian Language Summer School 2016 “celebrated a wedding” at YKSUG

Lecturers and volunteers of the Russian Language Summer School 2016 from Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno not only share their knowledge, but also try to introduce to them authentic Belarusian culture and traditions.

For the past three weeks at the Russian Language lessons foreign guests were told about the history of Belarus, got acquainted with Belarusian cinematography. During workshops they tried to make toys, decorated with Belarusian ornaments, as well, as learn how to dance “Liavonikha” and play some traditional music instruments.

“The most exciting knowledge of the Belarusian culture for foreigners was staged Belarusian wedding. During the rite they were presented a modern vision of traditional custom” , explains Russian Language Summer School 2016 volunteer Yuliya Haponik. “We have written an interesting scenery, full of various Belarusian wedding customs, and also cooked a lot of traditional meals, which excited our guests a lot”.

As a result of a draw, Lukas Sabik, a Slovenian student, got a role of a bridegroom, and Akane Namoto became bride. Mandatory parts of a wedding are matchmakers, best men and, of course, bride’s and groom’s parents. Their roles were taken by other Summer School students, and also Belarusian and Polish volunteers.

“It all began with matchmaking, and then the bride was kidnapped by the fairy villain – Solovey the Rogue, played by Francesco Prete.”, said Yuliua. ”Then the groom had to pay a ransom for his bride to mermaids, Triton and Baba Yaga. Lukas and his companions have overcome a number of trials and contests!”

Before sitting at the festive table, bride and groom tried genuine loaf, baked by volunteers, stood on rushnik and tried homemade kvass.

During the feast a bridal veil was removed, and bride’s best man sung a Belarusian traditional song “I bow before You”, and later, together with guests, the “Kupalinka” song.

There also was a lot of dancing. After the first bridal dance of the bride and groom, other guest of the tableful were proposed to learn traditional dance “Belarusian polka”. A huge portion of positive emotions was generated during “blind man’s buff” and “creek” games.

As a result of the wedding, bride and groom got handmade rings, improvised marriage certificates and pleasant memories. Other guests receive the excellent mood and eagerness to continue discovering of Belarusian culture and traditions.

The second week of the Russian Language Summer School 2016 at YKSUG: meeting history of the University, teambuilding and Slavonic Martial-arts club “Aridan” performance.

Despite intensive studies, our guests, participants of the Russian Language Summer School 2016 at YKSUG, continue discovering history and culture of Belarus. Last week they explored a lot of new facts and visited some unique locations.

Foreign guests with volunteers and Tatyana Vladimirovna Cherkes, senior lecturer of th Russian as a Foreign Language and Linguistic Disciplines Department, visited YKSUG History Museum. They have discovered there, how our university evolved, as well, as how magnificent was a contribution to the literature and culture of Belarus, made by famous poet, writer and public person Yanka Kupala. At the end of the excursion foreign students were allowed to touch some showpieces with their hands, and also they checked in the Book of the Honorable Guests of the History Museum of our university.

And that was not the last excursion they had had last week. Listeners of the Summer School visited public mineralogical museum “Carat” at school #16 in Grodno. Vladimir Anatolyevich Zhdnyuk, professional geologist, founder and caretaker of the museum, told our guests about minerals and rocks from around the world, picked and processed by pupils from Grodno. One of the most exciting discoveries was an amber inclusion with pre-historical ant 30,000,000 years old. Foreign guests also visited mineral processing workshop, where they saw all the stages of processing. Gwendal Pyegwa, a student from France, even had an opportunity to become a gem-master for some time As it is a tradition of Belarusian hospitality, every visitor got a mineral for a present, and they also checked in the Book of the Honorable Guests of the public museum “Carat”.

The week continued with teambuilding event, organized by Larisa Leonidovna Skvortsova, senior lecturer from International Business and Marketing Department of the faculty of economics and management. Interactive games in the fresh air not only helped international guests get positive energy, but also helped breach psychological walls, create friendly atmosphere and tighten team bonds.

Bright event to remember was international night. There students told about traditions of the other country. So, Belarusians told about Italy, Italians about China, the Japanese about Poland, the Chinese about France, Slovaks about Belarus etc. The night ended with national meals degustation. Maple syrup from Canada and Chinese pancakes, American pop tarts and Polish sausages, French nougat, Belgian chocolate, and of course Belarusian zephir and birch juice – these and more meals were shared among guests, volunteers and lecturers of the Summer School.

Slavonic Martial Arts Club “Aridan” impressed foreign students a lot. The members of the club amazed the guests with battle tricks and tremendous ancient weapon mastery. During the show our guests took part in ancient Slavonic games, tried to hold a sword and shield, tried on a helmet and nocked a bow.

During traditional for the Summer School cinema lectures students watched the “What a love” movie with Russian subtitles. This not only helped improve our guests’ Russian, but also gave a possibility to discover Russian and Belarusian actors.

On Saturday excursion foreign students visited Belarusian architectural masterpieces, castles of Mir and Nesvizh. On Sunday they discovered primal beauty of national park “Belovezhskaya Pushcha”.

A delegation from the faculty of philology is visiting Norwegian University for Science and Technology

For the five days (since 15th till 19th August) a delegation from the faculty of philology of YKSUG, headed by Vladimir Georgievich Barsukov, Vice-Rector for Scientific Affairs, will be visiting Norwegian University for Science and Technology in Trondheim.

During the meetings with colleagues, representatives from our university are going to discuss spheres of scientific, innovation and educational cooperation, as well, as exchange experience within Belarusian-Norwegian program «Investigating Pedagogical learning Spaces». Also they will prepare applications to the Norwegian Center for International Cooperation in order to realize joint educational program in mobile study.

A delegation from the faculty of philology consists of Ludmila Vasilyevna Richkova, Head of the General and Slavonic Linguistics Department, Svetlana Viktorovna Gonchar, Head of the Foreign Languages Department and Olga Viktorovna Perkova, senior lecturer of the General and Slavonic Linguistics Department.

More news from the faculty of philology here.