An Ottawa Recitation Contest Marked the 130th Anniversary of Sergei Yesenin’s Birth

Author: Olesya Budarova

At the Russian school of the Rodnik Cultural and Educational Centre, where my daughter studies, a significant event took place — the school stage of the All-Canadian recitation contest dedicated to the 130th anniversary of Sergei Yesenin’s birth.

For me, taking part in it was a special honor: the invitation to serve on the jury at the Nepean branch stirred cherished memories. Once, in another country and at another time, I myself won a similar competition with the famous Letter to a Woman. That personal experience allowed me to view the children’s performances not only as a judge, but also as someone sincerely in love with Yesenin’s poetry.

The jury was truly inspiring. Together with me, the participants were evaluated by Polina N., a poet with a fine sensitivity to language, and Askar U., my fellow countryman, a man of rare artistic talent. During the breaks between age groups, while we were tallying the results, the hall would fall silent: playing the guitar, Askar performed songs based on poems by Yesenin and other poets. His deep, soft, enveloping voice created a remarkable atmosphere in which music and poetry merged into one.

The contest brought together three age categories:

Younger group (ages 6–8): All the children in this group were beautifully dressed, composed, and incredibly diligent. The youngest participants became our main surprise. Despite their nerves, they recited so sincerely and touchingly that choosing the winners was difficult. Alex H. from the Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) class made an especially strong impression. Together with his father, he prepared decorations for the poem Stars and recited it with such naturalness and feeling that it seemed as though Russian were his native language. In fact, he is the only student in the entire school who was born and raised in a non-Russian-speaking family, and his parents do not know Russian. Alex himself began learning Russian only four months ago, and although he did not take first place, he was in no way inferior to his Russian-speaking competitors.

Middle group (ages 9–10): Here, the participants chose more complex works. The unanimous leader was Anastasia K. — her expressiveness and deep understanding of the text captivated every judge without exception.

Older group (ages 11–13): This was the most intense part of the competition. The teenagers already demonstrated true artistry. In our shared opinion, the most outstanding performance was by Yuval B.; his interpretation was marked by maturity and stage skill. The competition for second and third places was so close that the prizes were decided literally by a single point.

This contest became a true celebration of Russian culture. Watching the new generation growing up in Canada discover Yesenin with the help of teachers and parents fills one with joy and hope. Special gratitude goes to Marina Kochetova, the RFL teacher. Her work with children who are only beginning to learn Russian is admirable: if we had not known this was an RFL class, we would never have guessed it — their speech sounded that clear and confident.

Of course, this celebration would not have been possible without the support of parents and the painstaking work of the organizers. Thank you for your dedication and for preserving a living connection to your roots. May there be many more events like this, bringing us and our children together around true art. We wish the winners of the school stage every success in the next round!