On November 27, 2023, the opening of the photo-documentary exhibition “The Light of Yasnaya Polyana” took place at the European Foundation of Slavic Literature and Culture (EFSPaK) as part of an educational project dedicated to the life and work of Leo Tolstoy.The exhibition is organized by the European Foundation of Slavic Literature and Culture with the participation of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University. Mateja Bela (Banska Bystrica). The exhibited photo-documentary materials are provided by the State Museum-Estate of Lev Tolstoy “Yasnaya Polyana”.
For the first time, the opening ceremony of the exhibition was held in a mixed offline and online format. More than 150 students and teachers of gymnasiums named after. A. Einstein, named after. Ivan Horvat from Bratislava. Other participants were connected via video conferencing.
The President of the EFSPaK, Prof. Igor Ivanovich Bondarenko, Director of the museum-estate "Yasnaya Polyana" Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Tolstaya, head of the exhibition department of the museum-estate Maria Aleksandrovna Arshakyan, Dean of the Faculty of Philology, Surgut State Pedagogical University, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Nikolai Vasilyevich Ganushchak, Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Philosophy of the University. Mateja Bela (Banska - Bystrica, Slovakia) Igor Tsintula, representative of the Russian language section of the Russian House in Jordan Tamara Aleksandrovna Abd AlkAder (Amman, Jordan).
“The Light of Yasnaya Polyana” is a unique exhibition of photographs of the interior and exterior of the estate, the writer’s family and guests of Yasnaya Polyana, which were taken during the life of Leo Tolstoy.
Welcoming the audience, EFSPiK President Prof. I.I. Bondarenko quoted the words of Lev Tolstoy from his diary: “Avoid everything that separates people, and do everything that unites them.” Prof. Igor Ivanovich noted the great role of Tolstoy in the unity of peoples and thanked everyone involved in the creation of the exhibition.
Director of the LeV Tolstoy Museum-Estate, Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Tolstaya, noted the role of the writer’s philosophical treatises and their influence on the development of various cultures, including Slovakia. At the beginning of the 20th century, in Slovakia, as in other territories of Eastern Europe, its Tolstoy movement developed; many Slovak intellectuals were inspired by Tolstoy’s ideas about moral self-improvement, preached non-violence and tried to apply his philosophy to life. They also distributed Tolstoy's works, translating them into their native language.
Slovak historian Maros Machuga spoke about his compatriot and faithful colleague of the writer, Dr. Dusan Makovic, thereby proving that Tolstoy’s connections with Slovakia are great and that today’s exhibition is only the beginning of a great collaboration.
At the end of the opening ceremony of the exhibition, the head of the Russian language section of the gymnasium. Albert Einstein (Bratislava) Inna Horvatova thanked the organizers of the event and noted their importance in understanding Russian culture for students studying the Russian language in depth.
The opening of the exhibition turned out to be exciting and interesting; those present received a lot of impressions from the interesting historical facts from the life of the genius.
The exhibition is aimed at a wide audience, primarily young people, who may be close to the search for the young Tolstoy.
You can expand your knowledge of Tolstoy through the exhibition until March 1, 2023. Free admission.
Video from Zoomconference: https://youtu.be/OaY58cT-JOU
