VFU students won first place and the cup of the 4th European Student Festival entitled "Friends, How Wonderful Our Union is!"
The 4th European Student Festival "Friends, How Wonderful Our Union is!"organized byRusskiy Mir Foundationwas held in Kamchia from 21 to 26 September, 2015. Over 300 students took part. They represented 30 of the most prestigious European universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Montenegro.
The festival gave the students from Europe the opportunity to communicate, to make friends, to maintain contacts and gain new knowledge and motivation to learn Russian. It was a celebration of friendship, creative exchange and promotion of the cultures of the participating countries. A lot of official guests attended the solemn opening held on 22 September. The team of Varna Free University was supported by the President of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar", Prof. Anna Nedyalkova, D.Sc. - official guest at the opening. In her address she encouraged the participants to study the Russian language as an important European language necessary for the business and the professional growth of the students and wished success to all students. Prof. Nedyalkova thanked the Russkiy Mir Foundationfor the support of such important youth forums and joint projects.
The team of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" led by Prof. Galina Shamonina, PhD included nine students from three faculties: Petranka Gelova /majoring in Law/ - team captain, Veronica Revenko /majoring in Business Administration and Management /, Vita Petrovskaya /majoring in Business Administration and Management /, Dmitri Ivanov /majoring in International Economic Relations/, Ezel Sami /majoring in International Relations and Law/, Zhian Shiho /majoring in International Relations and Law/, Konstantina Matkova / majoring in International Relations/, Kristina Hristova and Radoslav Yordanov /majoring in Choreography/. They worthily performed within the framework of the 4 competitions - "Homework" and demonstrated not only brilliant knowledge of the Russian language, but also creativity and artistry in every performance.
On the first competition day, the students of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" presented in Russian the country, the city and the university where they study. The team won the audience with amusing scenario involving presentation entitled "Bulgaria - Paradise Land", during which they acquainted the audience with Bulgarian folk dances and songs. The students played a mini play entitled "Legend of Bulgaria" in which the path to the temple was the way to the Temple of Knowledge, as they proudly called Varna Free University.
With the literary composition entitled "Three Centuries of Russian literature” performed by the students of the Higher School of Translation at the Moscow State University began the second competition day. It was dedicated to the Year of the Russian literature. The students from 30 European universities competed in the category with poetry, prose, a short story or a fable. The second "homework” assigned to the students of Varna Free University was dedicated to the Russian fabulist Ivan Andreevich Krilov. The composition was entitled "Winged Krilov’s expressions". In a spectacular tableau based on the fable "A Crow and a Fox", the students won the audience not only with knowledge but also with its artistry, theatrical costumes and humour. A fourth music competition was scheduled in the framework of the festival dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory in World War II.
At the competitions for a Russian song and a song dedicated to the war, the talented student of Varna Free University, Kristina Hristova worthily presented the team and won the audience with a selection of songs and her professional performance. She sang the song "If the Heart Lives in Love" and "Cuckoo". The exciting and beautiful performance brought the audience to their feet with cheers and applause.
With a decision of the jury, the team of Varna Free University was announced the winner in the festival. The students grabbed the cup of the 4th European Festival entitled "Friends, How Wonderful Our Union is!".Second place was awarded to the Pedagogical University of Krakow /Poland/ and third – to the State University "Akaki Tsereteli" /Georgia/.The students from the University of Milan /Italy/ received an honorary diploma. A special diploma was awarded to the student of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" Kristina Hristova for her participation in the music competitions.
The members of the university team received a Diploma for Active Participation in the Implementation of the 4th European Festival "Friends, How Wonderful Our Union is!" and Diploma for the First Place in the Competitions. The most important task of the festival was accomplished - to create a creative atmosphere in which students from different countries to demonstrate their knowledge and to communicate fluently in Russian. The main results of this student forum were the emotional days, the created friendships and professional relationships that will be useful in the future.
