Tatar Book Day was held at S. Toraighyrov Pavlodar State University.

The event was organized under the auspices of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan Year to mark the anniversary of the Tatar-Bashkir Social and Cultural Center of Pavlodar oblast.

The members of the Tatar-Bashkir Ethnocultural Community were invited as experts and honorary guests of the event.

The welcome speech of the deputy chairman of the Tatar-Bashkir Social and Cultural Center Venera Ivanova marked the start of the meeting. Under the frame of theses on national unity and intercultural communication postulated by President N. Nazarbayev Venera Ivanova presented books authored by Tatar writers of Priirtyshye to the library of S. Toraighyrov PSU. Venera Alfredovna added that the Tatar-Bashkir Center highly appreciated the attention and participation of Pavlodar State University in the dialogue of cultures.

Then, Roza Serasshetdinova, the teacher of K. Darzhuman National Revival School, delivered her keynote address. Roza Nuriyevna told about ups and downs in the establishment process and milestones of the history of the Tatar center. “Everyone faced challenges at that stage of our common history, many things happened. However, we always believed that our country would overcome all those obstacles and the nation would preserve its unity. And now, I want to express my special gratitude to our President N. Nazarbayev for establishing such a unique ethnic community as the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan,” said Roza Serasshetdinova.

Yelena Likhanova, the librarian of the imaginative literature sector and the library of people of Kazakhstan did a review of Tatar books and periodicals. She noted that the resources of the University’s library included books, encyclopedias and journals in the Tatar language. “Students and everyone, who is interested in studying the Tatar culture and language, may get full access to them. Our door is always open,” said Yelena Anatolyevna.

Developing a theme of the Tatar literature, Zakiya Latypova, the professor of the Department of Journalism of S. Toraighyrov PSU paid special attention to literary giants G. Tukay and M. Dzhalil. Once again, Z. Latypova made mention of the heroism of Mussa Dzhalil and his heroic deed in fascist captivity.

On behalf of the Student Assembly “Birlik” its chairman and the student of the Department of Journalism Ramil Smailov took the floor. He reminded everyone that the University’s periodical “Bilik” issued an article on that theme on the 9th May, celebrating the anniversary of the Great Victory.

Ramil Smailov, representing the Student Youth Association, drew attention to the fact that “the dialogue and common understanding of cultures are impossible without mutual respect and worship of common origins of Kazakhs and Tatars. It is quite important today, as we live in a fast-changing world and, oftentimes, young people lose their connection with the heritage of ancestors”.

The meeting ended in a warm and auspicious atmosphere. Rinat Abdulkayumov, the student of the Faculty of Humanities and Education, favored the audience with a song named “The Mother Tongue”, Gulzhan Ishimova declaimed a poem “Barbarity”. Yuliya Ramazanova, the director of a creative ensemble collective “Ilkham”, performed arts potpourri on the Tatar theme.

The audience noted the originality of performances and apparent talents of participants.