"Kalevala" Day – a Lesson in the Museum

The 28th of February is “Kalevala Day” that is celebrated in Karelia and neighboring Finland. The first complete edition of “Kalevala” was released 165 years ago. Our international students took part in this cultural event. It is impossible to visit Karelia without getting acquainted with “Kalevala”.
Traditionally, such classes are the part of the Russian as a foreign language course which helps foreigners to learn about the Russian folklore and literature. The lesson took place at the National Museum of the Republic of Karelia. The students got to learn about Elias Lönnrot who is best known for compiling “Kalevala”.
The international students had a chance to read the Russian translation of the songs and then they were able to tell about the heroes and events which were described in the book. Also they managed to recognize the characters shown in the pictures.