BelSU Competition Proves Russian Poetry Speaks to the Whole World

Organised by the Institute of Cross-cultural Communication and International Relations of Belgorod National Research University (BelSU), this year’s edition drew competitors not only from BelSU but also from the Gorin Belgorod State Agrarian University and the Shukhov Belgorod State Technological University. The growing reach of the event reflects its welcoming spirit: as Assistant Professor Svetlana Funikova pointed out,

“A unique feature of the competition is that it opens its doors to international students from preparatory faculties across Belgorod’s universities, as well as to those pursuing full degree programmes at BelSU.”

The evening began on a lyrical note, with guests reciting lines from beloved Russian poets. First-year student Ekaterina Romanovskaya, mentored by Dmitry Balanchukov, offered a bridge between traditions, performing Li Bo's White Heron in Chinese to support the participating students.

Then the competition proper began. A panel of judges assessed each performance on confident command of the foreign-language text, phonetic accuracy, and artistic delivery – the ability to inhabit a poem and hold an audience. Contestants from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Arab world, and far-flung islands rose to the occasion, setting a strikingly high standard and revealing a deep engagement with the Russian language.

In the end, two performers shared the top honour. Barnaden Peniel, representing Haiti and studying at the Shukhov Belgorod State Technological University, and Al-Kemi Burak Abdulhussein Abdurrazak, an Iraqi student at BelSU, were declared the winners. All participants – winners and nominees alike – received certificates and commemorative gifts, but the real prize was the shared experience of bringing Russian verse to life in voices from every corner of the planet.