RUSSIAN CENTER FOR CULTURE AND SCIENCE OPENED IN ANKARA

S. A. KHAMDOKHOV

Our sobkor in Turkey

Keywords: Russia, Turkey, cultural cooperation, Rossotrudnichestvo, RCSC

The opening of the Russian Center for Science and Culture (RCSC) in the Turkish capital was preceded by a long and painstaking work. In December 2012, during a meeting of the High-level Cooperation Council between Russia and Turkey, an intergovernmental agreement on the establishment and operation of cultural centers was signed. In early February 2014, the Turkish Parliament ratified this agreement, which became the legal basis for the Federal Agency for CIS Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) to establish an RCSC in Turkey.

On February 27, 2014, the opening of the Russian Cultural center took place in a new four-story high-tech building in the center of Ankara. It became the 61st year abroad of our country.

The ceremony was attended by Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Sergey Naryshkin, Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Konstantin Kosachev, Russian Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey Andrey Karlov, and Chairman of the Grand National Assembly (Parliament) of Turkey Cemil Cicek. Many officials and public representatives of the two countries also paid attention to this event.

Russian and Turkish high-ranking guests noted that the functioning of such centers will be an important component in bringing the peoples of Russia and Turkey closer together. According to Naryshkin, the RCSC "is a necessary and correct platform for the penetration of Russian culture and the development of humanitarian ties between our countries and peoples." "The opening of the center is a good example of cooperation between Russia and Turkey in the humanitarian sphere," he stressed.

In his turn, the Chairman of the Turkish Parliament, J. Cicek expressed confidence that the opening of the RCSC in Ankara will be a good opportunity for closer cross-cultural interaction between Turks and Russians. The Turkish politician stressed that the expansion and deepening of relations with Russia " benefits not only the two states, but also makes a great contribution to peace, tranquility and stability in the region."

Speaking at the ceremony, Head of Rossotrudnichestvo K. Kosachev noted that the opening of the Russian cultural center was a "special event" for the two countries, whose history of relations dates back several centuries. "At the current stage of Russian-Turkish relations, such a center is being opened in Turkey for the first time," he said, drawing attention to the fact that the Cultural Center will pay special attention to the study of the Russian language for local citizens. "The demand for learning Russian in the world is constantly growing. Here in Turkey, Russian is the second most popular language in schools after English. In some countries, for example, in Bulgaria, it has already, according to Bulgarian statistics, overtaken English, " Kosachev said.

As part of the concert program, a young Turkish violinist, winner of international classical music competitions E. Hoha-Ganiev performed in front of the audience. He performed excerpts from the works of Russian composers. Leading soloists of the Ankara State Opera and Ballet Theater performed Russian folk songs.

Photo exhibitions were held in the pavilions of the Center - "To the 70th anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the blockade" and "Modern Russia". The visitors ' attention was drawn to the exhibition of paintings by Russian artists from private Turkish collections, provided for this occasion by the patron of arts from Turkey E. Ugurlu.

The Center's building will house a virtual branch of the State Russian Museum. This is an international project, the main goal of which is to provide everyone with the opportunity to get acquainted with the world-

private collections of Russian fine art.

Russian compatriots living in Ankara will also have access to the electronic resources of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library when visiting the RCSC. In the virtual reading room, they will be able to get information about life in modern Russia, get acquainted with various archival materials about important historical milestones of our country.

As Natig Guliyev, a representative of Rossotrudnichestvo in Turkey, told the author, it is planned to organize drama clubs, chess and ballet schools at the RCSC site. The Center will host seminars and round tables on scientific, technical, cultural and humanitarian issues. In addition, thematic photo exhibitions dedicated to memorable dates of Soviet and Russian history will be launched on a regular basis at the Russian Cultural center. The RCSC has a large library, a gallery salon, and two classrooms equipped with the necessary modern equipment for learning the Russian language.

N. Guliyev stressed that the promotion of the Russian language is one of the priorities of Rossotrudnichestvo as a whole and its representative office in Ankara: "In the near future, we are planning to hold a seminar for students and teachers of Turkish universities and Russian language courses with the participation of leading specialists from Russia."

He also said that there are several associations and societies of Russian compatriots in Turkey. They operate in Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya and Alanya, and special attention is paid to interaction with them. According to him, "The Russian Center for Science and Culture, together with organizations of our compatriots in Turkey, has planned a number of events this year, including the II International Competition for Young Readers "Living Classics", forums and festivals dedicated to the National Unity Day, and attracting young compatriots to study in educational institutions in Russia." Natig Guliyev expressed hope that the RCSC in Ankara will become a center where "all those who love Russian culture and traditions of our country, are interested in the history of Russia and seek to communicate in a Russian-speaking environment will gather."

At the opening ceremony, the head of the Turkish Parliament, J. Cicek said that Turkey intends to open its own cultural center in Moscow in the near future - named after the poet of the XIII-XIV centuries Yunus Emre.

Thus, the intercultural dialogue between our countries will reach a new level, and the opening of such centers will further bring Turks closer to Russians.

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