International students of SPbPU celebrated Nowruz

International students of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University celebrated the spring equinox holiday of Nowruz. This initiative was taken by the residents of the international student club PolyUnion, which operates at the SPbPU Higher School of International Educational Programs. Representatives of national and cultural associations, TutorForces student organization, and Vasileostrovsky District Youth Center supported the idea.

Nowruz is a celebration of the arrival of spring among Iranian and Turkic peoples. It is traditionally celebrated in Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, some regions of Russia, and other countries.

“The holiday has an ancient history. More than 8,000 international students from all over the world study at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, and for many of them Nowruz is a national holiday. We decided to hold it on the platform of our PolyUnion International Club so that everyone would have an opportunity to learn about the culture and traditions of different nations,” commented Pavel Nedelko, Deputy Director of the Higher School of International Educational Programs.

In honor of the holiday, international students of Polytechnic University and other universities in the city sang songs, played musical instruments and performed national dances, staged a fashion parade in traditional costumes, and held a fair with tasting dishes of different cuisines of the world. Guests tasted plov, kurutob - one of the most famous dishes of Tajik cuisine; sumalyak - the main ceremonial dish of the spring festival in Uzbekistan; famous in Kazakhstan bogursaki buns made of pastry; the Tajik layered flat cakes fatiri and many other treats.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the festivities took place with certain security measures and a limited number of guests. For those who could not join in, an online broadcast of the festivities was organized on social networks.

“Nowruz holiday has great significance as it promotes the values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families. It is a time of reconciliation and good neighborliness, promoting cultural diversity and friendship between peoples and different communities,” said PolyUnion head Shukrona Zaripova.

Prepared by the SPbPU International Office