Polytechnic University International Students Celebrated the New Year

Celebration of the New Year for international students of Polytechnic University is another nice tradition of our university. The year of 2018 was no exception: last Friday, more than 100 young people from a wide variety of countries got together to know how the New Year is celebrated in Russia and to get charged with festive spirit. The Higher School of International Educational Programs is the traditional organizer of the “YOLKA DIY” (Do It Yourself). Yolka is the Russian word for Christmas Tree, and now all students know this word very well. With support of the Tutor Forces, all sorts of creative activities and a lively disco took place.

The fact that in Russia the New Year is permanently associated with mandarins is well-known to our international students. However, many other things were new for them. Where does the blue light start? Where from came to Russia the Father Frost and his granddaughter the Snow Maiden? What movies Russian people watch during the New Year vacations? The Tutor’s team helped to answer these and other questions.

“The pre-session week is already in full play, and the examinations will start really soon. It is quite essential for us to make sure that our students get through this far from easy period with no emotional stresses and drama. Exactly for this reason, our YOLKA DIY is not only acquaintance with Russian New Year traditions, but also a possibility for our guys to relax, get away from the textbooks, and appreciate the atmosphere of the holidays and festivities,” Deputy Director of the SPbPU HS IEP for extracurricular activities Pavel NEDELKO commented.

Mandarins and rousing music, dances around the shining Christmas tree, the traditional river-line game, master classes for cooking the Russian salad and cutting out paper snowflakes: everyone could find something of interest. The guests also came up with bright presentations: A student from China Zhang WAIKAN performed an exciting show of Chinese martial art Kung Fu, while a student from the U.S. Rebecca CARNETT sang Halleluiah, an inspiring song by Canadian singer and poet Leonard Cohen.

Prepared by International Academic Cooperation Department