Dhaka:The Russian House in Dhaka, in collaboration with Songskriti, held an event titled 'The World-Filling Light Tagore's Journey to Russia - Letters, Songs and Reflections' to commemorate the 96th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore's visit to the Soviet Union in 1930.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the program explored Tagore's impressions of Soviet society, focusing on education, social progress, human dignity, and the lives of ordinary people. Director of the Russian House in Dhaka, Alexandra A Khlevnoy, highlighted Tagore's interest in Soviet education, emphasizing its relevance to educational cooperation between Russia and Bangladesh. She noted the growing number of Russian government scholarships available to Bangladeshi students, facilitating higher education opportunities in Russia.
The event featured a poetry recital in Bengali and Russian, with Veronika Klimchenko, a Saint Petersburg State University student, reciting a poem by Tagore. Students from the Russian Language Course at the Russian House also participated. The musical segment included performances by MGIMO University students and Yuliana Zhavoronkova, celebrating Tagore's songs.
Artistes from Songskriti performed Tagore's songs, underscoring his humanistic vision and the cultural bond between Bengal and Russia. The evening included an introduction to Dr. Indrajit Ray's book "The Soviet Union in Its Early Days In the Eyes of the Poet Rabindranath Tagore" and featured readings from "Letters from Russia" and a screening of the documentary "Tagore in Russia" (1961). The program provided an opportunity to reflect on Tagore's experiences and the ongoing cultural and educational ties between Bangladesh and Russia.