“I speak Tatar, and you?”

This is how Rufat Abbyasov began his report at yesterday’s Youth Parliament session. He warned that, out of nervousness, he might switch to his native language — and he did. Rufat spoke about his national culture and how, in the ordinary villages of the Krasnooktyabrsky district, different peoples live together in harmony, respecting and honoring each other’s traditions.

In the Year of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia, such moments are priceless. They remind us that true unity is not in grand words, but in the daily joint effort to preserve and develop the places where we all live. This theme became central to the session.

The discussion also touched on what can unite people who speak different languages. Perhaps nothing is better suited than sports. For centuries, sports have been an integral part of our cultural code: lapta, gorodki, kila, and belt wrestling. Last year, the topic of national sports was already raised at the Youth Association meeting in Penza. Today, when ideas of unity are at the center of national attention, it is time to put them into action.

It was agreed that in June, a large Sports Festival of Nationalities will be held in Nizhny Novgorod, timed to coincide with the meeting of the Council of Legislators of the Volga Federal District. In Dzerzhinka, at the first Spartakiad of working youth, traditional Russian games such as kila, lapta, and gorodki will become an essential part of the program.

Even though there is no federal registry or government support yet, there are people passionate about the cause, forming teams and training. That means there are those to move forward with. The Youth Parliament, the government, and deputies will certainly support these initiatives. To achieve something, one must start with oneself.

Source: vk.com/nizgar