At the club “Tugan tel” (in translation into Tatar – “Native language”) of the Regional   House of Culture on November 17, the first time the doors of the Tatar “Abikyai Chaye” (“Tea Party with Grandma”) opened.

Its main purpose is to introduce the children to their native language, to the culture of their people. In accordance with the plan, the organizers of the living room – the methodologists of the RDC, Alfira Muginova and Alia Sharipova –  the design of the premises  mimicked the old Tatar(izba) hut: they installed a sake (topchan  a bedchamber on which the inhabitants of the house used to eat daytime  and sleep at night), a ballyu (a cradle for a baby) self-made floorboards, hung towels and rushniki with embroidered local national ornament, arranged samovars, kumgang (a jug for washing) and other household utensils.

On “Tea Party at the Grandmother” the students of the 7th grade of the Asekeyevsky secondary school and the members of the children’s vocal group “Nur” of the regional House of Culture were invited as the main guests. Many of these children have participated in concert programs with Tatar songs for many years and, of course, speak their native language quite well. Therefore, the tasks of “grandmother” Alfira were  not particularly difficult. For example, when one of them was performing, the children needed to continue the popular wisdom that had been started. They successfully coped with this, and the hosts  immediately commented on proverbs and sayings, replenishing the treasury of children’s knowledge. It was not an easy task to lay down and write down as many words in the Tatar language as possible from the letters that make up the word “kyzyksynuchanylk” (“curiosity”). It’s one thing when words are heard, but quite another – their spelling, to which the jury headed by the director of the RHC, the Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation, Zaituna Valishina, took it as a matter of principle, rejecting not quite accurately written. In the end, though not much, but still a team of girls outstripped the boys team.

However, this did not upset anyone. Each team, in accordance with the following task of “grandmother” Alfira, performed a verse of the popular Tatar song. And at the end of the first meeting everyone was treated to tea from the grandmother’s samovar and the dishes prepared by her and other organizers of the creative living room.

It was impossible not to notice the children some of the gaps in the Tatar speech, especially in pronunciation. But interest in language is obvious. Especially when it  wakes up through the game. That’s what a club like promotes .

Rania Galimovna Mukhametzyanova,

head of the method cabinet of the Asekeyevsky RHC,

Member of the Russian Union of Journalists.