Alexander Pushkin (1799 – 1837), the Russian poet, playwright, and novelist considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature, was commemorated in Cairo on his birthday, 6 June.
Pushkin had such creative mastery over the Russian language in prose and poetry, that 6 June came to be celebrated as Russian Language Day.
The Egyptian Association of Russian and Soviet University Graduates commemorated the great Russian poet on its alumni page. Participating were relevant graduates, led by Makarem al-Ghamry, professor of Russian literature and former dean of the Faculty of Alsun. Dr Ghamry, who was awarded the Pushkin Medal by Russian President Vladimir Putin, contributed 15 minutes of video footage on the most important stations in the life of the great poet. Dr Anwar Ibrahim, first Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture and former head of the Foreign Cultural Relations Sector, also participated; as did Dr Muhammad Nasr al-Jabali, Egyptian Cultural Attaché in Russia; and a large number of graduates.
The entries were later posted on the website of the Russian Cultural Centre in Cairo.
Pushkin is seen by Russians as a model of the comprehensive man of letters. Besides poetry, he wrote short tragedies, historical plays, critical studies, and children’s poetry stories. Before his death, he founded the Contemporary Literary Magazine in 1836.
Dostoyevsky said of Pushkin: “All current constellations of writers work on the guidance of Pushkin, and have made nothing new after him.”
Watani International
8 June 2020