‘Carols Gave Me a Good Mood for the Whole Year’
In mid-January, HSE University students kept Russian folk traditions alive by taking part in Christmas carolling. Singing cheerful folk songs and wearing bright outfits, the carollers walked along the university building on Pokrovsky Bulvar, creating a real festive atmosphere. The event was organised by the HSE Heritage Club.
The event programme included a Christmas quiz and a carolling master class from professional musicians of the Vishnevy Tsvet (‘Cherry Blossom’) folklore ensemble led by Svetlana Tomilina and Igor Kukoba. Having learnt the carols, the students proceeded with the Yuletide festivities, paying visits to various student organisations in the building on Pokrovka.
At the end of the event, the students had a tea party and watched clips from Christmas Eve, a film adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's famous story.
Ekaterina Razbaeva, lecturer at the HSE School of Foreign Languages and one of the event organisers, said that the Heritage club aims to highlight various aspects of Russian culture, ranging from academic art to folk traditions. The club’s main goal is to show culture’s greatness and beauty. ‘I believe that it’s important for every person not only to know the culture of their country, but also to feel a living connection with it. We see our mission as helping students to find it. After all, the younger generation is our future. This time, the calendar itself suggested the idea of the event. Yuletide Week is, perhaps, the best time to add a touch of holiday cheer and a carnival atmosphere to the winter evenings,’ notes Ekaterina Razbaeva. ‘It is important for us that not only students take part in our activity, but also university staff, their relatives and friends, as well as international students. This meeting truly united us.’
The carollers also shared their impressions of the holiday with the HSE News Service.
Vladimir Babushkin, a first-year student of the HSE Bachelor’s Programme in Software Engineering, was intrigued by the event title. ‘After learning about the carol workshop, I wanted to see what would happen there. We recently did Secret Santa, and I got a red shirt that is perfect for today's event. The carols gave me a good mood for the whole year. Such events help us remember our traditions and true values,’ says Vladimir.
Isolda Kogai, fourth-year student of the programme in Psychology of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, did not expect the carols to be so atmospheric and authentic. ‘My mood is just great,’ says Isolda. ‘This festive atmosphere is wonderful for a simple weekday in the big city. Such events can be part of patriotic education for a new generation.’
Ksenia Boluchevskaya, 11th-grade student, is planning to apply to university. ‘Today I ended up here thanks to my sister—she studies at HSE University,’ explains Ksenia. ‘The event is fun and colourful, and I'm very happy about it.’