CONGRATULATIONS TO COSSACKS FOR LEADING THE KITCHEN SCHOOL.
The Alphense Cossacks have by means of a performance congratulations to the Russian community in Leiden on their new home for their Russian school. Sunday 17 October it was exactly 17 years ago that the Pushkin School was founded in Leiden. In those 17 years, the school has grown into a thriving meeting place for Russians from far and wide. Among other things, lessons are given in the mother tongue, but also Russian culture and customs are transferred to the youth from 5 to 12 years. Since September this year, the school has been housed in the beautiful Bonaventura College on the Burggravenlaan in Leiden. This celebration was organized on this occasion. The party started with a film in which 5-year-olds show in a candid way how they experience school life. Heartwarming was the performance, accompanied by Arkadi on the bayan, of the youngest students with their interpretation in Russian of “The Little Prince”, the world-famous book from 1943 by the French writer Saint-Exupéry. Then the youngest students sang the famous “Katyusha” together with singing teacher Irina Pozdniakova. The young students with their parents spontaneously sang along with “Konj”, a Cossack song, which the Alphens Cossack choir conducted by Arkadi Gankin performed. In addition to being the conductor of the Alphens Cossack Choir, Arkadi is also a music teacher at the Pushkin School. (translated by Google)