Learning a foreign language without penetration into people’s mentality cannot be effective enough. Understanding the culture and arts of the native language speakers is the direct path towards understanding their world outlook. It is of particular importance when we deal with such heterogeneous languages as Chinese and Belarusian. That is why artistic projects alongside academic and research activities have become traditional in the work of Confucius Classroom at BSEU.
One of the notable events in University life was exhibition-contest “China and Belarus Viewed by Students” that was held 15-22 December 2017 in accordance with the plan of the Confucius Classroom activities and became a part of the extended program of celebrations of the 15th anniversary of the School of International Business Relations.
The works participating in the exhibition represented four categories: literary art, photography, visual arts, applied arts and crafts. It seems not surprising that the category most popular among the contestants was photography which possesses the most accessible and universal language of artistic manifestation. The photos represented a range of various genres: photo portraits in national costumes, sketches of students’ everyday life, exotic sights and images of China captured by Belarusian students that were lucky to visit the country. Awards in this category went to the students who learn Chinese as their second foreign language (Valeria Avlukova, Andrey Kuyavsky and the group of second-year students of the School of international Business Communications).
Likewise spectacular and popular both with the participants and visitors was the category “Fine arts/painting”. There were landscapes, portraits as well as works performed in the style of abstract symbolism where artists presented their viewing of key archetypes of Belarusian and Chinese culture. The emphasis in many of the works was made on the idea that in spite of the outer difference, the two cultures are close and comprehensible in most deep-lying, fundamental things. The first place in the category was shared by Polina Chechenok (School of Accounting) and Polina Selivonchik (School of International Economic Relations); the 2nd place went to Daria Borsenko (School of Law) and the 3rd to Yan Boveng (School of Economics and Management).
Original treatment of conventional themes of Chinese painting and poetry was presented by the prize-winners in the category “Applied arts and Crafts” Maria Timoschenko (School of International Economic Relations) and Veronika Zenevich (School of Commerce and Tourist Industry), and their works were a worthy contribution to the exposition.
Speculation of Belarusian students on Chinese philosophy, lifestyle and arts presented in the form of literary essays were similarly interesting. The authors of prize-winning works Ekaterina Kovalyova (School of International Business Communications), Valeria Yurkevich (School of International Economic Relations) and Ilona Artyukh (School of Finance and Banking) gave preference to the genre of literary essay with a tint of phantasy stylistics.
All the winners as well as the participants of the contest were awarded with diplomas and prizes. No doubt this exhibition-contest has greatly contributed to broadening students’ cultural outlook, evoking interest in learning the Chinese language and culture, strengthening friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation of Belarusian and Chinese students.
E. Goncharov
Assistant-Professor
of the Department of English
and Oriental Languages
