On October 26, 2023, the results of the Second International Russia-Turkey Intercultural Dialogue - Song Lyrics Translation Contest, supported by Rossotrudnichestvo, were announced. The event was organized in collaboration with the Center for Interdisciplinary Research at the Southern Federal University and the Department of Russian Language and Literature at Yeditepe University.
The opening and closing remarks of the event, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, were delivered by Associate Professor Dr. Alexander Sotnichenko, the representative of Rossotrudnichestvo in Turkey. Sotnichenko extended his congratulations to the participants, organizers, and jury members. In his speech, he underscored the significant role of songs in cultural communication and provided historical examples of how the translation of Russian and Soviet songs into Turkish has contributed to the development of relations between the two countries.
The organizers of the contest from both Turkey and Russia, Dr. Hülya Arslan, the head of the Department of Russian Language and Literature at Yeditepe University, and Veronika Tsibenko, the Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Humanities Research at the Southern Federal University, expressed their gratitude to the participants for their contributions to intercultural dialogue. They commended the excellent selection of songs that facilitate a better understanding between countries and peoples, and also congratulated the participants on the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey.
Jury members representing prominent academic institutions from Russia and Turkey, including the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Eastern Faculty of St. Petersburg State University, Kazan (Volga) Federal University, as well as the Southern Federal University and Yeditepe University, delivered speeches at the opening and closing of the event. All jury members emphasized once again the importance of such competitions for cultural communication between the two countries.
This year's competition brought together works from 35 participants from various cities in Russia and Turkey, including Istanbul, Ankara, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Pyatigorsk, Nizhny Novgorod, and Rostov-on-Don. At the end of the competition, Hasan Bahadır Bingöl, a second-year student, secured the first place in the Turkish-Russian translation category with his translation of the song "Надежда - Umut" (Hope). Another second-year student, Sahra İrem Gümüş, claimed the second position with her translation of the song "Люди - İnsanlar" (People). Eylül Tüfekçi, a first-year student, took third place with her translation of the song "Özgürlük (Zülfü Livaneli)" (Freedom). We congratulate our students for their achievements.
Participation certificates were presented to the students Defne Ertem, Kseniya Razinkova, Hatice Kübra Peker, Rüveyda Aymergen, and Selen Gültekin.
The award winners Hasan Bahadır Bingöl, Sahra İrem Gümüş, and Eylül Tüfekçi were awarded their prizes. Among the jury members of the competition, Dr. Assoc. Prof. Nergiz Gahramanlı, Dr. Assoc. Prof. İlsever Rami, and Dr. Assoc. Prof. Hülya Arslan were presented with jury membership certificates.
