One of the best known teams of the republic, children’s ethnographic ensemble “Oktay” received a bus as a present for their 20th anniversary. The head of the republic, Sholban Kara-ool, announced the decision to secure their own transportation for the children’s ensemble at the Christmas concert, which took place on January 7, 2010 to a full house.
The head of Tuva and the leader of Holy Trinity church, Father Vyacheslav, gave the greetings of the bright holiday of Christmas to those present.
“Oktay” could not only show off their group members from various years, including the legendary first members, but they also made this holiday interregional.
Thanks to the financial support of the government, two dance groups from Kemerovo region, with whom “Oktay” keeps friendship already more than 15 years, came to Kyzyl.
Thanks to friends of “Oktay”, together with the Kemerovo ensembles “Aprel” and “Tausen” (leader-Larisa Terekhova), the folk ensemble “Chirgilchin”, together with whom “Oktay” toured in the USA, the British musician Lou Edmonds and the famous rock musician Albert Kuvezin (Tuva), the audience could travel throughout many countries of the world – from Egypt and China to Serbia and Moldavia.
“Simply a remarkable concert. Dynamic, saturated. Our “Oktay” has class!! Our guests from Kemerovo had a very spectacular program, too, - shares his impressions of the concert Ivan Chuchev, a Deputy of the Legislative House of the Great Khural. – it is important that this type of creative interchange goes on. The bus – that is precisely what this ensemble needs to get around the republic and to travel to other regions, to share their creativity.”
The leader of the ensembles from Kemerovo, Merited cultural worker of Russian Federation, Larisa Terekhova, received congratulations. For her birthday, Sholban Kara-ool congratulated our almost-compatriot (this native of Kemerovo has been coming to spend the summer in Tuva for 15 years, and without this vacation, “the year is not a year”).
“In a way, it is thanks to “Oktay” that we became the laureates of the State Prize “Soul of Russia”, - explains the choreographer from Kemerovo. – We produced a suite of Russian dances to “Oktay”s music, and the production was very highly evaluated. Generally we have always had Russian dances in our repertoire. But Nadezhda Ponomareva threw it all out. “That’s not it.” And as a result, we produced ”it”. Thanks to our Tuvan friends. You have to understand: “Oktay” is inimitable. And not just in performance. Also in what is put into the souls, the hearts of the children. They do not just perform the spiritual verses mechanically. They feel it. And that is the most important part!”
January 7 is also the birthday of hydrogeologist Lyubov Vysotina, who is one of the most modest, and at the same time crucial figures in the support group of “Oktay”. She also received birthday greetings.
Sergei Sokolnikov, a friend of “Oktay”, also received an award. The head of the republic presented a title “Merited artist of Republic Tuva” to the famous bard.
Already for many years, “Oktay” and its permanent leader Nadezhda Ponomareva are the mainstay of the widely-based celebration of Christmas in Tuva; they bake the Christmas gingerbreads, organize exhibitions of clay toys, go Christmas-caroling, invite guests.
The 20th year in the biography of the group turned out to be rich in artistic victories. In the spring, the ensemble won in the Krasnoyarsk region, in the “Moskva-Kansk Tranzit”, in the international competition “Wind Rose-2009” the ensemble received the first prize, and won the right to advance into the final. In the final stage of the competition in early November, eight children went to the capital. Part of the money for that trip they earned themselves, some was supplied by the parents, and the rest by a grant from the Chairman of the government of RT.
In the section “Folk vocals” the pupils of Nadezhda Ponomareva and Irina Vologina had no equal. The First and Second places were not awarded, but the Kyzyl-base group received the Third Prize and a travel ticket to the international festival in France in 2010.
