SUSU Summed Up the Results of Parnassus Writing Contest

This year, 18 applications have been submitted to the contest. For the first time in the more than 20-year history of the competition, not only poets, but also prose writers could take part in a writing competition. According to Oksana Ralkova, head of the Student Parnassus Literature Association, this year the contest has shown that the new nomination is in demand among students of South Ural State University: five students have sent their prose. Also this year the format of the competition has changed.

“In the previous years, the competition was held “the here and now”, students read their works in the studio, and the jury assessed immediately. This time the competition has been held in a distant format, we have collected works in writing in advance, which also helped the authors of prose to compete,” comments Oksana Ralkova.

As a result, two authors made their debut with the first place in the “Prose” nomination – first-year students Polina Demchenko and Kristina Galkina. The future philologist Kristina admitted that the winning work had already won one of the Chelyabinsk creative competitions.

“I haven't written for a long time and chose my most successful work for the competition. It can be described as an essay. These are my thoughts on various topics. In my essay I write about love, relationships with parents, and about the city,” said Kristina Galkina.

The jury of the contest consisted of the head of the Student Parnassus Literature Association, a graduate of the association in 2009, a poet, a member of the Union of Writers of Russia Oksana Ralkova, artistic director of the literary workshop of the Scientific Library of the Chelyabinsk Region, Candidate of Sciences (History), poet Aleksei Panin and a poet, laureate of many literary competitions Yulia Linnikova.

“The greatest success for a poet and writer is to find his/her reader. I wish you all to find your reader,” said Aleksei Panin, a member of the jury, to the participants of the creative competition.

During the award ceremony, the organizers decided to hold an on-the site competition. The participants had to complete several tasks: read their own poem or a work of their favourite author in front of the audience, and then – the opponent’s poem. The winner of the poetic tournament “Let's go!” became a 4th year student of the School of Medical Biology Daria Zdobnova. The jury noted that Daria deserved the victory not only thanks to her talent, but also because she read her own works by heart.

“Reading from the notes kills some of your artistry, you lose eye contact with the listener,” says Daria. “I should say, I cannot recite all my poems by heart, since I have more than 160 of them! Sometimes I am surprised when I have been able to write all of them! But there are essays - a visiting card, which I usually read at home concerts and meetings."

According to the poet and future psychologist Daria Zdobrova, writing poems combines inspiration and work: “There are different tasks. For example, you may write a poem as part of a poetic marathon, where a specific task is given. In March we were given a theme: "inside a broken head." Thus, we had to sit and think what to write about: a lobotomy, trauma, or the inner world? No doubt, everyone will contribute something of their own. In this case, there is a theme, there is inspiration, you need to introduce them to each other. "

“The second option is when you write for yourself,” continues Daria. “Often this is not for publication, but what will remain in the drafts. This is a kind of therapy, art therapy, quality does not matter here anymore, it is important to suffer, speak out, throw it out."

At the award ceremony, not only young poets read poems, jury members Oksana Ralkova and Aleksei Panin performed with their own works. Mikhail Astvatsaturyan, performer of bard songs, head of the Author Song club of South Ural State University became an invited guest of the event.

Contest results:

“Poetry” nomination

1. Ksenia Mazurina, Institute of Law

2. Vladimir Rychkov, School of Economics and Management

3. Egor Malev, Institute of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

“Prose” nomination

1. Polina Demchenko and Kristina Galkina, Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities

2. Diana Saitbatalova, Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities

3. Kseniia Petina, Institute of Linguistics and International Communications

Gran-prix of the contest: Mikhail Lapko, School of Economics and Management 

Student Parnassus Literature Association was opened in the university in 1999. At present about 13-15 people are engaged in it. Student Parnassus invites talented, young and ambitious students to join the association! 


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