Discussion on Tagore held at the Russian State Library

On May 21, the panel discussion “Tagore is one of the symbols of India” dedicated to the 158th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, organized by the Oriental Literature Center of the Russian State Library and the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Center of the Embassy of India in Moscow, took place at the Oriental Literature Center of the Russian State Library.
The guests were greeted by the Deputy Director General - Executive Director of the Russian State Library, Vladimir Ivanovich Gnezdilov, who acknowledged the importance of events dedicated to Rabindranath Tagore, an outstanding Indian thinker, educator, poet, Nobel Prize winner, whose work is known and appreciated in our country, and also told about a long-standing and fruitful cooperation of the Russian State Library with the Embassy of India in Moscow. The guest of honour, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to the Russian Federation Venkatesh Varma, noted the sterling contribution of Rabindranath Tagore to the culture of India, stressing that he gave the Indians faith in their language and their cultural and intellectual heritage.
During the panel discussion, a number of issues related to his life, work and heritage were addressed. Director of the Institute of Higher Humanitarian Studies of the RSUH, Ph.D. in Philosophy S. D. Serebryany, Associate Professor of the Department of Indo-Iranian and African Languages at MGIMO (University) of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Scholar of Philosophy I. T. Prokofyeva, Leading Researcher of the State Institute for Art Studies, Scholar of Art History T. E. Morozova took part in the discussion. The discussion was moderated by the Deputy Manager of the Central Laboratory of the Russian State Library, Scholar of Political Science M. I. Melanin.

The panellists discussed the place and importance of Rabindranath Tagore in the history of Indian and Bengali culture, as well as his music. Academics discussed the perception nuances of Rabindranath Tagore in Russia and considered the translation particularities of Tagore's poetry in our country. The first-year students of the Faculty of International Relations of the MGIMO (University) of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recited Rabindranath Tagore's poems in Bengali and Russian.
An exposition of books from the funds of the Russian State Library, dedicated to the work and activities of the poet, as well as gramophone records of Tagore's musical works from the fund of the Department of music notes and sound recording was presented to the audience.