Zelenograd, Russia - As part of the local annual festival “We are different and we feel this is our treasure; we are together and therefore powerful,” an exhibit of photos of South Korea opened on October 31 in the main hall of the museum of school No. 1923 in Zelenograd, near Moscow. The exhibit, “Korea in photos,” was part of the school's Festival of Friendship, a day dedicated to the "Land of Morning Calm," as Korea is known. The photos on display reflected different aspects of everyday Korean life, scenes from nature, cities, historical records, people, cuisine, and cultural traditions. The photos were made by Konstantin Zharinov during his stay in South Korea in 2010.
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The hall was decorated with the national colors of South Korea, where the ancient traditions of its 5000-year history intermingle with the dynamic stream of modern life.
Smiling Koreans, wonderful nature, ancient temples, modern cities, folklore villages showing the traditional Korean way of life as it was centuries ago, and the capital of the former Silla Kingdom Gyeongju (a “museum without walls”) – this entire splendor was displayed before the children’s eyes on that fall morning.
The whole school, teachers and children, participated in preparing the event: senior pupils made a presentation and reports about the history of Korea and its culture, traditions, economy, and natural beauty.
Then, they sampled typical Korean cuisine.
Children participated enthusiastically in the quiz game “Do you know Korea?” This was followed by a performance that included Korean songs and traditional and modern dances performed by children from various schools.
Guests of this wonderful event – teachers, parents, schoolchildren of local schools, representatives of the district administration and peacemaking grassroots associations of Moscow – enjoyed everything and even participated in the activities.
The event took place in advance of the UN International Day of Tolerance, observed each year on November 16, with the support of the Universal Peace Federation and its North-East Asia Peace Initiative.