The Karelian language received a residence permit in the village of Vedlozero, Pryazha district. For almost three years the house was built by volunteers, the money was collected by the whole world.
The first New Year's fair in the House of the Karelian Language became a kind of housewarming party. building inside for the most part still in work: floors are being laid, heating is being done. Only two spacious rooms on the first floor are ready for the festive reception of guests. They already speak Karelian here and surprise with local exotics: they treat sulcinat - according to volunteer Sofia Gokkoeva, this dish is older than kalitki.
The idea of creating the House of the Karelian Language arose in Vedlozero several years ago. Initially, the activists planned to rebuild the old one-story building of the former kindergarten. However, this turned out to be impossible: the wooden building stood abandoned for many years, the roof was leaking, the floors and walls became unusable. It was decided that volunteers would demolish the old building and build a new house in its place.
dismantled an old house all summer. Elderly people - under 80, and young people, and even children, went to subbotniks: the youngest volunteer was 5 years old. They worked every day, sometimes 2-3, sometimes 10-15 people. Moreover, not only the residents of the village, but also those who came here to visit relatives.
Simultaneously with the demolition work, money was being raised for the construction of a new building. Residents of a village, district, the capital of Karelia, as well as Karelians living abroad, donated both their personal savings and what they managed to earn at fairs, performances in concerts and the sale of products. Several pensioners from Petrozavodsk collected 150 thousand rubles, and one of the residents of Finland gave all his savings for the construction.
“The public built such a magnificent building with their own efforts in order to protect and develop the Karelian language. This is a unique event not only for our region, but for the entire Republic of Karelia,” said Oleg Ermolaev, head of the administration of the Pryazha National Region.
The efforts of the public managed to collect a huge amount: 4.5 million rubles. With this money, materials were purchased and professional builders were hired. Another 500 thousand received from the European Union for the installation of windows. Soon, after the holidays, work will resume. A large stove will appear in the living room, in other parts of the house there will be rooms for children's games and applied labor, gym with a virtual trainer in Karelian.
“In fact, it is very difficult to talk to people outside the family. I know this from my own experience... I would very much like the House to raise the status of the Karelian language,” says Olga Gokkoeva, chairman of the Karelian Language House.
As conceived by the activists, the House of the Karelian Language should become a new spiritual center, where the inhabitants of not only Vedlozero, but also neighboring settlements will be able to gather to speak and study in the traditional Karelian language for these places. And thus, gradually return it to everyday life.
House of the Karelian language in an old Karelian village Vedlozero, Pryazhinsky National District known both in Karelia and beyond. The phenomenon is unique.
Instead of mourning the extinction of the Karelian language and all three of its dialects along with the majority of Livvik Karelians Olga Gokkoeva turned to the residents of Vedlozero with a proposal to build such a house, open to all villagers, young and old, in which cultural life villages. And most importantly, that it is possible and necessary to speak Karelian in it.
| Olga Gokkoeva - from the ancient Karelian family of Egorovs, whose roots are in the village next to Vedlozero Kinerma. Olga and her sister Nadezhda Kalmykova were born in Petrozavodsk. The hope of restoring the historical appearance of Kinerma and its status was chosen as the business of her life, and the sisters began and successfully continued the process of “revitalization” and renewal of Kinerma together. But in 2013, Olga headed the Karelian regional public organization "House of the Karelian language" in Vedlozer. The charter of the organization has two main goals: the development of the Karelian language and the improvement of the quality of life local residents. |
Funds for the construction of the house were collected by the whole world. We organized charity events in Pryazha and Petrozavodsk. But what is characteristic, they did not stand with outstretched hand, but tried to earn money: they participated in competitions, received grants, gave paid concerts, baked and sold an unmeasured amount of delicious gates ... The foundation of a 500 sq. m was laid in 2013, and in January 2015 the first circles began to work in the House of the Karelian Language. At the end 2016 construction of the second floor has begun, where it is planned to equip theater hall and several guest rooms for volunteers and guests of the House. | 
|
Cooperation with a school, a kindergarten, a library helps to attract the population to both Karelian lessons and master classes in Karelian needlework and Karelian pastries. Members of the “Interlocutor” club gather here, but, friends, look at why the inhabitants of Vedlozero and the surrounding villages look into the House, and you will understand that it cannot be called either a club or country house culture. It's perfect new community people who have their own good home.
In the House you can do physical education with a virtual trainer in Karelian, do laundry in the laundry, access the Internet, listen to audio books in Karelian, take books home to read or buy books, measure blood pressure and buy handicrafts of local craftswomen.
spring 2017"Language nest" for children started working in the House of the Karelian language preschool age, whose work is also financed through donations and grants. In the spring, the "language nest" will work every day for half a day, and from autumn it will be a whole day. In the “language nest”, only Karelian is spoken to children, which will help children learn Karelian as their native language.
In the assets of the National Editorial GTRK "Karelia" there is an educational and entertaining program "Fixu-Muksu" for curious schoolchildren and their parents in Karelian with Russian subtitles. We offer you to watch one of the episodes of this program, the theme of which is the House of the Karelian Language in Vedlozero.
The house of the Karelian language is unique project across Russia. Local residents with Vedlozero joined forces to preserve their native language and improve the quality of life of local residents. The project united not only the inhabitants of the village, but also the whole of Karelia and even other regions of Russia, and became widely known.
It all started in July 2012 with great anxiety about the fate of the native language, a burning desire to make life in my native village more attractive and with zero budget. An old building was chosen, which was supposed to be repaired on its own. Unfortunately, the building was not subject to restoration and it was decided to dismantle it.
During the subbotniks, the building was demolished in one summer. At the same time, fundraising began for the construction of a new building. The foundation of the new House was poured in October 2013, and in January 2015 activists celebrated New Year in two insulated rooms, despite construction work.
Fundraising is ongoing different ways, this and holding charity concerts, and selling baked goods and handicrafts. Construction work is progressing as funds are raised. The first floor has now been fully commissioned. There are meeting and training rooms, a kitchen, an arts and crafts room, a children's playroom and a laundry room.
Local residents lead circles on their own and organize holidays and meetings, there are children's and adult theater groups. The house often receives guests and has become a venue for many international seminars.
In the multifunctional House of the Karelian language, you can learn needlework, the Karelian language, do needlework on your own, including weaving rugs, engage in physical education, become a member of a children's or adult theater group, wash clothes, listen to audiobooks or borrow books from the library, drink tea and hold gatherings, go online or simply print documents.
All this increases the attractiveness of the village and the quality of life of local residents. Thanks to the work of the House of the Karelian Language, many other local residents became more active, who believed in themselves and took up the arrangement of their living environment.
Good begets good.
What happens when you combine the stereotypes and fears of the villagers, the idea of a European social organization, the enthusiasm of a single woman, a building with a rotten roof, and five years of hard work?
The house of the Karelian language in the village of Vedlozero is 100 kilometers from Petrozavodsk, 420 from St. Petersburg and 500 from Helsinki. Somewhere between the forest, the city and Europe.
In this invisible geographic point for 500 square meters managed to build from the air, will and labor Cultural Center for the nearest villages, a place to preserve the language and traditions, social entrepreneurship, theater and language kindergarten. And also explain why the toilet should be clean and why a pensioner should be a member of the board.
House of the Karelian language
Native language is a sore spot for Karelians
Five years ago, Vedlozero was an ordinary Russian village with its sorrows and joys, a partially adjusted life (a sawmill for work, rural library for recreation, two small stores for food) and completely predictable weekdays (alcohol in the evenings, TV dinner and church on Sundays). It would have remained so if not for Olga.
Olga is Karelian by birth. She has been working and living in Finland for many years. small town Oulu in the north of the country, 700 kilometers from Vedlozero. But he often comes to Karelia to visit his mother and sister in the neighboring village of Kinerma from Vedlozero. Fluent in Karelian, Finnish, English, keeping in own house and family tradition of the Karelians, the translator Olga decided to organize Karelian language courses for local residents.
Olga (left)
- I wanted something for a long time, but I understood that it was difficult. People are embarrassed to speak it, you know. Many people know, at least they understand, the elderly know everything in general, but they only speak at home, in the family. And they are openly shy. When I call a person on the phone and start talking to him in Karelian, I always immediately understand whether he is at home or in public place. If somewhere on the street or in transport, then he will only speak Russian. Do you want native language support, I want to give people the opportunity to learn more about their history, their culture.
The native language as evidence of origin, as self-identification is a sore spot for Karelians, especially the elderly. IN Soviet times it was prestigious and proud to be Russian. Small fraternal peoples, their identity, language, culture and traditions were not only oppressed, but not supported.
And openly being a Karelian in Soviet times was considered not only shameful, but somehow embarrassing.
It's good that the energetic Olga, who proudly emphasizes her Karelian origin, does not take decisiveness. She considered her intention, arrived in Vedlozero, gathered people and offered to open the House of the Karelian Language. For example, in the building of a former kindergarten. Suggested, as in the most real fairy tale, magic three times. And three times the inhabitants had to agree for the miracle to happen.
“I wanted to make sure the locals take responsibility. She asked three times: “Will we make a place in Vedlozero where we can gather, or will we not?” Until everyone said: “Yes, we will,” the protocol was not written, nothing started. First, I gathered people at the Union of the Karelian People and told them there. Those who were already engaged in Karelian culture and language came there.
If there is no one else, then they do not need it
Then, 5 years ago, there were very few who believed in Olga and her idea. Only a few people out of almost a thousand inhabitants of the village. Olga did not waste time and organized subbotniks. Although with Saturday this word only has common root: Subbotniks for the preparation of the House of the Karelian Language were held almost every day in the summer.
- I then went to everything. Every day throughout the summer I came to Vedlozero and worked. I immediately decided for myself: “If I come for at least one subbotnik and there is no one else, not a single Vedlozero resident will come, which means that they themselves do not need it. And I give up this idea, I don’t do it anymore. ” We have such a Valery Zakharych, a pensioner, a former head of the fire department, he is already over 70. And he seemed to hear these thoughts of mine, he did not miss a single day. He is also so stubborn. Sometimes we worked together with him, no one else came.
Valery Zakharych, a brisk, fit-looking man (the word "pensioner" seems alien next to him), the first and most loyal volunteer, now holds an official position on the board of directors. And still, not a single subbotnik is complete without it.
Valery Zakharovich Ivanov
Before the start of the project, he was not familiar with Olga, but for some reason he immediately unconditionally believed in her. And the majority for a long time was sure that the “Finnish” just wants to build a hotel from public building and bring foreigners here, profiting from the simplicity of the villagers.
Rumors about the hotel, the mysterious actions of the enterprise and the unclean thoughts of the organizer circulated for quite a long time. Olga, remembering them, only chuckles and says: the main thing is that now they treat the House differently, take care of it and are afraid to lose it.
Subbotnik
“First, we decided to renovate the old building, remove the cladding inside and out. For a long time there was a hope that we would succeed. But then experts said that it is easier to build something new than to repair it. It was an old kindergarten, many locals went to it when they were little. It has been empty for many years. And municipal maintenance of real estate, or rather, its absence, led to the fact that the house had to be demolished. If they had followed him at least a little, the roof would have been repaired, there would have been a normal building in which one could practice. After all, it was built only after the war, it is not so many years old.
We were afraid that the residents of Vedlozero would be nostalgic for the past, for their childhood and would not want to dismantle the house. The Finnish architects who helped us with the design of the building took this into account. They made the building visually similar to the previous one. We thought that people would immediately have an emotional attachment to the place, warm memories.
The chairman must be a local person
Olga's openness, diligence and charm, her willingness to tell, show and explain eventually subdued the incredulous villagers. Gradually, more and more people began to come, to be interested in how to help, to take the initiative. Already more local residents came to subbotniks, there were ideas to conduct language classes on their own, to teach each other needlework. There was a group of the most initiative and responsible.
A little later, when everything is formalized, active grandparents will become the Board of Directors. Not puppet, play around and feel own importance, but hereby, with the right to make decisions, accountability and the mission of the project.
- I am the chairman of this public organization, we have a charter, a board. But I don't want to be the chairman, I think it should be a local person. I tell them this all the time.
For three years I cultivated democracy, and everyone expected me to be like Putin: “Olya said, and we do everything.” They told me: "Olya, come on, you are the hostess."
And every time I explained the same thing: "This house is owned by a public organization, I can be re-elected at every meeting, we have a board of seven people, and we make all decisions together." It's been three years and it's finally happened! Sitting in Oulu, I wrote an application for one project for financing, so that we would be supplied with solar energy. We are now waiting for an answer on it.
And since the members of the board practically no one has the Internet, it was inconvenient to call everyone and ask if this application could be sent from us, I just wrote and sent it on the sly. And then I come and tell them that such an application has been sent. And they told me: “Olya, why didn’t you approve it at the board meeting?” Thank you Lord, you've made it! (laughs). Now we have a democracy, and this is very good. Now nobody expects anything from me, and when people don't expect anything, they take responsibility. AND less problems in every way.
The more kids the better - it's an experience for them
Today is Sunday and we are going to the barn. There are already several men sawing logs and chopping firewood.
“Subbotniks are attended either by elderly people who still remember Soviet times, or by children. Now we need to put the firewood in the woodpile. We have two stoves, we need a lot of firewood. Children will also fold. How more kids, the better: they stand in a chain, you don’t have to go anywhere, the log is simply passed to each other. It's both fun and fast. We still play all sorts of Karelian games at the same time.
And the youth says to me: “Are you going to pay us?” “No, I won’t, it’s done for you.” But they and their parents do not yet understand that this is an experience. If now, instead of sitting at home for free, the child will go and will work for free, he will gain experience in communicating with people different ages. In the near future, the most important skill is the ability to communicate. People with good communication skills will find jobs. Those of our children who went to subbotniks for all five years can different people communicate, especially with older people, which is important. They have no age limit, they can talk to everyone.
But we immediately began to hold these subbotniks, we dismantled the old building completely on subbotniks. They didn’t spend a penny of money, they just came every day and sorted it out. It wouldn't work otherwise.
And now people already understand that they are doing it for themselves. They cherish it, appreciate it.
The House is sunny, clean and comfortable, fresh flowers are everywhere, the rugs are washed, the dishes are cleaned. There is no hired cleaning lady, people come to voluntary, organize their own shifts, put things in order. Someone is watering the flowers, someone is washing the rugs, someone is laying out neatly brought clothes. She lies in even, washed piles on a long bench with the announcement "All for 10 rubles." Finns bring something, local residents bring something. There are good sports sweatshirts, solid jackets, pants, children's things.
- Here is our social store "All for 10" (laughs). People bring and buy themselves, many Finns bring good, high-quality clothes. Is popular. There are many socially difficult families in Vedlozero, they good help. There is little work here, only the state farm and budgetary organizations.
Donations now most of all, of course, come from Finland, pensioners transfer. There is a civil society, people understand that there is no one to wait in the village - neither the oligarch nor the president. I want to live well right now. This is exactly what drives the Finnish society: they do not wait for anyone, they work themselves. In Finland, this project is very popular, a lot of newspapers write about it.
And what else is happening in Russia that is so good and positive that you can write about? Civil project who do real people. It is unique not only on the scale of Karelia, but on the scale of Russia. I went with him to Moscow, and we received the Citizen's Award (behind the modest “we” is the award “I am a Citizen” received by Olga Gokkoeva, the award Public Chamber Russian Federation in the nomination "Development of rural areas and small towns"). And there they told me that this is probably only here, in Karelia, perhaps. No, it's possible everywhere.
Language kindergarten: the main thing is to hug children
In one of the rooms, spacious and bright, there is a group for children from one and a half to 6 years old. It seems to work like an ordinary kindergarten, only all classes and games are conducted in the Karelian language. From September, 9 children of different ages will attend the kindergarten. They come for the whole day, and here they eat, and walk, and study. Such a private kindergarten with mini-groups of full stay would cost the parents of Moscow and St. Petersburg in the amount of 30 to 50 thousand rubles. In Vedlozero it is free.
“Our idea is for children to speak Karelian. We collect salaries for teachers from private donations, mainly from Finland. We both in Russia and Finland announced the collection, in Russia no one responded, but in Finland it is going on. Our salaries are slightly higher than the average for the village. Teachers receive 20 thousand clean hands, which is very good for Vedlozer.
The only thing is that with this salary we cannot lure workers away from the school, because teachers there receive good benefits: they get free firewood and all utilities. And there are very strong teachers of the Karelian language. Our teachers are happy because we can take care of children. They do not need to write plans, reports, no aunts from the RONO do not come to give lectures. They can go about their business, children, develop them.
Olga says that the modernization of the education sector in Finland began with the fact that inspections were stopped there. And the Finns passed a law on compulsory higher teacher education for all teachers. The next step was - kindergarten teachers only with higher education by specialty. And they believe that if a person has a higher education, then he is a specialist.
A municipality in Finland organizes three days a year of refresher courses, and everyone must take them. But the teacher, for example, is free to choose the textbooks on which he will teach. He was given the task: by the end of the year, the child should be able to do this, this and that, and how he gets this result is his space for creativity. Some do not use textbooks at all. Teachers are given freedom.
– We have the same goals: the same skills should be developed as in educational program. But in our country they develop faster, because there are fewer children and more adults. Of course, the children feel good: they sculpt, draw, and sing songs in Karelian. They go from the party and sing to all Vedlozero (laughs). Educators have the time and energy to take care of children.
There is a public kindergarten in Vedlozero, but it has not passed the certification, they can no longer accept new children there. I don't know how they get out there. Now we have two educators and a specialist who manages this project, the language nest. It's a little more difficult than a regular group. In the language nest with children, only Karelian is spoken, all materials are in the language. This is the only way to save the language.
Natalia Antonova – Language Nests Specialist
Of course, at first they don’t understand anything, but at the same time they don’t have any stress. The main thing for children is to be hugged, held in their arms. We launched the project in the spring, now they have been studying for three months and everyone already understands what they are being told.
Wash your hands, and walk, and eat - everyone already understands this. In the language nest, children learn the language as a second mother tongue. There is a whole technology with immersion in the environment. The child has a code in his head: this adult speaks only in this language, and the brain is rebuilt. Of course than younger child, all the better. We don’t take five-year-olds, because two years before school they don’t have time to immerse themselves like that. It takes at least two or three years for them to walk like this all the time, listen every day, and not just words, but sentences that they could express their thoughts with. After all, their parents are almost all Karelians, but they themselves do not speak the language.
In addition to the kindergarten, a real outlet for Vedlozero parents, and Karelian language courses for adults, the House has a theater for children and adults, an embroidery and knitting circle, and looms where women learn to weave elegant striped rugs.
“Our women do needlework. Our Alexandra Ivanovna knows and knows everything. And they weave carpets, and they are engaged in embroidery, and they work with one needle. She is the only master in Karelia who still knows how to knit, in the old fashioned way, with one needle. There is such a special Karelian needle for needlework. And so she teaches others, transfers knowledge, preserves it. Looms volunteer Mauri brought it from Finland. He found them somewhere, collected them. And women slowly learn to weave on them, embroider napkins, rugs. And finally, they began to do it little by little for sale, as souvenirs. It turns out that they preserve handicraft traditions, support culture, and earn a little money for themselves. I think this is very important.
It is important that people make commitments
Olga pauses and thinks about something. I, too, am silent and think that as they began fabulously, in the deep Karelian forest, the kind sorceress decided to ask three times and keep the answer, it turned out so fabulously: they built the palace, and good fellows, the Ivan Tsarevichs cut firewood in it, and Vasilisa Beautiful rugs weave, and angry Wolfs are bypassed.
Olga seems to hear my thoughts:
“I still can’t believe we made it. Sometimes I sit and think that only five years ago we got together as a village company, talked, and built such mansions.
Apparently, the very idea was in the air. We keep a visit log, we have 5000 visits last year. That is, among the locals, this is a truly sought-after place. Children from school can come here for after-school, to work out between training sessions. Women go to the store, they will come in to drink tea, chat.
Gradually, even those people who said something bad about us are drawn in. I just rejoice, I don't care what they said, the main thing is that they changed their mind.
For this and was done after all, for local residents. Now they, on the contrary, are worried that the house will be taken away. All municipal property is now in disrepair: at the hospital, the roof has collapsed in one of the rooms, it is impossible to inspect, it is impossible to enter the house of culture, it is not heated, you have to sit there in jackets in winter, the kindergarten is not certified. The municipality needs a building, and our residents are afraid that they will take it away. But, in the end, if the municipality seizes, they will also do it for the people. Another thing is that everything will be done in a completely different way, probably.
Vera Dmitrievna Ivanova - head of the theater
Olga laughs. In general, she smiles and laughs almost all the time, speaks very quickly, at the same time doing something with her hands. The feeling that she manages a hundred things at the same time does not get tired, that this is easy for her. In the two days that we spent together, I only once was able to catch something similar to anxiety. When in passing, as if thinking aloud to herself, Olga quietly admitted that it was not clear where to get funding for the next year. For doubts, difficulties, uncertainty about what will happen next, the talkative Olga singled out only five quiet words that I might not have heard. I ask her if she is afraid of something.
- The consciousness of an ordinary person is arranged like this: you work, you work, you do everything, and then there will be rest. And in public organizations When you have real estate, you need to work with it continuously and take care of it. I'm afraid people will just get tired of it. At the very beginning, I still understood what this meant: this is for the rest of my life - fundraising, maintenance, everything in general. Rest, in fact, will never be. It is important that people understand this and take responsibility.
We have one woman in Oulu, Maya. She took upon herself, albeit small, but an assignment: every Wednesday she comes to physical education classes, agrees with the teacher, and classes go there. Almost 90 women go there, to the school gym.
She collects money from everyone, pays off with the teacher. Every week on Wednesdays she is there. And he has been doing it for twenty years. This is such an acceptance of obligations. In Finland, people, when they are engaged social activities, do not expect any gratitude. This is part of their life, understanding that you work, including for yourself. If society is healthy, you will feel better and your children will be safer to walk the streets. When you do community service, this does not mean that you are doing it for others, sacrificing something for the sake of ideals. No. You do it for yourself.
In Finland, if you do something for 15 years, yes, you will be noticed: a person has really taken on obligations. But not before. And we have it: if you went to a subbotnik, then that's all, a feat.
A clean toilet is no small thing
Our all the time they tell me: “Olya, come on Thanksgiving letters let's write!" Russian tradition - these letters of thanks. Should I write them for every subbotnik? It already seems to me a huge plus that people can come here and see how you can live, how to equip life. That there is a clean toilet, where it is so clean - you can walk barefoot.
Teachers told me: "Our children do not know how to go to the toilet neatly." In our House of the Karelian Language, my very first goal was to have a clean seat for everyone to sit on. As in all European countries. I come, I see droplets: the boys went away, they didn’t wipe it off after themselves. I go into their room, both boys and girls are sitting there, and I explain: “Everyone sits in our toilet, even boys, because we all want to sit.” That's it, after this time there was nothing more to say. For some reason we have a clean toilet. And the same children go to us. With our children, it is no longer a shame to go somewhere, to the same Finland, because they know how to use the toilet normally. Otherwise, as a translator, I usually go in last and usually clean up after everyone, because I'm ashamed that the Finns will see how our people went to the toilet.
It seems that these are trifles, but these things are actually very important. Our people are the same as they are abroad, in the same way they want to live well, in the same way they make democratic decisions with great pleasure. All people like it when they are treated like people, when their opinion is respected, they are listened to. It's just that sometimes they are so blinkered that they forgot that this is even possible. But if you give them such an opportunity, they seem to wake up.
Photo: KARJALAN KIELEN KODI/HOUSE OF THE KARELIAN LANGUAGE
