Penza, 1 July 2016. PenzaNews. A literary public rally prefacing the 45th annual Lermontov poetry festival was held in Penza on Friday, July 1.

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The public rally assembled at the Lermontov public garden to honor the legacy of the renown Russian poet.

“The Penza land is strong with talents, one of them Mikhail Lermontov. He is known not just in our country – he is respected worldwide. He truly was a great man,” noted Vasily Trokhin, deputy chairman of the Penza region government.

The people were also welcomed by Alexander Yeremkin, deputy chairman of the regional Legislative Assembly.

“Penza is known thanks to many renown people who were born, lived and worked here, but particularly thanks to Mikhail Lermontov. Many generations of young people were brought up on his works,” he said.

In turn, acting head of the Penza city administration Sergei Volkov pointed out that the region is strongly associated with Lermontov and the “Tarkhany” museum-estate.

“Today, we are standing here in the heart of Penza – in the Lermontov public garden, situated on Lermontova street. The largest library in the region – named after Lermontov – is also nearby. This shows that Lermontov is very dear to all Penza citizens, to all who know his poetry,” he stressed.

During the public rally, the people heard out Sergei Basov, Cand. Ped. Sc., head of the librarian science method department in the Russian National Library, vice-president of the St. Petersburg Librarian Society.

“Love libraries – the places where our classical and modern writers prosper, where you are able to understand and witness new creative sides of your contemporary people and those long past gone,” he urged the people.

Following the speeches, people laid flowers to the Mikhail Lermontov monument and sang songs written for his poems.