Penza, 4 July 2011. PenzaNews. Prize named after the poet Mikhail Lermontov was awarded to three representatives of culture during the fortieth Lermontov’s celebration held in the Historic Area "Tarkhany" on Saturday, July 2. The poets Nikolai Kulenko and Olga Korshunova were awarded by diploma of the winners and by a cash prize for achievements in the literary work that received public recognition. The deputy director of the Penza Philharmonic Lubov Sycheva was also awarded for a series of lessons for schoolchildren "The Touch of the Beautiful".

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In addition, the governor Vasily Bochkarev awarded a medal "For the Glory of the Penza Earth" the National Artist of Russia Iosif Kobzon and the poet Andrei Dementiev.

The governor Vasily Bochkarev congratulated the people of the region to holding the regular nationwide literary festival. He said: "Probably there is no a citizen of the Penza region, which is not proud of the countryman Mikhail Lermontov. The name of the poet Lermontov has become a brand of the Penza region".

The National Artist of Russia Iosif Kobzon noted that he comes to the Lermontov festival every year with great pleasure.

Iosif Kobzon said: "There is a special atmosphere here, the special air that energizes with creativity".