Penza, 2 July 2016. PenzaNews. Guests from all over Russia took part in the 45th countrywide Lermontov festival, which was held on Saturday, July 2, in “Tarkhany” State Museum-Reserve in the Belinsky area of the Penza region.

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In the opening event of the day in the Green Theater, the regional governor Ivan Belozertsev stressed the fact that Mikhail Lermontov’s literary works remain relevant even so many years after they were created.

“We gather here because we love this great poet and his works, because we love our Russia and seek to do everything to keep it strong and powerful,” he emphasized.

The official event featured an award ceremony for laureates of the Russian Lermontov’s Prize.

In particular, the winners of the nomination “Achievements in Literary Works Widely Recognized By Public” were: Nikolai Buyanov (Penza) for adventure novels “The Warm List” and “Clever Elza”; Gennady Yemkin (Sarov) for a poetry book “Prince’s Shield”; and Magomet Gekki (Nalchik) for translating the poem “Mtsyry” into Balkar language.

At the same time, the chamber literary theater “Poet’s Voice” received an award in the nomination “Contribution to Cultural and Educational Activities That Form United Cultural Space In Penza Land.”

Moreover, Tamara Melnikova, director of the Penza “Tarkhany” State Museum-Reserve, officially received the title of a Honorary Citizen of the Penza Region for exemplary achievements in developing the cultural field in the region and many years of fruitful work. She received the award personally from the governor Ivan Belozertsev and the Penza region Legislative Assembly chairman Valery Lidin.

“All my life came to be in the Penza region. I’ve been working in the Penza region the whole time. All my life and my work, especially in ‘Tarkhany,’ is open and transparent for Penza people,” Tamara Melnikova noted, and thanked them for the high praise.

In conclusion of the official event, Ivan Belozertsev presented the order “For Merits to the Penza Land” II degree to Andrei Dementyev, Distinguished Worker of Arts of Russia.

The official part was followed by performances of guest artists – renown Russian singer Alexander Marshal, who also passed forward a word of welcome from renown singer and songwriter Alexander Rozenbaum; and Marina Devyatova, who engaged the audience into singing with her.

They were followed by Semen Goltsman’s orchestra from Penza.

Along with the concert, the guests of the Lermontov festival could engage in an extensive cultural program.

In particular, they could entertain themselves with horseriding, Tarkhany craft worhskops, and waltz dance lessons.

During the literary celebration, admirers of Mikhail Lermontov’s works read poems by the renown writer and of their own creation, and wrote love letters on the porch of the Lermontov estate.

Moreover, people were invited to play popular outdoor games of the Mikhail Lermontov’s times nex to the windmill building.

The motto for the 2016 Lermontov holiday was the poet’s own words recorded at the age of 17: “To Love Is Vital For Me.” The whole celebration was permeated with the lyrical mood, which could not be broken even by the sudden rain during the day.