A Tribute to Russian Poet Pushkin and Interracial Marriage

Dmitry Oficerov
October 19, 2013

Novosibirsk, Russia -- Across the street from the A.S. Pushkin Library in Novosibirsk, a bust of Pushkin was erected on Oct. 19 on the threshold of the UN International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures. At the ceremony, a Young Ambassador for Peace from Cameroon spoke about the value of interethnic and interracial marriages, using as an example Russia's greatest poet, whose great-grandfather was African.

The Young Ambassador for Peace, Camden Collins, expressed his heartfelt admiration for Russian culture. He recalled that Russia's 19th-century poet was a descendant of an African, Abram Gannibal, a Moor brought to Russia at the time of Peter the Great; he expressed his appreciation for Pushkin's contributions on behalf of all the black population of Africa.

Dmitry Oficerov, head of UPF-Siberia, drew the attention of the audience to interracial marriages with descendants such as A.S. Pushkin. He called upon the audience to support the idea of??interethnic and interracial marriages, because true love has no boundaries, no racial, religious or ethnic prejudices. Perhaps, thanks to such marital bonds, humanity will become more peace-loving and talented.

The bust of Pushkin was erected as part of the project "Alley of Russian Glory" on All-Russia Lyceum Day. The ceremony drew the attention of many citizens as well as the deputy minister of culture of the Novosibirsk region Viktor Bulankin, deputy mayor of Novosibirsk Sergei Neljubov, and head of the Leninsky district Yevgeny Ponomarev. They expressed their admiration, and some of them recited poems of the famous Russian poet.

The weather was poor, so the concert was held in the reading room of the library instead of outdoors, as planned. The library director Claudia Y. Vihteva made??every effort to make the day festive. Historical costumes, chandeliers and paintings recreated atmosphere of the 19th century. The children recited poems, young people danced and adults read their own poems dedicated to the great poet.

The citizens welcomed with pleasure the new monument to the poet with the hopes of enriching the cultural life of the city and the whole of Siberia.