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The ideal would be for every nation with
a well-defined culture to have a pavilion representing that culture,
built in a style that is most expressive of the customs of the
country; it will exhibit the nation's most representative products,
natural as well as manufactured, and also a best expressions of its
intellectual and artistic genius and its spiritual tendencies...
Bread, salt and many friends
Quite a few people gathered on the bright,
clear morning in Auroville's International Zone when the foundation
stone ceremony for the Russian Cultural Pavilion took place the 27th
of February 2002, - an astrologically significant day due to the
full moon in Venus, i.e. good for beginning projects..
I was pleasantly surprised to see so many new
Russian faces as well as those of friends whom I know since years.
Also Aurovilians of different origins came to enjoy the event. Some
of them have some Russian blood in the family, or have spent time in
Russian / Ukrainian circles, or they were just plainly interested or
otherwise involved in the project that has been in the make for
years on end and now starts to happen...
When entering the site, we were greeted in a
traditional way by Aurovilian Svetlana who had, specially for the
occasion, hand-painted a white cotton dress with traditional Russian
patterns and decorations. Smilingly she offered all participants 'karavai'
and salt. By our traditions, karavai, large round bread decorated
with dough ornaments, is thought to be a symbol of prosperity.
Greeting one's guests with bread and salt is both a sign of
hospitality and a sign of trust. And sharing bread with someone
means you will never become enemies.
Thank you, dear Dimitri Sergeevich!
The ceremony begun soon after arrival of
Dimitri von Mohrenschildt who came by car from the Ashram in
Pondicherry. Born in Russia, and American citizen since 1926 where
he lectured as Professor in Russian Studies at Stanford University,
Dimitri Sergeevich will be 100 years old in April of this year. He
is a very good friend of Auroville and its residents of the former
USSR. It was Dimitri who gave the first impetus and funding towards
the Russian Pavilion project some ten years ago.
"Thank you, dear Dimitri Sergeevich!" - everyone who was
present at the ceremony spoke these words..
Talks
A few short talks were given by Mr. Anatoly P.
Krikunov, the Consul General of Russia in Chennai; by Mr. Bill Leon,
president of Auroville International USA; and by Valeri and Aleksej
Kubarchuk, an Ukrainian father and son of a family who joined
Auroville quite some time ago.
All speakers mentioned the growing friendship between Russia and
Auroville, its significance and meaning.
Black earth from the Yaroslavl region
Later on we gathered around the foundation
stone on the site marked for the main building of the Russian
Cultural Pavilion. The stone exists of a beautifully polished
granite slab with 'Russian Cultural Pavilion ' engraved in it in
both Russian and English. The stone had a neat round little hole in
it through which all participants slipped some of Russia's earth
into the Indian ground, after which the hole was sealed with a
stainless steel cover. The black soil had been brought from the
Yaroslavl region, from where -many centuries ago- Russia drew its
power and prosperity. This land is situated in the northern part of
Central Russia surrounded by the magnificent Volga river.
Russian songs and sweets
After this, a young woman from the Baltics who
just happened to visit Auroville sang a few Russian old romantic
ballads in a very powerful and trained voice, giving the main part
of the ceremony for the Russian Cultural Pavilion a beautiful
finishing touch.
Once the official part of the ceremony was
over, people mingled, ate 'blini' (pancakes) which represent the
sun, drunk 'kisel' (a thick juice-like drink), exchanged greetings,
impressions, suggestions. Kids seemed to entertain themselves rather
nicely, and most of adults were just catching up on the news about
life.
Contacting the soul of Russia
Though there are about sixty Aurovilians from
the former USSR, we don't get to meet all together very often, so
this very occasion itself proved that the original aims of Russian
pavilion had begun working.. They are:
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The Russian Cultural Pavilion aims at
establishing contact of the soul of Russia with Auroville. In
this sense it can be seen as an Embassy of the true soul of
Russia in Auroville
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It will coordinate research done in the
field of understanding the true soul of Russia
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It will be the centre of educational and
cultural activities in Auroville related to our Motherland.
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