The contest for the best knowledge of languages of Yamal classical writers was announced in the region

The regional department on affairs of indigenous ethnic minorities of the North began accepting applications for participation in the contest for special prizes named after Prokopiy Saltykov, Leonid Laptsuy and Sergey Irikov for the best coverage of themes of preservation and development of cultural heritage of indigenous northerners in native languages in printing editions. This information was given to a correspondent of the news agency “Sever-Press” in the department on affairs of indigenous ethnic minorities of the North, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

An author from Yamal, who composes in native language – Nenets, Khanty or Selkoup, can become a participant of the contest. The department accepts works on the topics “Native speech”, “The community - yesterday, today, tomorrow”, “Yamal is my home” and “Family” from the 4th of February to the 25th of March of 2019. One of the rules of the contest is: works must be published in mass media, magazines or as a separate edition and, of course, meet the criteria of good knowledge of native language, artistic merits of a text, relevance of a topic. The prizes in 50 thousand rubles each will be given to winners.

As we should remind, in 2018 Nadezhda Laptander, a pensioner from Salekhard, was the winner among the authors writing in Nenets language. Her contest work “Yurvy irinana” (“Forgotten ancestors”) was published in the newspaper “Vremya Yamala” (Time of Yamal), and in April the premiere of the play “Yurvy irinana” successfully was held in Panayevsk (Yamalskiy district). In it the author reminds about traditions of Nenets people, comparing life of modern tundra-dwellers with life of their ancestors.

Zinaida Longortova, the senior editor of programs of peoples of the North at the state regional TV and Radio Company “Yamal-Region” was the winner in the best coverage in language of Khanty people. In the novel “Vosty yinkpi Un As panan” (“Near the deep blue Ob River”) the author tells about beauty of the homeland, traditions and customs of the native people.

Valentina Bayakina, a psychologist of the center of mercy from the village of Tolka, Krasnoselkoup district won in the contest in Selkoup language. The issue of preservation and development of cultural heritage of indigenous peoples of the North through support of family values is considered in her contest work “Mama”.