The Slavic world: an imaginary anthology of youth

There are around sixty Russian-speaking students at the Lycée des Pontonniers, under the responsibility of teacher Raissa Smirnov. They come from a variety of backgrounds including Armenian, Azeri, Belarusian, Georgian, Kazakh, Moldovan, Russian, Chechen and Ukrainian. Some were born and raised in France, others arrived a few years or even months ago. How do these young people relate to the language and literature of their cultures of origin? What images does their identity evoke? The students will explore these issues through a spirited selection of readings from literature and from their own writing. There will also be a cimbalom performance by Ekateryna Iukhnova, herself a student at the conservatoire. Come and hear what the young generation has to say.