The World-Filling Light: Celebrating Tagore’s Journey to Russia ‎

Photo: CNI

Diplomatic Correspondent: The Russian House in Dhaka, in collaboration with Songskriti, held a special cultural programme entitled “The World-Filling Light: Tagore’s Journey to Russia — Letters, Songs and Reflections”, commemorating the 96th anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore’s historic visit to the Soviet Union in 1930.

‎The programme explored the poet’s impressions of Soviet society and his reflections on education, social progress, human dignity, and the lives of ordinary people. In her address, Director of the Russian House in Dhaka, Ms. Alexandra A. Khlevnoy, highlighted Tagore’s deep interest in and appreciation of Soviet education, a subject that remains relevant to educational cooperation between Russia and Bangladesh today. She also noted that the quota of Russian Government scholarships available to Bangladeshi students continues to grow every year, creating further opportunities for young people in Bangladesh to pursue higher education in Russia.
‎An important part of the evening was the poetry recitation in Bengali and Russian. Veronika Klimchenko, a student of Saint Petersburg State University who studied Bangla as a foreign language and is currently undertaking an internship at Daffodil International University, attended the event in person and recited a poem by Rabindranath Tagore. Students of the Russian Language Course at the Russian House in Dhaka also took part in the poetry presentation.

‎The musical programme featured performances by students of MGIMO University from Moscow, who sang “Ami Chini Go Chini Tomare”, and Ms. Yuliana Zhavoronkova, who performed “Gram-Chhara Oi Ranga Matir Path”. The programme continued with artists of Songskriti performing selected songs by Rabindranath Tagore, celebrating the poet’s universal humanistic vision and the enduring cultural bond between Bengal and Russia.

‎The evening also featured an introduction to the book The Soviet Union in Its Early Days: In the Eyes of the Poet Rabindranath Tagore, authored by Dr. Indrajit Ray, with a review by Moshtaque Ahmed. Guests further explored Tagore’s experiences through readings from Letters from Russia and a screening of the documentary Tagore in Russia (1961).
‎The programme offered a meaningful opportunity to revisit Tagore’s experience of Russia and reflect on the enduring cultural and educational connections between the two countries. Through literature, music, and education, these ties continue to bring the people of Bangladesh and Russia closer.
‎The Russian House in Dhaka expresses its sincere appreciation to Songskriti and its Chairman, Dr. Moqbul Hossain, as well as to all participating artists, students, researchers, and guests who contributed to the programme.