National

Indo-Soviet Cultural Society takes new avatar

CHENNAI: The Indo-Soviet Cultural Society (ISCUS) has taken a new avatar as the Indo-Russian Cultural and Friendship Society (IRCUFS)-Tamil Nadu in the wake of disintegration of the Soviet Union.

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi will inaugurate the new office on October 4.

The IRCUFS is the result of the efforts made by writer Jayakanthan, poet Vairamuthu and many others who wanted to launch an organisation to promote relationship between India and Russia. It will honour the Chief Minister for rendering Maxim Gorky’s novel, Mother, in verse form. The office has been set up at the Russian Cultural Centre here. “We want to promote cultural, literary and linguistic exchange between the two countries, which was earlier done by the ISCUS,” said Jayakanthan, founder chairman and president of the IRCUFS.

“The ISCUS was viewed as a communist organisation, though the relationship between India and Russia is quite unique. Mahatma Gandhi had a correspondence with Leo Tolstoy from his days in South Africa. We want to revive the friendship,” he said.

The organisation has already succeeded in bringing together Periyar-Maniammai University, Thanjavur, and St. Petersburg University for a language teaching programme. “As per the agreement, a Tamil department will be set up at St. Petersburg University, while Russians will teach a language course in Thanjavur,” said P. Thangappan, general secretary of the IRCUFS.

Moreover, the IRCUFS will send a team, headed by Mr. Jayakanthan, to Nizhny Novogorod, where Maxim Gorky was born, to promote cultural exchange.

“We are also preparing a documentary, Jayakanthan, a friend of Russia, for the India in Moscow Festival scheduled for 2009,” Mr Thangappan said. Puthiya Oli, a new monthly journal, will be launched with Mr. Jayakanthan as the editor.

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