KSUAE International students took part in the spring festival "Navruz"

22/03/2026

KSUAE International students took part in the spring festival "Navruz"

Kazan hosted the national holiday of Navruz, which means in Farsi as "new day." It symbolizes the arrival of spring and the beginning of the new year for the Turkic and Iranian peoples. For Tatarstan, where representatives of 175 ethnic groups live in peace and harmony, Navruz has long been more than just a national celebration, but a shared springtime celebration where representatives of different cultures and ethnic groups gather to showcase the richness of their cultures, traditions, and national dishes. The celebration was organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, the House of Friendship of Peoples of Tatarstan, and the Assembly of Peoples of Tatarstan.

Thanks to the support of the KSUAE International Relations Department, international students annually become acquainted with the culture and traditions of the ethnic groups participating in Navruz.

This year, international students from Turkey, Ecuador, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Peru, and other countries participated in the Navruz events. Teachers introduced the students to the history of the holiday and the traditional dishes and treats of various nationalities. The students watched horse races organized in honor of the holiday at the hippodrome. During a vibrant multinational concert program, the students listened to performances by creative groups showcasing traditional songs, dances, and costumes, danced enthusiastically to national music, and purchased souvenirs at a large exhibition and fair of folk arts and crafts. The students also tasted one of the holiday's main dishes—pilaf, prepared using various recipes from the Turkic peoples.

Some students were already familiar with Navruz traditions in their home countries, such as Turkey, but all of them were pleasantly surprised by the scale of the celebration in Tatarstan, the diversity and vibrancy of the cultures represented, and expressed a strong desire to participate in similar events in the future. International students shared their impressions of the festival: "The first thing you see before entering the festival is the color; people are dressed in a variety of beautiful traditional attire in a wide variety of colors. Nowruz is a wonderful time in the company of incredible people". "A beautiful sunny day during which I discovered a new side of Russia, and most importantly, it wasn't cold". "The atmosphere was very warm and joyful; it even reminded me a little of Peru".