Exhibition on Esenin in Chennai to attract more than 18,000 visitors

An exhibition entitled "An acquaintance of yours, Sergey Esenin" has opened at the Anna Centenary Library, the largest library in South Asia, in Chennai, India. The project has been organised by the Russian House in Chennai and a delegation from the State Museum-Reserve of Sergey Esenin.

The exhibition, translated into English, presents the poet’s life, work, and native region. According to organisers’ forecasts, it will be visited by more than 18,000 people.

Aleksander Dodonov, Director of the Russian House in Chennai, noted the growing interest of the Indian audience in Russian culture. In his comments, he emphasised the importance of such events for strengthening humanitarian ties between Russia and India.

“Alongside generating and maintaining interest in Russian literature in India, such exhibitions help establish and strengthen connections both between organisations – museums, libraries, research centres – and between specialists,” Dodonov stated.

According to him, the exhibition has already outlined new areas for joint work with Indian colleagues next year.

“The artistic world of Sergey Esenin is filled with vivid images of Russian nature. [...] For the Indian reader, Esenin’s poetic language and imagery become a way of understanding the Russian soul,” Dodonov added.

He also noted that various forms of Russian art attract considerable interest from the Indian audience. For example, concerts of Russian classical music in Chennai and Russian dance festivals in different cities across the state regularly enjoy full houses. Russian cinema will receive special attention in the programme of the Chennai International Film Festival in December. Many Indian writers note the influence of Russian literature on their work.

Photo: Russian House in Chennai