Celebrating the Bicentennial of Russia's Great Poet Mikhail Lermontov

On April 24, 2014, ARCCF marked the Bicentennial of Mikhail Lermontov, one of Russia’s most revered poets, with a program at the Library of Congress. The evening began with a cocktail reception which included a display or rare Lermontov books graciously provided by the Library of Congress. It was followed by a program with included distinguished speakers, including Dr. James Billington, Librarian of Congress, and H.E. Sergey I. Kislyak, Ambassador of the Russian Federation. Internationally renowned countertenor, Terry Barber, brought the words of Lermontov, as set to music, to life on a stage graced by two magnificent portraits of Mikhail Lermontov and James Fenimore Cooper, created especially for this celebration by People’s Artist of Russia, Vassily Nesterenko, who spoke about his love of Lermontov and Lermontov’s love of Cooper, and the impact the words of Lermontov have to this day on the Russian soul. Among the array of guests was a Russian Delegation of scholars, curators, and descendants of the great poet, all of whom worked with us for months to provide visual and written materials for this program. We know they carried cherished memories and feelings of friendship and good will when they returned to Russia. Following the program, guests were treated to a dinner reception in a room magnificently transformed into an opulent salon overlooking the US Capitol, with live music, Lermontov’s artwork, and a timeline of his brief life that covered an entire wall. The evening included several financial sponsors, but would have been impossible without the guidance and generosity of a great friend, whose quest for greater understanding between the peoples of America and Russia through art, history and culture, is well known to many -- Ms. Susan Carmel Lehrman, Member of the Board, ARCCF.

The source of this article: www.a-rccf.org/events.html

Related news:

• Forever young, Lermontov exquisitely haunts the ages ( Russia Beyond the Headlines)
• James Billington hosts Lermontov celebration in DC (Source: Russia Beyond the Headlines)
• Lermontov’s Bicentennial Celebrated by American-Russian Cooperation (Radio "Voice of Russia - US")