An Educational Event Took Place at the Center for Open Education in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) — Проекты ФГБОУ ВО «Ярославский государственный педагогический университет им. К.Д. Ушинского»

NEWS 2023

An Educational Event Took Place at the Center for Open Education in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire)

As part of the Center for Open Education’s activities in Côte d’Ivoire, teachers from Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University conducted an educational event titled «Russia: A Generous Soul.»

Nothing brings people closer together than sharing a meal. Combining language practice with immersion into the cultural traditions of Russia’s peoples was generously seasoned with poppy seeds and cinnamon, proverbs and sayings, vibrant patterns of folk costumes, and the melodies of soulful songs.

African guests at the improvised Russian restaurant, using phrase prompts, curiously ordered unfamiliar dishes from the menu: never-before-seen salted herring, mysterious cabbage rolls made from «incompatible» ingredients, and potatoes prepared in every way imaginable — a food Russians love as much as Africans love bananas.

The students eagerly shared banana recipes: alloco (fried bananas), fufu (mashed bananas), as well as banana chips, banana pancakes, and banana bread.

However, Russian hospitality — symbolized by bread and salt — and the painted samovar were beyond compare. Participants enjoyed baranki (small ring-shaped breads) and gingerbread cookies brought from Russia, and took home many traditional recipes, including the symbolic New Year’s dish «Olivier salad.» Most importantly, they connected with the foundations of Russian culture that form its eternal code and daily life.

Those who break bread together at one table cannot help but understand each other. Now, African students not only understand the meaning but also pronounce our native Russian saying: «Bread is the head of everything!»