My Beloved Kazan!

Сафронова Вилада, 5 класс

Тушкова А.В., учитель английского языка

«Oh, Kazan! Spirited Kazan!
Melodious Kazan! Radiant Kazan!
Here are all the solemn places
and deeds of our ancestors,
Here are all the beauties and
the paradise of the yearning soul!»
Gabdullah Tukay

О Казань! Мечта и гордость! Лучезарная Казань!
Вот они, где наших дедов, наших прадедов дела,
Где не раз душа поэтов свет надежды обрела.
Здесь науки, здесь искусства, просвещенья вольный мир,
Здесь живёт моя голубка, моя гурия, кумир!

In this research we tried to describe the history of my favorite place and find the poems of well-known and not famous writers. I think that we must know better about our city and try to come across the right information about it. When you are walking down the streets remembering the different facts - it’s really stunning. So, I live and study in Kazan city, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.  It’s my native city as I was born here.

Kazan has changed greatly from the moment when I was born and it has grown much bigger, but still it keeps its own traditions and some strict religious rules. The people of my city are friendly and hospitable, polite and intelligent to my mind.

The object of my research work is the history one of the remarkable place – The Bulak Canal.

 Bolaq or Bulak, the Russian spelling, refers also for two streets, that are the embankments of the channel: Left and Right Bolaq. The origin of the word bolaq is disputed. Some claim that this comes from balaq, i.e. "arm". Another state that "bolaq" is an Old Tatar/Bulgar for "brook" and could be found in several modern hydronyms of Tatarstan. For 364 days Bolaq is a major arterial road, but on 30 August, the Republic Day in Tatarstan and City Day in Kazan the embankments of the channel became pedestrian area. Embankments and bridges are usually decorated with flags, balloons and posters of the coat of arms of Tatarstan, and many booths and open-air cafés are installed here. 

I put in front of goal: to learn new information about The Bulak Canal, ways of modernize it, to find out and feel the love to my motherland through the poetry.  

In my work I use the following methods: to study special literature; to analyze and write results of the research.

The subject of my research work is the translation of the poem about Kazan of unknown modern poet by  Natalya Ulovskaya  into English by myself. I’ve been reading many different poems by well-known and unknown poets but for me that was very touching. 

Доброе утро, Казань!

Доброе утро, Казань!
Город любимый мой,
Вот наконец-то вокзал-
Я возвращаюсь домой.

Кремль молча кивнет,
Встречает он всех века,
Умоет прозрачной водой
Подруга - Казанка-река.

Привет "Сююмбике"!
Гордости символ святой,
Непокоренная ты,
Мне достался характер твой.
Церковь с мечетью стоят,
Какая из них мне родней?
Коран читает мой дед,
А бабушке крестик милей...

Тысячу лет простояв,
Ты не сломалась бедой,
Сегодня, невеста-Казань,
Выглядишь вновь молодой.

Как хороша ты сейчас!
К лицу тебе солнечный свет,
Цвети золотая Казань,
Еще две тысячи лет!

Доброе утро, Казань!
Город любимый мой,
Поверь, это счастья слеза,
Что снова вернулась домой. 

By the way of conclusion I want to say that I learned a lot of interesting and informative things in the result of my work. I had an opportunity to study different types of literature and watch documentary films and programmers and draw out my own conclusion. This project helped me understand the attitude to my native town.

So,  only time is a common thread.