ASU News

ASU awarded the winners of the III International Competition of Literary Works for Children named after Kirimize Jane. Eleven authors emerged as winners and prize-winners of the competition, with twenty participants receiving diplomas and special prizes. The top honors in the "Prose and Poetry" category were claimed by writers Zurab Bemurzov and Zalina Shomakhova from Karachay-Cherkessia.
 
The third season of the competition, held in 2024 under the motto "Сш1энэу сыфай" ("I want to know everything"), aimed to discover works for children aged three to twelve in the "non-fiction" genre. The jury received 60 applications from diverse regions, including Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Krasnodar Krai, and Samara Oblast.
 
The International Children's Literary Competition named after Kirimize Janet was established by Adyghe State University and has been conducted annually since 2022. The competition's primary goal is to identify talented authors working in the realm of children's literature, promote their works, and introduce children to the moral foundations of national culture as well as the spiritual heritage of the people.
 
This competition has evolved into a vital platform for supporting authors and popularizing children's literature within the region, fostering cultural connections between the peoples of Russia and the broader world. Over the course of three years, approximately 800 authors from five countries and 35 regions of Russia have participated in this initiative.
 

-Our most crucial task is not merely to translate authors into the Adyghe language, but rather to ensure that the works of our poets and writers are translated into other languages. Another equally significant objective of the competition is the publication of children's books. We must populate the market with high-quality children's literature in the Adyghe language. The books of the winners and prize-winners of the International Competition of Literary Works for Children, named after Kirimize Janet and held in 2024, were showcased at the Red Square Book Festival and the Moscow International Children's Book Fair. Our stand was notably impressive, emphasized the chairperson of the competition jury,- Leyla Kurashinova.
 
The competition featured two categories: "Prose and Poetry" and "Illustration." The jury awarded first place in the "Prose and Poetry" category to Zalina Shomakhova for her book "Atlas of Travels to the World of Circassian Numbers and Stories" in Russian. This work introduces children to the traditions and history of the Circassian people through captivating stories and intriguing facts. Additionally, first place was awarded to Zurab Bemurzov for his book "How Good It Is That I Am Adyghe" in the Kabardino-Circassian language. 
 
Second place in the category was claimed by Aminet Matyzheva for her cycle of poems about birds and animals in the Adyghe language, Artur Kurash for his story "Where Leonardo Came From," and Madina Goshokova for her cycle of poems for children in the Kabardino-Circassian language. 
 
Third place was awarded to Fatima Tlepshukova for "The Tale of the Colors of the Rainbow" in the Adyghe language and to Goshnago Tlekhuch for his cycle of poems for children in the Adyghe language.
 

The winner of the competition, writer and Honored Journalist of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Zurab Bemurzov, observed that the competition served as a true source of inspiration and motivation for artists, writers, and poets. He highlighted that, as a result of this initiative, numerous works were created.

- Every year, the competition establishes the theme, genre of the works, and the age group of the readers for whom the works are intended. It was through this competition that my book, "How Good It Is That I Am Adyghe," came to life. If it weren't for the competition and the unwavering efforts of Leyla Kurashinova, this book would not have been written,-  he added.
 
Following the results of the 2024 competition, the jury made the decision not to award first place in the Illustrations category. Instead, second place in this category was shared by Diana Bogus, the author of the coloring book "Dolls," and Maria Fomenko for her pictorial narrative, "A Little Story about Circassian Horses." Meanwhile, third place was awarded to Samira Abasheva for her story in pictures titled "Halyuzhi and Coals," as well as Irina Fomenko for her pictorial work, "A Girl and Gold Embroidery."

The jury's non-competitive diploma was awarded to a series of comics based on the Nart epic and the Adyghe epic by Murat Misakov.
 

A distinctive feature of the International Competition of Literary Works for Children, named after Kirimize Janet, is that participants are recognized not only by the jury but also by representatives of the Adyghe clans. In the third season of the competition, prizes were awarded in special nominations: "Heritage" from the Bedanokov clan and the Shkhalakhov family, "Originality" from the Janet family, "Image" from the Kuanov family, "Word" from the Kurashin family, and "Tradition" from the Khotko family. Each year, the number of founders for these special nominations increases. During the award ceremony for the winners, several representatives of the Adyghe clans expressed their willingness to support the competition in the coming year.