CEE/Newsletter/March 2019/Contents/Erzya report

▲
Contents

Wiki-meeting: «Ezya language today and tomorrow: why we need digital technologies at 4.0 period» in Saranks

By Vaija

Translated from the Russian Wikinews article Вики-встреча «Эрзянский язык сегодня и завтра: зачем нужны цифровые технологии в эпоху 4.0» прошла в Саранске; also see Erzya version

«KOR» Erzya language and cultural fund together with Wikimedians of Erzya language User Group (UG EZY) have held a wiki-meeting: «Ezya language today and tomorrow: why we need digital technologies at 4.0 period» on the 2nd of March, 2019 in Saranks, Russian Federation. The meeting has been prepared by Andrey Petrov – the head of UG EZY and Alexander Uchevatkin - the head of «KOR» fund. Young men from different parts of Russian Federation have participated in the meeting: Tatiana Mokshanova (Saranks), Andrey Petrov (Moscow), Alexander Uchevatkin (Saransk), Vladislav Antonov (Saransk), Denis Kaftaev (Voronezh), Alexander Danilchev (Saranks)

Alexander Uchevatkin, teacher of Erzya language:

Time flows and everything changes. Erzya people have to change also: make new rules for life, language and nation. We need popularize language everywhere: we plant seeds and they grow up in the future.

Andrey Petrov, UG EZY-leader, Wikimedia Russia member :

We need to implement the project in those regions, where people speaks Erzya, where Erzya language is official language. It became more digital now and Wiki-projects help it in a good way. For instance, Wikipedia – it is a huge free internet enciplopedia, Wikisource – it is writing under free license and everybody can read it, Wikinews – it is news about everything in many languages. Wikidata – it is common information about everything, that is needed for machine intelligence. Today we are talking how to increase the number of UG EZY members. We should accelerate this process. I set an example – Tatarian Wikimedians («Wikimedia Community of Tatar language User Group», «Группа татароязычных участников сообщества Викимедиа») - they have a very good project: Wiki-school «Selet» and at the same time Tatarian government administration helps to create a content in Wikipedia. I mention also Bashkortastan User Group («Викимедийцы Башкортостана»), they are known as «wiki-babushki». I have met some of them and I know how active they are. I think we need to organize the same here, in Mordovia”

Wiki-expedition has been held also outdoors. Photos of monuments and other cultural objects have been taken. A lot of them were missed in the wiki collection, unfortunately participants have lack of time because of winter day-time small period. All meeting participants visited Mordovian National Drama Theater in the evening. «The daughter of unbaptized Mordovian Man» (based on the play of M.Gorky) has been performed. Scriptwriter is Valentina Mishanina, translator into Erzya -Ludmila Ryabova. Stage director – Boris Mangiev (Russian Federation and Kalmyk Republic honored art worker).

Denis Kaftaev, the member of UG EZY:

I am studying Erzya language and the performance in my native language is very helpful for me. The play and its words were understandable. Visit theaters and watch performance in native language!

The another issue to raise - how to show the performance for all people that willing to watch it in different parts of the country. Some Erzya people living far away want to see the performance in the internet.

Tatiana Svyatkina, the member of UG EZY:

Yandex internet service has «I am in the theater» project. It helps to see theater performances in different cities. It will be worth to enter Mordovian National Theatre in this list. So nice to watch performance in your native language taking into account that you are a thousand kilometers away. It helps a theatre to earn more money and a chance to please people.