The international literary competition 'Russian Verb' invites writers, poets, playwrights, and translators proficient in Russian from Africa and other regions to submit their works.
The international literary competition 'Russian Verb' invites writers, poets, playwrights, and translators proficient in Russian from Africa and other regions to submit their works.
Oleg Ozerov, the Russian Ambassador to Moldova, stated that participants will be considered regardless of their country of origin, experience, or level of Russian language proficiency. This international competition aims to discover the best authors in the Russian language, covering countries of the former Soviet Union as well as distant regions including Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
Oleg Ozerov, the Russian Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova and curator of the competition from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, announced this to Sputnik. He noted that during his multiple visits to Africa, he observed a steady increase in youth interest in the Russian language—both in sub-Saharan Africa and in North and Arab Africa. This interest extends not only to the language but also to Russian culture and civilization.
The Embassy expressed hope that the competition will serve as a new stimulus for the growing interest of African youth in Russian literature and the Russian language. The principle of the 'Russian Verb' is particularly valuable as it eliminates borders: only the power of the word and the author's sincerity matter, not the country, experience, or language knowledge level. The competition provides an opportunity for those who might otherwise go unheard to speak out, contributing to the building of new cultural bridges between nations.
Ozerov emphasized that works from people of any level of Russian language proficiency are welcome—poems, short stories, or any other works. Submissions opened on July 10th and will run until September 10th, with the possibility of extending this period. The diplomat also specified that the competition itself will conclude on November 26th, and laureates will be invited to a grand award ceremony in Moscow.
The 'Russian Verb' competition unites Russian-speaking authors from different countries. The project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, and the Writers' Union of Russia. Applications can be submitted until September 10, 2026, via the website or by email at info@rusglagol.org.
There was a period when men played female roles in films. This was due not only to the early stage of cinematography's development but also because the appearance of women in the world of acting was not socially acceptable. Under such circumstances, a woman appearing before the camera was not just performing a role, but challenging the existing social order.
During this period, one woman fought on two fronts simultaneously. On one hand, she faced domestic violence in her personal life. On the other hand, she violated established societal rules by pursuing acting. This story belongs to the woman Durgabai Kamat.
In 1913, Indian cinema was in its nascent stage; Dadasaheb Phalke released the first feature film, 'Raja Harishchandra.' Since the profession of an actor for women was not considered ordinary at that time, the role of Taramati in the film was played by the male actor Anna Salunke.
It was customary at that time for men to play female roles. However, Phalke sought to overcome this taboo in his next film, 'Mohini Bhaskar.' Perhaps he realized that the presence of women on screen was necessary for the advancement of Indian cinema. He began searching for an actress for 'Mohini Bhaskar,' which led him to Durgabai Kamat and her daughter Kamlabai.
The story began with theatre. Theatre was a much older and more established world compared to cinema. There was a tradition of acting on stage, artists received training, and theatrical troupes toured various regions of the country. Therefore, if one hoped for the appearance of a talented female actress, it was in the theatre.
Dadasaheb Phalke was a theatre enthusiast and was deeply interested in music. His attention was drawn to the Chitrakarchak theatre company. Ranganathrao Gohle owned this company. This theatre company was set to close in a few months. Later, Kamlabai Gohle shared many memories about her mother and Phalke in Rina Mohan's documentary 'Kamlabai' (1992).
She recounted that when Phalke learned about the company's closure, he went to Ranganathrao Gohle's house the next day. He asked how long the company would be closed. When informed that the company's work would be suspended for about four to five months, Phalke made a proposal that changed the history of Indian cinema.
He asked Ranganathrao if Durgabai and Kamlabai could work in his film during that time. Ranganathrao immediately agreed. In 'Mohini Bhaskar,' Durgabai Kamat received the role of Parvati, and her daughter Kamlabai Gohle played Mohini.
Durgabai was a trained and experienced artist. Kamlabai once mentioned that her mother knew Kathak and was also proficient in playing the veena, sitar, and tabla. She performed in various roles in the theatre and participated in the translation and adaptation of Shakespeare's plays.
This was the first instance of a woman playing a female character in Indian cinema. Kamlabai was very young then, but she came into the film not only with her mother; she became part of a historical moment when Indian cinema first opened up space for women in front of the camera. The film took about six months to complete, and when it was released, extremely important changes occurred in the world of Indian cinema. No longer was a male actor required to play female roles.
