That is why School No 54 in the Sovetsky district of Volgograd and Chinese high-schoolers from our twin-city of  Jilin  organized together a wonderful international children drawing competition, dedicated to their favorite holiday – the New Year! 

Although the Chinese New Year won’t arrive until almost the very end of the Russian winter, children from the twin-cities all over the world have found a way to express their emotions together – and in the most artistic way. Students from Volgograd School No 54 drew a greeting card in Chinese and a series of New Year themed pictures. Their Chinese friends responded in kind: with numerous drawings reflecting theirs national peculiarities of celebrating this wonderful holiday. 

Such an artistic contest between Volgograd ad Jilin students became a continuation of their earlier cultural exchanges. Together, we have participated in traditional meetings, various events, and international competitions. For example, in October 2020, students from Volgograd School No 54 and their Chinese peers together took part in an ecology-themed flashmob to clean from rubbish the banks of their countries’ largest rivers – the Volga and the Songhua. 

On the eve of the year 2021, after the horrible Covid-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to be kinder and friendlier to each other! It is a vital necessity to learn to speak to people not only at the much emphasized distance of 1.5 meters, but also while being thousands of kilometers apart! There is a very important thing we have in common – the desire for joy, simple human happiness, winter fun, hope for the better future! All of this can be found in the pictures of the young artists from Volgograd and Jilin. Let’s paint this New Year happy!