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World Jewish News
Vice Prime Minister Ivan Vasiunyk Meets Chinese Scholars of Shalom Aleichem
08.04.2009
The Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Ivan Vasyunyk had a meeting with representatives of the "Ukraine-China" community and the Shanghai Society for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The Chinese delegation included scholars of works of a Ukrainian writer of Jewish origin Shalom Aleichem. Among them is Professor Yao Yen, who has been studying and translating the works of this Ukrainian-Jewish writer for over 50 years already.
During the meeting, Ivan Vasyunyk expressed satisfaction with the pace of development of cultural and scientific cooperation between Ukraine and China, recalled that in May this year, a regular meeting of the Joint Ukrainian-Chinese commission on cooperation in the field of culture will be held.
"An important area of work last year was the search for archival materials and documents about the life and work of prominent Ukrainians in China. It is especially pleasant to note the personal contribution of Professor Yao Yen to the study of Shalom Aleichem’s creativity," said Ivan Vasyunyk. According to the vice-premier, the work of the Chinese researcher is important for Ukraine, and especially in the context of celebrating the 150th anniversary of birth of the great writer.
At the same time, director of the Shanghai city department in studying history and culture U. Mentsin mentioned that an equally large-scale celebration of anniversary of Shalom Aleichem took place in China, particularly in Shanghai.
Professor Yao Yen, who in 1958 translated into Chinese the work by Shalom Aleichem "Boy Motl," pointed out that once he stepped on the Ukrainian land, he felt happy, because his dream to visit the native land of the writer whose works he has been studying for more than 50 years came true.
"When I started studying Shalom Aleichem's works in 1956, the centennial of his birth was being prepared, and today we celebrate 150 years. Despite the fact that I am 82 already, I still have many plans in Shalom Aleichem research, and I hope to implement all of them," said Professor Yao Yen.
The Chinese delegation visited Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky at Shalom Aleichem's museum. Chinese researchers also visited the newly opened Kiev museum of the outstanding writer and presented the Director with the originals of Chinese newspapers with the materials about Shalom Aleichem. They thanked the Government of Ukraine for a great deal of attention to cultural cooperation between the two countries.
The Chinese scholars of Shalom Aleichem's works are hoping to visit Ukraine once again to talk with their Ukrainian counterparts.
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