THE Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, Ayr, played host lest week tae the Consul General o the Russian Federation in Embra, Mr Andrey A Pritsepov, an members o the St Petersburg Forum. As Scots Scriever in Residence at the museum, ah wis invited alang tae witness the day’s ongauns.

The St Petersburg Forum wis set up in 1995 tae gie a heize tae charitable, educational, artistic an cultural links atween groups in Scotland an northern Russia, an tae expand knowledge o each anither’s culture, history, leid an education systems. The forum haes fowr trustees an three addeetional buird memmers. Oan the day we hud wi us chairwoman Elizabeth Clark, treasurer Dr Tom Clark, and trustees Kay Blair an Helen Morrison.

Ye can lairn mair anent the forum an its warks at this website: www.stpetersburgforum.org

International ceetizenship is an aefauld important pairt o the Scottish schuils curriculum an links wi St Petersburg schuils are nou in place an growin year bi year.

In further education, the forum hus formed a pairtnership wi Reid Kerr College an a wheen o important ploys wi St Petersburg hae nou bin establisht.

The ettle o the event at the RBBM wis the annual Knowledge of Scotland competition whaur the competition winners cam tae Scotland fir twa weeks ilk autumn tae prie Scottish hospitality an oor education system. The competition hus bin rinnin fir 12 years nou an 42 students hae veesited Scotland.

Robert Burns’ warks hae lang bin appreciatit in Russia. Mony o his poems hae bin owerset intil Russian, aiblins maist fawmously bi Samuel Marshak, wha owerset ower 200 o the Bard’s poems, publisht in 1924 – this buik sell’t abune 60,000 copies!

Ilk year the forum hus an essay writin competition, whiles a forum Burns Supper taks place annually in St Petersburg. The tradeetional meal o haggis, neeps an tatties is cooked bi the staff an students frae Reid Kerr College.

Thair is alsae an annual airt competition apen tae young Russian artists uisin a Scottish theme, whiles raicently we nou hae a reciprocal competition fir young Scots artists uisin a Russian theme.

The staundart o the wark produced bi these byordnar talented young fowk is gey guid, an this year wis nae exception!

The Robertson Room at the RBBM played host tae this year’s winners. Afore they read their winnin essays, we hud a braw wee tea fir the Consul General an the invited guests.

Thair wir kenspeckle faces frae renowned Burns Clubs, Alloway amang thaim! Ex-preses John an Margaret Skilling an a hauntle memmers jyned the company.

Mr Pritsipov gien a warm an passionate address afore introducin the youngsters.

The Consul General wis furthie in his praise o Scotland an oor lang-staundin cultural, trade an educational links. He didnae shy awa eithers frae current poleetical events sayin, in words that wid hae stoundit in the hairt o Burns hissel, that kintra’s shuid be biggin bridges – no biggin wa’s! Weel said indeed that man!

Then the young anes hud their say. First we hud 16-year-auld Polina Kukushkina, winner o the Burns competition, wi her essay themed around the topic: “We’re bought and sold for English Gold, Sic a parcel o rogues in a Nation.” Polina hud an auld heid oan her shooders fir sic a young lassie – an made the case that Scotland wull aye-an-oan hae it’s ain “independent speerit”, an nae vote can e’er tak that awa frae us! Her grasp o Burns wis michty fir yin o sic tender years. Ye goat the feelin that here wis somebody wha wid gang oan tae mak her mark in the warld!

She wis follaed bi Pavel Tereshchenko, wha gien his presentation oan James Watt the Scottish inventor frae the Knowledge of Scotland competition. Ah’m shair he wid hae pit a wheen o young Scots tae shame wi the braid knowledge he hud anent Watt an ither Scots inventors o the Scots Enlichtenment – men wha inventit the modren warld an ushered in the industrial age. Young Pavel duin o this wi wit an great style – humour an passion glinted throu his words. Anither bricht young thing, wi an assured future!

The winnin essays can be read in full oan the St Petersburg Forum website – alang wi previous winners gaun back a puckle years syne.

Pavel an Polina baith attend Schuil 157 in St Petersburg aneftir they hud baith delivert their prizewinnin essays they gien a Power Point talk anent their schuil an aa its guid warks, an a brief innins tae the cultural sichts tae be enjoyed bi veesitors tae

St Petersburg. Bi the soun o it, gin ye hae a guid Scots tung in yer heid ye’ll aye fin a waarm walcum there! An an e’en waarmer ane gin ye can recite a bit Burns – or sing a sang or twa!

The St Petersburg Forum is alsae a registered Scottish charity. Ane o its first projects in its early days wis tae fill twa containers wi hospital supplies, donated bi sindrie hospitals, whilk wir shipped tae St Petersburg. Amang the contents wir medical equipment, sic as baby incubators, surgical equipment, nurses’ uniforms, bed linen, weans claes, toys an vitamins fir the orphanages.

Its guid warks provide fir cancer victims, talented young fowk, an orphanages (thair’s around 6,000 orphans in St Petersburg in aamaist 90 orphanages). Three orphanages in especial hae bin targeted an are gettin ongaun material support an much needit siller frae the charity here in Scotland.

This is the kindae wark that maist o us arenae awaur o in Scotland the day. Ah’m shair that

Mr Pritsepov an aa oor Russian friens wid agree wi the sentiments o Robert Burns hissel whan the poet wrote: “God knows I am no saint;

I have a whole host of follies and sins to answer for; but if I could — and I believe I do it as far as I can

– I would wipe away all tears from all eyes.”

Oor links wi Russia an the warks o the St Petersburg Forum are somethin that we can aa be prood o!

Rab Wilson is a Scots poet and health campaigner