Hytönen to join Murmansk Int´l Poetry Festival

The second International Poetry Festival ‘Taburetka’ will begin at Monchegorsk of Murmansk in Russia on August 26 where more than 100 poets from home and abroad, said a press release.

One of the best present for guests of the festival will be a meeting with a famous Finnish poet and publishing director of Savukeidas Publishing House Ville Hytönen, who now lives in Tallin, Estonia.

He has written many amazing books for adults and children and has been awarded with the most significant ‘Sammon tekijät’ award in Finland and also with ‘Nuori Voima’ prize.

Some years ago a citizen of Monchegorsk Oksana Kitaeva created that unusual art object and won in a ‘Literaturnyi sled’ contest with ‘Nornickel’ company support.

The stool (‘taburetka’ in Russian) is a traditional place, where children read for parents first poetries in the Soviet Union. It often happened in a holiday like New Year.

Now poets have a great opportunity to read their verses staying on the stool in the park, present their art to many guests of the festival and communicate with other poets and everyone who is interested in a contemporary poetry.

Hytönen has visited about 70 countries and every time surprises how caring and loving people can be in different places in the world. It will not be his first time in Russia – Ville has travelled to Saint Petersburg, Kalmukia, Udmurtia, Kaliningrad, Karelia, Tatarstan and Sotsi.

A few months ago he was travelling to Murmansk and Archangelsk, which he exceedingly enjoyed.

‘I also met the Russian Ded Morosz in Solombala Island in Arkhangelsk, which was intriguing moment!’ said Ville, adding, ‘He was a bit surprised to meet two Finnish poets at the beginning of summer instead of children at winter’.

Now the author writes his new book for children, it’s a reason why he was so exciting about that chance and interesting meeting with hero of Russian fairytales.

It’s very interesting that Ville can speak Russian a little bit because he learned that very difficult language at school and at the University.

Also now he lives in Russian neighborhood in Tallinn, Estonia, and most of his neighbours are Russian.

‘We are sharing our lives in a same building, so Russian way to live is quite familiar for me, though my Russian language skills are undeveloped’ said Hytönen. He really enjoys reading books which were written by Mihail Bulgakov, Vladimir Majakovski, Venedikt Jerofejev, Daniil Harms, Ilja Ilf & Jevgeni Petrov, Juri Rytheu.

Also he likes a poetry of Vladimir Vysotski. ‘From contemporary writers I can mention at least Andrei Astvatsaturov, Jevgeni Popov and Sergei Zavjalov’ Ville says. ‘I read everywhere I can. When cycling at gym, when bathing in sauna. But maybe the most congenial place is a restaurant car at Russian train, if you don't have any company’.

Ville Hytönen prepares for the guest of The second international poetry festival ‘Taburetka’ in Monchegorsk a very special program.

‘I have written lot of poems in sense of etnofuturism, which is a mix-up of traditional old believes and customs and also about newest ways to see to world international networks and cultures meeting each other’ said Ville ‘I’m proud about my original, difficult, rare and beautiful language, that just under 6 million people understand in the whole world. I think that in Finnish language there are millions of colours and senses that people can learn from just with listening’.

This year the main theme of the festival ‘Taburetka’ is ‘the salt of the earth’ in all meanings of this fixed phrase. In the Bible Jesus told to Jesus twelve ‘You are the salt of the earth’. It means they are the best persons, most valuable part of society.

There are two miracles in the northern part of Russia. First, there is a beautiful nature like a masterpiece. The second miracle is a character of people, their personality traits, for example, fortitude and tenderness.