Russian and Turkish children aged seven to sixteen participated in the preparation of this book. They translated the Russian folktales into Turkish themselves and created the accompanying illustrations. The book serves as a continuation of the Turkish Fairytales in Russian publication project, which was prepared as part of the Year of Turkish Culture in Russia in 2008.
The Russian Folktales in Turkish project was launched in 2009, which has been declared the Year of Equal Opportunities, so participants in the project included children with disabilities. In particular, the cover of the book is adorned with a drawing by a seven-year-old Turkish girl named Sumeyye Boyaci, who was born without any hands. Having learned to draw using her feet, the young artist drew the illustration for The Story of the Goldfish.
The original drawing was given to Svetlana Medvedeva during Sumeyye Boyaci’s personal exhibition at the Moscow Greets Friends festival last year. Russia’s First Lady wrote a letter to the young artist. “Your art is full of light, warmth, and sincerity,” Svetlana Medvedeva wrote.
Ms Medvedeva warmly welcomed children and guests at the celebration. “It’s great that a significant share of the works were done by the children themselves,” she noted. “It is because of their efforts that the book is so bright and beautiful.” She made particular note of Boyaci’s input. “The effort and skill that is evident in her illustration is beyond words,” said Svetlana Medvedeva, expressing certainty that readers will truly value the talent of the young artist.
The First Lady noted the importance of publishing books of this kind. “Projects like this one are very much in demand, especially among children and youth, because they give them a chance to communicate with their age mates abroad. By helping children get acquainted with the culture and traditions of their neighbours, we are laying a strong foundation of friendship between our peoples,” Ms Medvedeva said.
An official dinner was hosted on behalf of President of Turkey Abdullah Gul and his wife, Hayrunnisa Gul, in honour of the President and First Lady of Russia.