INTERVIEW WITH PUBLIC GRANT HOLDER

The Tavrida Forum in Crimea is an all-Russian contest for teenagers. It is considered to be the main Russian forum. Every applicant must complete a creative task to enter the competition. All creative kids of Russia gather at the Tavrida forum every year. Each one is engaged in a certain field: dancing, architecture, art, literature, etc.

Nina Samotoina, our third-year student, the Faculty of Advertising and PR, attended the forum as a poet with her own Pochitai project. She applied it for the public grants’ contest.

- I know that it's not your first time at the Tavrida Forum...

- Yes, I was there for the second time. As soon as I attended the Forum, the managers started to prepare for the grants’ contest. I applied my Pochitai project for it. It is an electronic service for publishing young authors' works.

I am an author myself. I write poems. I see how hard it is for young talents to become famous. So, I wanted to help my colleagues. This is how I got an idea of this project. What's more, QR-codes become more popular nowadays. People will follow the link to our website from the QR codes placed at the streets of Moscow. I'm sure that my project will help popularize modern writers.

- How did you prepare for the project's realization?

- In the beginning of July, I went to Belgorod in a project Pegas school. The lecturers taught us what a project is, how to make it, how to write documents, why we need them, and how to calculate all risks. There I also improved my skills in public speaking, it greatly helped me at the Forum. As a result, that school helped me get a qualification in project management.

Belgorod held a contest that was similar to Tavrida Forum's, but, of course, it provided no grants. It was like a full rehearsal. I got the second prize in the 'Best Social Project' nomination. It greatly inspired me. The experts believed in me and considered my project to be very important.

Two years at the IGUMO and participation in various projects gave me an opportunity to improve my quick thinking. I became used to public speaking.

In the IGUMO I learned how to communicate. I used my experience at many forums including Tavrida. For example, in some moment I learned how to find a common language with the participants, volunteers, and experts. I asked them for help and they agreed.

The others preferred not to do it because they were afraid of getting a negative response. Fortunately, I don’t have such a fear. I can't imagine that my lecturer would refuse to help me. The IGUMO made me understand that teachers are our friends, they care about their students.

- And then you came to Tavrida... How was the grant contest?

- The contest had several stages. When one comes, one applies for participation. Then he or she defends his or her project in front of three experts. One needs to tell about one's work in three minutes. After the audition, the experts choose 20 people from approximately 150 candidates. Actually, I was worried. I was afraid to make a mistake. However, I'm working on it! (Laughs.)

At the next stage one needs to tell the same information but not to the experts, but to the forum's participants. There were 400 of them. I was to make my project sound interesting and memorable for them to choose it among other 20.

I was worried even more. I couldn't sleep before my speech. I wanted to tell many things in a minute. I think that my project is of real importance. It is topical, interesting, and useful. Our young talents may use it to maintain communication between potential readers and authors. That speech was the most difficult challenge of my life.

- You entered the list of twenty lucky ones there. How did you prepare for the defense of your project?

- It was very hard. Firstly, I needed to fill many documents and write a cost sheet. I guess it was the most complicated part. Secondly, I needed to present my concept as an original one. The participants often think this way about their works but soon they find out that there are many of such projects already. Of course, we found out about our rivals and their advantages. They offer classic works while we are aimed at young talented writers.

Before the announcement of the grant contest's results I connected with Ingushetia to discuss the start of my project in their region...

- Ingushetia? Do you have such connections?

- Yes, I do. (Laughs.) I was there in May, at the Targim Forum. I met Suleyman Egiev there. He is the Chairman of the Committee for Matters Concerning Young Persons of the Republic of Ingushetia. This is the place where I got an idea about electronic services for beginning writers. I shared the concept with Suleyman Egiev. He evinced his interest in it and offered his help. A day before the announcement of the results at Tavrida, I connected with Ingushetia. They said that they were ready to provide a starting platform for the project's realization, so I just needed to win the grant... By the way, I'm going to be there in autumn to solve managing tasks.

- My friends told me that working at such forums was very difficult. Did you sleep well? When did you wake up?

- Well... we hardly slept at Tavrida. I woke up at six and started working immediately. The rest of us woke up at eight...

Usually we ended working at midnight, sometimes in 2 in the morning. I had to go to sleep in 4 in the morning. So, I mostly slept for two hours every day there...

- Why would you do such a thing?!

- I worked with my project the whole day. I edited and defended it, attended workshops, and communicated with the participants. Also, as the Tavrida ambassador, I was helping the management, volunteers, and beginners. I told them about Tavrida and gave advice.

- What kind of results did you get?

- I became the best ambassador on my shift.

- So, here came the final day. Tell about the ceremony of announcing the results. How did you feel?

- We didn't know anything about the grants we were about to receive: 100 thousands, 200, 300, 500, and the first prize was 1 000 000 rubles. Of course, every project was applied for a certain amount of money depending on a cost sheet but we didn't know what it was about to win.

Before we ended our shift, the managers suggested rehearsing the moment we come on stage during the announcement of the results. Of course, we didn’t know each other that day.

Everyone took a certificate and started making a line. Somehow I got a certificate of 1 000 000 rubles. (Laughs.)

During the ceremony, the grant holders would be the last to come on stage and get their awards. However, in reality we were the first. I was shook… Honestly, even now I feel those emotions… My heart is about to explode…

In that moment Nina started to cry. She was touched by these delightful memories…

- I understand that it was quite an emotional episode for you…

- Yes, it really impressed me. When the hosts started to name the people who got the certificates on 100 thousands rubles, all I could think about was: ‘Will I be the next one or not?’. Then they got to the 200 thousands part. I still wasn’t mentioned in the list. And then I heard my name at last. I was astonished! I remember running and hearing congratulations from the participants and volunteers… It was marvelous.

When I stood on stage with the certificate, I realized that I finally got what I wanted. My aim was completed. I didn’t sleep for days and I finally won the award.

To be honest, even now I can’t really believe that I did that… (Laughs.) It was like a dream. All of it. My arrival at Tavrida, participation in the contest, and being there on stage…

Sukhrob Sharipov,

Third-year IGUMO student, the Faculty of Journalism

Translated by Irina Nikishina

14.09.2018
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