Students share Russian culture

Sergei Shapoval, right, a native of Ukraine, shows James Getman, a sixth-grade student at Hollister, how to play spoons on Wednesday afternoon.

By Mindy Honey
Society Editor
Originally published Nov. 14, 2009

Hollister Middle School had a rare visit Wednesday.

Sergei Shapoval, a Krivoi Rog, Ukraine native, spent the day visiting with 380 middle school and junior high school students about Russia’s culture. He described the world as a giant house.

“You live in one room,” he said. “If you don’t explore other rooms, you don’t know where you live.”

Counselor Sharmon Hagler said having Shapoval visit has been a dream of hers.

“It has always been in the back of my mind we needed to do this,” she said.

Thanks to grants, the district was able to bring the visitor to Hollister through a program called The Cultural Kaleidoscope.

“I want them to know not what is in the media, but the truth about Russia and its background,” Hagler said. “No. 1, it is a global world.

“No. 2, they have to appreciate the difference rather than judge the differences. That is so important.”

Shapoval, dressed in traditional Russian folk costume, gave a multi-faceted presentation about Russia. He shared with students about the Cyrillic alphabet, folk dance and traditional folk instruments.

Shapoval has a master’s degree in music education from the Gnessin Pedaggical Institute in Moscow.

He has been a concertmaster for the dance group Krivbass in Krivoi Rog and artistic director of the music section of “Pravda” newspaper. He has also taught bayan, accordion and conducting.

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