Over two days in the lead-up to Russia’s National Unity Day on 4 November 2026, pupils, teachers and parents at Znamenskaya Secondary School in Tambov Oblast held a fair celebrating the cultures of different peoples living in Russia.
The event, titled “In the Friendship of Peoples – the Unity of Russia”, brought together pupils from grades 1 to 11, teachers and parents. Each class prepared a presentation dedicated to a different people living in Russia, using music, dance, traditional clothing, cultural displays and national food.
Ezidis were presented alongside Chechens, Tatars, Mordvins, Roma, Belarusians and Russians.
According to the school’s report, pupils transformed classrooms and exhibition spaces into cultural settings, while parents helped prepare food, decorations and presentations about family traditions. The fair was held over two days because of the number of participating classes.
The report did not identify which pupils or families prepared the Ezidi presentation. However, the inclusion of Ezidi culture in a school event is still significant. It gives young people an opportunity to encounter Ezidi traditions as part of the country’s cultural diversity, rather than allowing Ezidis to remain invisible or be defined by others.
For Ezidi children growing up outside Iraq, cultural representation in schools can play an important role in preserving knowledge, pride and connection to their people’s history.
Photo credit: Znamenskaya Secondary School archive / Anastasia Gavrilova
