The Ezidi organisation Mesopotamia brought together ten teams representing cultural associations in the Russian city of Vladimir for a backgammon tournament on 12 September.
The tournament, titled “The Many Faces of Rus’”, took place at the Centre of Culture and Arts on Sobornaya. Organised under the leadership of Samvel Mstoyan, it received grant support from the Vladimir city administration to promote friendship and mutual respect among peoples.
Mesopotamia has been organising backgammon tournaments in Vladimir for more than a decade. The events attract both regular participants and newcomers from the city’s national and cultural associations.
Mstoyan linked the choice of backgammon to its ancient history and Mesopotamian roots. He described Ezidis as the game’s originators, saying it was subsequently adopted by other peoples across the East and beyond.
Each of the ten teams fielded three players, with Ivan Andreadi overseeing the competition. The Azerbaijani team finished first, Mesopotamia took second place, and the Finno-Ugric organisation Shumbrat came third.
Bashkir, Dagestani, Jewish, Tajik, Uzbek and Chechen cultural associations also participated, including two Jewish teams. All teams received certificates and awards.
After the competition, participants gathered for tea, coffee and pastries. Mstoyan said he plans to continue hosting tournaments that bring together people from Vladimir’s different cultural backgrounds.
The tournament followed another event organised by Mesopotamia a week earlier. On 5 September, the organisation held its regional festival of traditional games and activities, “Russia Is Strong Through the Unity of Its Peoples,” at the Central Park of Culture and Recreation.
