Russian Children Learn to Play Gamelan

Russian children who are still in elementary school in Star City, Moscow, Russia are very fond of gamelan. Although only three times to practice in the Embassy in Moscow, they have mastered playing the gamelan.

"The game of this instrument is interesting, and I am very happy to play the gamelan." Just three times of practice, my friends and I can play it, "said Aleksey, a fourth grader at Star City Music School while playing gamelan at the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow.

Similarly, as expressed in a press statement of the Embassy in Moscow.

A great spirit is shown by the elementary school students. The distance to the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia which is quite far from Star City, about 45 km with travel time of about 2 hours and Moscow which in the last week hit by the worst snowfall since the last hundred years, did not break their spirits to practice gamelan at the Embassy in Moscow.

Star City is a training ground for cosmonauts created in the Soviet Era. Currently, Star City is still regarded as a closed city and Yuri Gagarin, the first man to fly into space, has lived in this city.

Students of Star City Music Elementary School joined and practiced at the Embassy in Moscow since a month ago. Every exercise that was done on Saturday was attended by 35-40 people. With 20 of them are students who are very active playing gamelan, while others are their parents and companion from school.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Russian Federation accredited to the Republic of Belarus, M Wahid Supriyadi greatly appreciated the great interest of the Russian elementary school children in playing the gamelan. This effort as part of the introduction of Indonesian culture to Russian society, especially at an early age.

According to Ambassador Wahid, this is a good step to introduce Indonesian culture to Russian citizens to bring closer relations between the two countries. This activity is also part of the development of a network of schools in Russia with the Indonesian School of Moscow and schools in Indonesia.

"These students are able to play the gamelan, even though we have just had a few rehearsals, we can show in the third Indonesia Festival in Moscow on August 3-5, 2018," said Ambassador Wahid when meeting these children.