Students’ Voices:

It has become a well-established tradition to invite acclaimed actors and entertainers to our class. Last year, for the first time, we welcomed Rustem Galich and Inna Isilevskaya, two noted Russian actors, to perform in front of six and seven graders at Big Apple Academy. They introduced us, with their magic touch, to the beauty of seasons through the eyes of multiple famous Russian poets. This year, Rustem and Inna have marveled us with their rendition of famous Lermontov’s “Demon.” Their keen sense of poetry conveyed not only the fear and internal strength of the play’s characters, but also the boundless love that fettered the characters together after a tragic event that struck the female character, Tamara, played by Inna. We were astonished and amused as Rustem and Inna delivered their roles so passionately and emotionally. Some of us even said that it was as if we were living in the play.” We were feeling the pain and grief as we witnessed the love the two characters shared.” Many of us in 7-C were cognizant of the play’s storyline, since we along with other 6th grade classes staged a number of Lermontov’s poems, including “Demon” to celebrate Lermontov’s 200th birthday.

Rustem and Inna were particularly thrilled and excited about our ebullient interest and deep knowledge of Lermontov’s poetry. The combined performance of Rustem Galich and Inna Isilivskaya and our class engendered a spark in the scope of Russian literature and poetry and created an unforgettable event for us and the faculty.